Love defines us as human beings. We seek it, we want it and sometimes we desperately try to lose it.  Above all other emotions, love is the one that creates peace, harmony, and beauty.  In most languages, different words are ascribed to the various types of love that more closely define the nature of the specific feeling, whereas in the English language we use adjectives to clarify just what sort of love we are experiencing, such as “erotic’ love, “familial” love, “platonic” love and “principled” love. Today, as astrology gains a wider audience, it can also be used to facilitate a deeper understanding of this most important emotion and lend us some insight into how we can better apply it in our day to day life. The twelve signs of the Zodiac are archetypal representations of different modes of being and through an exploration of these twelve archetypes, we can gain a broader understanding of this ‘thing called love’.

 

  In koine Greek which was the form of that language in use from about 300 BCE-300 AD and which language was used when the ‘New Testament’ part of the Bible was written, there are, for the purposes of this little exploration, four words which are used for the one English word, “love”; storge, philia, eros, and agape. Let’s explore each of these four faces of love and the connection that each face has to the archetypes of the zodiac.

 

“Storge” or familial love or ‘familiar’ love is the love that comes from that sense of familiarity that can be had in a family experience or with people who become de facto members of one’s family. When experiencing familial love, we desire to protect and nurture, train, and discipline, feed and keep safe those who are ours. “Storge” is affection and fondness. It is natural, emotive, and is the love that is most often expressed without coercion or judgment. Astrologically, “storge” is co-related to the archetypal signs of Cancer, Capricorn, and Virgo.  Cancer desires to protect and nurture; Capricorn wants to teach and discipline and Virgo wants to care, feed and nourish her loved ones. If you have any of these three energies within your psyche, you are comfortable in family situations or you may be working through issues related to this dynamic. You most easily and naturally express love through a warm, nurturing, and protective demonstration of emotion. You are a householder and server, par excellance, and once you have actualized your own internal energy, you are everyone’s best ‘mother’, ‘father’, ‘sister’ or ‘brother’.

 

“Philia”, the love of friendship is, possibly, the most fulfilling type of love. This is the love that can spring up between two unrelated people and that does not entail either familial ties or erotic compulsions. Rather, it is the love that comes from a sharing of like mind, a mutual interest; not so much based on the need to receive in return but rather just the joy of finding a compatible partner in crime with whom one can communicate, play, be together in silence and without censure. In true friendship feelings like jealousy and covetousness should, ideally, not be present. We are told that we cannot choose our families but that we can choose our friends, indicating how desirable a thing true friendship can be. Astrologically, “philia” is best exemplified by the archetypes of Aquarius, Libra, Gemini & Sagittarius. In these energies, we discover the joy of companionship, group alignment, shared fun, common viewpoint, both personally and globally. Aquarius draws us into groups and communities that share common values and ideals. Libra invites us to find companionship with another. Gemini creates an environment of childlike playfulness and Sagittarius sparks us to seek adventure and forge bonds of friendship with others. If you have these energies within your psyche, you innately understand the “hows” of friendship. You easily create commonality and peace between yourself and the other. You know how to play and have fun. Joy is gained from shared partnership and the gift that you bring to the collective is the ability to bring diverse groups together and to create gateways of connection.

“Eros” is the love that is most misunderstood and the most desired. We all want to be “in love” though if asked, most of us would not be able to adequately explain what this really means. “Eros” is linked to sexual impulse but not limited to it. When we experience erotic love, we want to consume the object of our desire, to absorb the “other” into ourselves, to become “one” with that “other”. On the highest of levels, it is the search and discovery of the “beloved”. Astrologically, erotic love can be accessed through many of the archetypes, but especially through, Taurus, Scorpio, Aries & Leo. In Taurus, we seek union physically through sensuality and pleasure. This is the long lazy loving of a weekend afternoon, the indolent walks along the shore while holding each other’s hands, the communal baths and the feeding of finger foods to each other in soft romantic candlelight.  It is “courtesan” energy to be enjoyed and savoured. Scorpio is dark love, the energy of possession and submission to the other. It is intense and all-consuming; a passion that does not need any words, that flows between two people like a river. It is the touch that becomes larger than the touched, the exchange of breath, the absorption of the intrinsic essence of each other through the sexual process, and beyond. In many ways, it is a magical journey into the deep, dark and mysterious depths of love.

Leo energy delights in the game of love. Here “eros” is fun and expansive. We can feel like royalty when Leo energy is involved.  There is optimism, happiness, and abandon between the partners with a great deal of sizzle and romance.

Aries likes it hot, steamy and right now. There is an immediacy to the erotic love found in Aries and the focus is on the shared experience rather than each other.  Love can become an acrobatic free for all, full of challenge and accomplishment.  The Kama Sutra must have been devised by someone with a focus of Aries energy—the more challenging, the better, as far as this energy is concerned.

The last of the four faces of love is “agape” or the love that is based on the purest of principles.  This is unconditional love that is not dependant on any return or any intrinsic worth inherent in the object of said love. It is love for love’s sake, pure, powerful and potent in its effect if appropriately accessed and implemented. In the main, this is the love with which the Christian scripture and, for that matter, all religious scripture is concerned.  When Jesus instructed his followers to “love their neighbours”, he meant it on this highest of emotive levels.  In a way, this is the use of emotion to transcend emotion, to detach from the base expression of the love vibration.  This is the vibration that will ultimately “save” this world because when we act from this place, we seek nothing in return and we recognize the connection that exists between all living things; how can we harm that which is a part of ourselves?

Astrologically, the archetype of Pisces co-relates to “agape”. Pisces is able to love all and it is in Pisces that we can most easily access the love of “god/dess” or spirit. Herein we can locate the very essence of being or god and exist in a state of ecstasy or bliss. This is the place of true forgiveness and non-judgmental acceptance. To most fully express this exquisite love, there must be a spiritual focus. This spiritual purpose will provide a grounded foundation and an unbreakable structure that is so necessary when attempting to demonstrate “love to all”.

In ordinary life, we can all find ways to demonstrate the “four faces of love”. Understanding how love works can facilitate a more authentic expression of this most complex and satisfying emotion.  As they say, “Love is in the air!” We just have to reach out and grab it!

 

 

 

Each of the individual 12 signs coincides, not with a particular month of the year, but rather, a particular time of the year. And here we are at that time of the year when the Sun enters into Taurus.

 

Taurus is the first of the “EARTH” signs. Think solid, steady, reliable, dependable, concerned with the tangible, touchable and measurable elements of life. In astrological terms, it is FIXED energy, emphasizing the adjectives listed above. And above all else, Taurus takes the inspiration of spirit and translates it into the ORGANIC. Concretization of the impulse is a big thing in the Taurus world. In the spiral of life, after the excitement of the impulse, a form must follow.  An idea, an inspiration goes nowhere if there is no strategy to ‘flesh’ it out. That’s the job for Taurus.

 

Taurus, then, is representative of the organic part of the spiral of life. Sexy, sensual and receptive, Taurus loves the simple process of just ‘being’. In Taurus we celebrate all things physical and revel in the literal 5 senses that flesh out our world.

 

But what is the shadow part of this glorious energy? What lurks behind that sunny smile, that contented expression?   

One of the most shadowy parts of Taurus is SLOTH. This is inertia beyond mere laziness. Taurus is never as sprightly as its predecessor, Aries, but though movement may be slow, it does move when appropriately actualized. However, when Taurus sinks into shadow, it can become utterly immovable in its torpor. The tendency to stand still longer than needed turns into a concrete pit with Taurus stuck firmly in the middle. Taurus must regularly scan itself and monitor this tendency to ‘root’ in place. There can be any number of reasons for sloth to take hold; complacency, disinterest in anything outside of itself, a sense of extreme ennui. Taurus must pull up its bootstraps and actively seek out something that will spark it into action. Otherwise, it will sink into its own deep ‘well’ of being and never emerge!

GREED is another shadow for Taurus. It is the most ‘material’ of the energies and best case, it celebrates all that it can sense on the physical level. In fact, it can lose itself in its own sensual experience. When left unchecked, Taurus just wants to consume, consume, consume. In fact, the rate of consumption can escalate to the point that Taurus can actually be consumed by the consumption…eaten up alive by its own need to accumulate. To counter this compulsion for ‘more’, Taurus must consciously relinquish, let go of things that it thinks it needs or simply wants. It must intervene in its own desire drive and give itself a stern talking to about moderation in all things.

 Finally, let’s look at the Taurus shadow of BULL-HEADEDNESS. Stubbornness can help to stay the course, to stick with whatever project is on the table. Taken into its shadow, it can become almost stupidly intransigent. Being dependable and constant is highly desirable but being unwilling to consider options or look at an opposing viewpoint is just self-defeating. Taurus is the solid supporter, yes! However, if not always on guard, Taurus can become the silent oppressor, never giving way, never giving in. Okay, Taurus, we all know you are tough and strong, just loosen up a little, won’t you?

 

Currently, Uranus is transiting this remarkable earthy energy. The organic world is topsy-turvy, or so it suddenly seems. All things tangible are under attack as far as the reality that this collective has created is concerned. Together we must all get up off our bottoms, let go of what WE THINK we need or want and explore alternatives.

We are the HUMANS on this rock.

We can do it!

 

 

Shadow Energy: The Dark Side of the Sun/Aries

 

Energy is neutral. It just is what it is. However, once the variable—the human psyche—is engaged, energy can morph into any number of variations of itself. So, there is NO BAD energy but, unfortunately, there are many BAD humans. What’s Bad? Bad is that which corrupts the purity of the impulse into something that detracts, takes away from, original intent.

What should we, as conscious beings, want to strive for? We should be focused on using our energy to achieve best possible results, to do ‘good’, to heal, to facilitate, to support, to empower, ourselves, others, the wider community each in her own way and to her own capacity.

But the truth is that where light wants to shine, shadow can follow. It is vital to face that shadow, to dive deep into that shadow, to attempt to understand it so that we can, if possible, reprogram the self to shift the shadow, which does contain elements of the light, into the light itself. Can we do it? Is it possible? Of course! We are of and from the divine and the divine is pure unadulterated light that shines eternally.

Traditionally, Aries is the so-called ‘first’ sign of the zodiac. If we mark the beginning of the cycle from the Spring Equinox, this makes sense. Just as the spring brings us a rebirth in the northern hemisphere, so does Aries challenge us to start something new, to initiate, to begin again. Used proactively, this is the energy of unbridled action, fresh, exhilarating, exuberant and optimistic. But, Aries does have a shadow side.

Rage. Not just anger but true-blue rage is an extreme manifestation of the Aries shadow. This rage is not sensible, and often, not based on anything understandable. Rather it is born deep within the solar plexus and then rises up through the spinal canal into the heart, throat and ultimately the head. It grips the heart, preventing the free flow of compassionate love. It suffocates the throat blocking ‘right’ speech. It erases all logic rendering the self incapable of reason. It is destructive both to the self and to the other who might be the object of it.

The root cause of this kind of response mechanism is usually ego based. Aries has a primal need to WIN, to prevail, to be the first, the best. Obviously, this is not always attainable. We live in a populated community system and need to learn to share that primary position with others from time to time. Aries, undeveloped and unconscious, does not comprehend this very simple concept. If there is a winner, there will also be a ‘not winner’. Aries needs to learn this and get used to taking turns in the spotlight.

Obviously, there is power in rage. Here we see the pathway out of destructive behaviour and into a positive expression of this energy. Rage, contained and properly bridled, is incredibly motivating. Rage, carefully transformed into justifiable, mindful anger can achieve incredible results. The key is to take that boundless (and usually mindless) energy and focus it onto an attainable goal; use it with strategic precision to create the result that one desires. It’s not easy but when Aries wakes up to itself, to its enviable potential, nothing, absolutely nothing can deter it from its path. And, in most cases, Aries, awake, focused, eyes forward, will inevitably reach its goal. Wake up Aries, and lead the way!

Another Aries shadow is willfulness. This, too, begins in the solar plexus. This part of the Aries shadow can lead to isolation and all out combat with anyone who gets in the way. The need to assert one’s will can eclipse any potential for dialogue and compromise. Expressing one’s WILL can become all-consuming so that no consideration is given for opposing viewpoints, alternate courses of action or other’s sensibilities. Shadow driven Aries tramples over anyone and anything in its way in its need to prevail, to conquer, to be at the head of the line. Ultimately, this kind of behavior will alienate others and at some point, Aries will find itself all alone in the center of the stage with absolutely no one watching.

Used positively, this powerful expression of WILL results in a brilliance of leadership that can inspire others to step up to whatever challenge is front and center. It can provide the Aries type with a steely staying power despite the odds against her. The key, again, is consciousness. The Aries type needs to cultivate mental discretion. She must constantly be asking herself, ‘Is this an appropriate expression of my incredible will power?’ If this kind of self-scrutiny is applied, then that powerful WILL can be used to GET THINGS DONE! And Aries will augment, become even more effective, more inspirational.

One more Aries shadow is Narcissism. The Aries type can become so self-involved that she can actually forget that others occupy space around her. Just as Narcissus ultimately drowned in his own image, so can Aries lose herself in her own sense of self-importance, drown in her own self-inflated ideas of herself. This type of self-centered behaviour also leads to isolation. Most people are repelled by narcissism. Who wants to engage with someone who does not see, hear or feel them? So, there stands Aries, all alone and interacting in a void with nothing.

Positively applied, self-love, the appropriate expression of the shadow, Narcissism, is absolutely essential. If you can’t love yourself, how in the world can you ever begin to love someone else? Self-love protects oneself from self-abuse. It strengthens. It stabilizes and most, importantly, it provides limitless energy to use on behalf of others.

Everyone has Aries energy somewhere in their psyche. Some of us have one or more of the planets or angles in this energy. But, even if you have no actual planetary placements in Aries, you have a sector of your natal chart aligned to this energy. Locate the ‘Aries’ house in your own natal chart. Think about how various aspects of the shadow may play out in that Aries house. Following is a quick cheat sheet for pin-pointing shadow energies in the various areas of our reality.

 

1^st house          Before you do ANYTHING, ask yourself how your actions will affect the people around you.

 

 

 

 

2^nd house         Be mindful that YOUR values are no more important than anyone else’s values.

 

 

 

 

 

3^rd house        

Let other people speak once in a while.

 

 

 

4^th house        

Intimate relationships are strengthened by open communication. Learn to listen.

 

 

 

5^th house        

Inspire others; do not compete with them.

 

 

 

6^th house        

Instead of being ornery & stubborn, use your out of the box approaches to encourage others to explore alternatives.

 

 

 

7^th house        

Be kind and considerate, not overbearing and dismissive.

 

 

 

 

8^th house        

Use your power to build up, not destroy.

 

 

 

9^th house        

Honour other peoples’ ideas. You aren’t the only philosopher in the room.

 

 

 

10^th house       Be a leader, not a dictator.

 

 

 

 

11^th house      

Be a constructive change-maker, not a radical revolutionary.

 

 

12^th house      

Take the time to meditate even when you are feeling impatient & itching to get going.

 

 

We have come to the SPRING EQUINOX as we shift into Aries. Time to wake up! Time to get moving! Time for action, enthusiasm & the sheer joy of being alive.

TRUST

BELIEVE

DO FAITH, NOT FEAR…

 

 

Here we are at the gates of one of the most inscrutable energies of the Zodiac. Oh Pisces, will we ever understand you?  Perhaps the answer to this question is that understanding need not be the destination in the journey into Pisces. Rather, the goal, when exploring this energy—(because EVERYONE has it wired somewhere into their psyche)—is to simply FEEL it deep within your own self.

 

Pisces is one of the water signs, the least personal on an emotional level. Cancer, the cardinal water sign, takes us deep into the subjective. Scorpio, the fixed water sign, introduces us to the mystery of emotion. Pisces, the mutable water sign, lifts us into the power of compassion. It is universal love rather than individual love. It is the place of peace in the left hand of the divine, that most exalted of positions. 

 

This is, in some ways, the most malleable, adaptable and shifting of the watery energies.  Like the ocean with waves moving in numerous directions, Pisces energy flows instinctively where it needs to flow. In the natural wheel of the zodiac, Pisces finds its home in the 12^th house, a sector of the horoscope that co-relates to the unconscious mind, and to the formative period in human development since it is equivalent to the first 2 hours of life after actual birth. Much is absorbed at this most critical time by the newly manifested being and it is a time when the soul of the being is very close to the surface of the skin. The infant science of psychology has only just begun to scratch the surface of the intricacies of emotional and mental development but I think that most thinking individuals will agree that what happens to a person in their early years forms the foundation for all that follows. I would add that what happens in the first few hours after birth is critical to later development, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Pisces provides the self with a template for all of this. So, understand that this is the part of the psyche that absorbs stimuli and processes these stimuli in an organic manner, assimilating information into the most interior areas of the self. Obviously, this process continues throughout the life journey and so we can co-relate Pisces to that part of the self that intuits, senses, ‘knows’ without the need to prove or substantiate like, for instance, Virgo, the partner sign to Pisces, needs to do.

The symbol for Pisces is the dual fishes but note that they are fashioned as if pointed in opposite directions. This is usually understood to represent the dual nature of human existence, the pull to spirit and the pull to flesh. But another way to understand the movement of the two little fish is to see them chasing each others’ tails, creating a circular motion of movement. A circle of being is thus suggested and more than anything else, Pisces is the place where we can connect to the eternal, the infinite. Pisces flows through life (water) in a continuous, unbroken way. What a beautiful affirmation of the constancy of being—always the same, though always different.

 

We are now at the end of 2 millennia of experience that was dubbed as the Age of Pisces. The human collective explored the principles of idealism, devotion, commitment, service, compassion, union, and a variety of spiritual disciplines over the past 2000 or so years. The highest manifestation of the human journey through Pisces is the principle of LOVE expressed through faith and works of godly devotion. Reactively, we have seen a distortion of this very same impulse sometimes at the very same time as those manifestations of pure optimal expression of this energy. Fanaticism, bizarre expressions of religious devotion like self-flagellation or self-deprivation in the name of the divine, holy wars and other suchlike behaviours are examples of Pisces energy in distortion. The human collective has now explored a multitude of ways to interact with the divine. Now, as we move into the newly blossoming energy of Aquarius (as a collective), we can integrate the Pisces experience into the exploration of the Aquarius experience. We have searched for the divine outside of ourselves and now we will turn our attention inward and locate the sacred within.

 

So, Pisces is spirit, the yearning to find the divine, the place of understanding that supersedes any mental process, the ‘aha’ experience that makes sense of the chaos and brings light into the darkness. Pisces is intuitive, gentle, yielding, forgiving. Anyone with an emphasis of this energy in their psyche must learn to listen to their inner sense. What is universal for these types is that there IS an inner sense of some kind and that often, these types will have early life experiences that result in a sense of alienation, aloneness, and separation from others. They are often misunderstood and even shunned by those who cannot as easily connect with the ethereal world. It is essential that these sensitives find their own place of ‘ground’ or security within their own selves. They must create their own criteria of relevancy because often ‘the other’ will not ‘get it’. Nevermind, little Pisces, what you know is what others aspire to know. What you feel is that which is true so hang on and don’t let go.

 

Above all, we find compassion and forgiveness deeply entrenched in this energy. When the Christ was dying on the cross, he beseeched his God, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!” Here we see how powerful compassion and forgiveness can be. In his moment of extreme need, the Christ thought not of himself, but rather, of the spiritual welfare of those who had wronged him. Other ‘love-based’ spiritual practices also follow this model. As aspiring spiritual beings, we seek to bless ‘the other’. We attempt to understand, with heartfelt compassion, why ‘the other’ does things that may be hurtful or incomprehensible. If we are cruelly wronged, we make an effort to lift ourselves out of ego-based vengefulness and find ways to forgive the wrong. It isn’t easy to do. It is difficult to find the balance between justifiable response and the sometimes totally unjustifiable response of retaliation. When we are wronged, we want to retaliate, to prove ourselves correct, to punish the wrongdoer. But Pisces encourages us to rise above this very understandable and human need; to shift it into something that heals all who are involved in the unacceptable situation. Just like Christ, we want to throw our burden onto the divine and let go of the need to be proven right. Trust, another Pisces attribute, helps us to believe in the immutable energy of spirit. We throw our burdens into the cache that is the divine and we trust that the divine will lead the way.

 

Two planets are associated with Pisces, Jupiter and, once it was observed in the sky, Neptune. Jupiter co-relates to the intuitive mind or what has sometimes been called the right brain; that part of the self that can dream, vision and create. Neptune is the higher octave of Venus, representing love universal, love divine. The Jupiter connection represents Pisces connection to the divine spark of creativity, its connection to spirit. The Neptune connection shows Pisces alignment to the collective mind; thus, the reason why so many Pisces types have that famous ‘spidey sense’. Here’s a look at these two planets in current transit.

 

Jupiter takes about 12 years to move around the Sun and spends about 1 year in each sign of the zodiac. In the personal horoscope, Jupiter is considered to be bridge energy, that is, it links the more personal and external impulses with the deeper, less obvious impulses. In working terms, Jupiter can demonstrate our sense of meaning, our level of faith or belief and our need to understand. It identifies the aspirational impulse within the self, where we derive our greatest sense of reward or achievement. The more that we can develop this part of our psyches, the more we will be ‘in the flow’ or ‘lucky’. Currently, Jupiter is moving through Capricorn, the energy of the real, the substantive, the nitty-gritty. When the aspirational energy that is Jupiter settles into the down to business energy that is Capricorn, it’s the time to get real. Dreaming has its place but once the dream is fully envisioned, it time to EMBODY. Right now, is a great time to DO your creative work, not just imagine it! Locate those inner intuitions and then FOLLOW THROUGH with the planning, the organizing, the do diligence.

 

Jupiter is one of the planets that helps us to understand our life in cyclical terms and most of us will experience at least 5 or 6 ( and often up to 8 or even 9) Jupiter Returns. (A planetary return is when that celestial object revisits the exact degree that it occupied at a given birth.)  So, for all of you who have Jupiter in Capricorn natally, you will be experiencing this ‘return’ over the next year or so. Embrace the experience of simple being over the next few months and see what spirit has to offer you.

 

Neptune takes much longer to transit the zodiac, having a cycle of about 165 years or, spending about 14 years or so in each sign. Currently, Neptune is midway through its own home territory of Pisces. When Neptune transits Pisces, we could collectively experience a greater sense of holistic being.  This could happen on any number of levels. We could find our home/community; develop our connection to our ‘soul group’, whatever it is. And certainly, we could, at the highest of vibrational levels, leave our judgments at the door and work together with unconditional love.

 

I could also talk about confusion, fog, co-dependency, addiction, deceit and so forth when exploring Neptune, and especially, Neptune in Pisces, but I prefer to default to the more positive expression of this nebulous energy. If we think negatively, we will live negatively. So, if you start feeling muddled, just let go and seek peace. If you don’t feel flow, take some time to check your own inner ‘truth meter’. Often, we lose that sense of connection because we are lying to ourselves. Especially the Neptune in Libra generation (now mostly entering their so-called ‘golden’ years), you guys just have to take those rose-coloured glasses off and call a spade a shovel. Okay? Lifestyles may radically alter, relationships may suddenly fall by the wayside and any number of elaborate shams may suddenly be revealed. The key is to have the courage to admit what the truth really is. Continuing the ‘illusion’ (Neptune) is not an option and will only result in more confusion, denial and even a downward spiral into addictive behaviour. After all, all addictions are merely mechanisms that are masking some inner sense of lack or even loss. But, sometimes, you have to lose it all to gain it all.

 

We are on the brink of some very exciting and interesting times. Connecting to the Pisces part of ourselves will only enhance the experience of the years ahead!

 Pisces on the angles (1, 4, 7, 10): oh! you spooky little thing!

Pisces overlaying houses (2, 5, 8, 11):  not so stuck in your ways.

Pisces overlaying houses (3, 6, 9, 12):  go with the flow, baby, go with the flow…

The Aquarius Archetype: Unrestrained Originality

 

The 12 signs of the zodiac represent the entirety of the energies of the human psyche. Starting with Aries and culminating with Pisces, they describe the archetypal journey through the developmental process. Each of us has a unique mandala that contains all of these energies and so, everyone has the unusual, extraordinary energy of Aquarius somewhere in their psyche. Understanding the essence of this energy provides us with clues about how we think, imagine, set ourselves apart and even how we fit in.

Though the symbol for Aquarius is the water bearer, this is not watery energy! Rather, as we open up the complexity that is Aquarius we enter into the realm of the intellect; fixed in terms of modality and airy in terms of element, Aquarius is partnered with Gemini & Libra by element and Taurus, Leo and Scorpio by mode. Formerly, Aquarius was linked to Saturn but since the discovery of Uranus, it has been linked to that planet. And so, it is the 10^th & 11^th house of the horoscope where we naturally can locate Aquarius.

Some of the archetypes are The Thinker, The Visionary, The Futurist, The Revolutionary, The Iconoclast, The Community Activist.

All energies can express in both LIGHT and SHADOW. In fact, it is the Shadow that teaches us how to find the Light. If we understand the shadow parts of ourselves, we can create strategies to integrate shadow so that it is more reflective, more light-filled, more externally oriented. It is when we deny or repress our shadow selves that we can actually lose the potential for Light.

The Shadow of Aquarius is fracture, a breaking apart of that which could be whole. If you work with the Tarot, take a look at your Tower card. The seemingly solid structure of the Tower is being shattered by an unexpected force represented in some decks as a lightning bolt. Aquarius can manifest in this way within the psyche, a sudden insight that sweeps you off your feet, a jolt to all that you thought you knew that creates a reversal of fortune. The key is to be willing to consider the message and not kill the messenger! This sense of inside out-ness, upside down-ness is reinforced by a reactive response to whatever is being shaken. Ego always wants to preserve that which it knows, even when that is something that may not be ideal. The known quality is the comfortable one. We can see this play out in real terms when we find ourselves in situations that are less than desirable and yet we are either unable or unwilling to leave those situations because that which is unknown seems more frightening than that which we know. It is for this very reason that evolution is painstaking, slow and often interrupted. The self is blindfolded and walking through an unknown landscape in search of the soul. But this is exactly the key! The soul calls us to seek healing. Healing is based on finding ways to integrate, to create a sense of wholeness. In Shamanism, the skillful shaman travels into the underworld to retrieve pieces of soul that have splintered off. He brings them back to the person who needs the retrieval. This is a beautiful representation of the process that we, the astrologer shamans, can undertake by exploring ourselves via the astrological method. We can dive into the underworld of our personal psyches, face the demons that lurk therein and locate those elements of ourselves, the fractured pieces of our soul, that have been lost because of the traumas that we have endured. And we have all suffered trauma.  Trauma is not relative. It is unique to each individual. One person’s trauma does not eclipse any other person’s trauma.

 

So, in Aquarius, we come face to face with our individual fracture, unearth the traumas that have contributed to that fracture and, most importantly, find the means to heal from those traumas.

 

This is also the energy of the grand intellect. It is the future that beckons from afar. If you have ever had an inspiration that seemed to have come out of nowhere, the Aquarian part of you was probably involved in some way. Aquarius also calls you to be unique. Individualism is born in Aquarius. Interestingly, the call to individualism ultimately leads us into community, a sense of family based on shared interests born out of that core uniqueness. When we set ourselves apart, think for ourselves, we begin to seek those others who have also set themselves apart and begun to think for themselves. In the final analysis, we are tribal creatures in search of that tribe that is uniquely ours. That is the community part of Aquarius.

If you were born at the end of January and into the first half of February, you are that quirky, relentlessly unique individual who can call herself an Aquarius. Your season is that bridge time between Solstice and Equinox. You know how to build connections between the old and the new, the seed and the stem, the beginning and the middle.

But you don’t have to have a birthday in Jan/Feb to demonstrate Aquarian traits. If you have this energy at any one of your cardinal houses, the ascendant, the IC, the descendant and the MC, you march to the beat of your own internal drummer. If you have an active, heavily aspected Uranus, you know how to think for yourself. You see things in a way that is NOT usual. Strongly Aquarian types probably feel varying degrees of frustration cyclically. When everyone else sees a circle, they see a square. And yes, it is a square, but just try and tell everyone else that! If any one of your personal planets is found in Aquarius, you will approach life in an Aquarian way.

The Moon:     Cool, calm and collected; always in control—maybe a tad too much at times; able to navigate emotional dramas with a skill that far surpasses the rest of us. You need to work on your heart chakra and open yourself to the energy of love so that your natural fellow feeling is amplified and strengthened.

 

Mercury:       Innovative, out of the box thinker; able to make connections that the rest of us can never find. You are the genius of the Zodiac. You have to monitor your freewheeling intellect so that the rest of us can catch up to you. Possibly a tad too detached from time to time. Remember to include emotions.

Venus:           You can love just about anyone and anything. Distinctions do not bother you. In fact, they tantalize you. The bigger the difference, the better for you. You love approaching ethical situations from every point of view except the accepted one. You have the capacity to challenge the status quo and bring in new ways of understanding the world we live in.

Mars:            Jack of all trades and also, master of many! Clever and capable, able to learn how to do things quickly and easily. You are indiscriminate when it comes to getting things done. Whatever works is what you will use. Non-judgmental, inclusive, able to work well with others or go it on your own. You must watch your electrolytes because you can run on empty for much longer than the rest of us.

Wherever you have Aquarius in your birth mandala, this is where you may manifest that quirky, unique, individualistic part of yourself. And it is vital that you do so. Aquarius will take you into your own potential. It will guide you into the brilliance that you can be. Follow the breadcrumbs into the shining parts of your soul force. Be unique. Be singular. Find your tribe!

If Aquarius is found in your 1^st house:

You like to do things in your own way and at your own pace. You know how to take the lead though not because you want to be a leader. You are able to approach situations with innovation and adaptability. Watch out for a tendency to be ornery just for the sake of it!

 

2^nd house:

You need to create a unique and creative set of values. It isn’t easy for you to go along with your ancestors’ point of view unless you first make it your own point of view. Money is a tool, not a commodity for you so you might find that you go through cycles of prosperity and cycles of want.

3^rd house:  

Communication is universal for you. You need to be able to understand EVERYONE and you would like everyone to understand you. Innovative and creative when it comes to intellectual pursuits, you might have to slow down a bit so that the rest of us can catch up.

4^th house:

At the core of your being you are completely and utterly individualistic. Family for you is based on a commonality of philosophy more than a genealogy. Emotionally independent for the most part, watch that you do not detach yourself from others to the point of no return. Your job is to keep it personal with those that you need to keep it personal with.

5^th house:

You need a measure of independence when it comes to romance. Creative and prolifically so for the most part. There is a certain uniqueness in the way you express yourself so depending on the rest of your chart, you could be an artist that cuts a new path societally.

6^th house:

You prefer to create your own work habits and your approach to the day to day is singular. You know how to work independently and how to set your own time schedules when it comes to completing projects. Inventive? You bet!

7^th house:

Relationship is like a book that has yet to be written for you. Conventional ways of relating make you want to pull your hair out. If it is weird, you can handle it. If there are rules, you want to get up and leave. The thing that is the most seductive to you is anything that doesn’t abide by predetermined codes of conduct. Keep them guessing is your motto.

 

8^th house:

You can be fearless when it comes to the mysteries of life. Nothing can stop you when it comes to exploring secrets both within yourself and others. If something doesn’t make sense, you will keep trying to make sense out of it until you do. Nothing shocks you when it comes to the underbelly of why people do the things that they do. Because of your ability to detach, you can be a real facilitator to those who are experiencing trauma.

9^th house:

You are intoxicated with all that you have yet to discover. Strange-ness does not phase you and you prefer the company of those who you do not yet know intimately. Always ready to go one step further than the rest, you are an intrepid traveler both literally and philosophically. You enjoy challenging yourself with cutting edge ideas and approaches to being alive.

10^th house:

You have the ability to create new strategies both personally and socially. You can inspire others to step outside the lines, to be unconventional, to challenge the status quo. Because you have the vision to see a possible future, you can be a leader when it comes to changing things. If something is established but you can see that it is no longer working, you have the courage and insight to put a new plan into action.

11^th house:

You love the tribe. Community is something that is a core motivation force for you. What you want is a new kind of community, a different way of being part of a group. You are a revolutionary, a one of a kind activist when you find the thing that makes you want to fight for the right!

12^th house:

The depths of your psyche is a weird and wonderful playground. Often able to pull up memories that come from other times and even other psyches, you are not afraid to be alone with your own thoughts. There is always something new to discover deep within yourself. Complicated and yet strangely simple, they broke the mold after they made you!

 

Aquarius is the flavor of the future. As we shake off the last vestiges of the Piscean age, we sense that something wonderful and exhilarating is just a breath away. The egalitarian energy of Aquarius promises us equality, justice and truth. Do we have the capacity to embrace the nobility of that promise? Can we build something that will be fair for all? I guess we are about to find out!

The Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice is one of the most magical times in the ‘wheel of the year’. The Sun is reborn and the earth begins to turn her frosty face towards him. From now on, the days will get just a little bit longer and the light a little bit stronger. Yay!

It is always useful to take some moments and reflect on all that has transpired since the last Winter Solstice. These Cardinal Ingresses are much more a ‘New Year’ than the calendar date of January 1.  However, the Capricorn Ingress is so close to the calendar date that the secular world uses that we can just extend our reflectiveness all the way into January.

This magical moment is filled with the hopes and dreams of generations of our ancestors. Long before this time was linked to Jesus, it was a pivotal time of celebration in the so-called pagan world. The traditions that we moderns associate with Xmas are drawn from rituals and symbols that depicted re-birth, renewal & restoration. Way back in the 300’s a very clever Roman emperor named Constantine married the old pagan ways to the new Christian ways when he formalized the then new Christian faith. Recently converted himself, he very astutely recognized that there was no way to stop these zealous Christians from proselytizing. He understood that it was merely a matter of time before there were just too many Christians to keep killing as had been the custom until then. Feeding them to the lions was becoming a non-option. What to do? He decreed that the birth of the new god, Jesus, would be celebrated right around the Winter Solstice! This kept the pagans happy and pacified the Christians all at the same time. Remember, Winter Solstice is the re-birth of the Sun which by its warmth and light bestows life on all. Jesus, the Saviour, gave the hope of everlasting life to all when he sacrificed his life on Calvary Hill and was resurrected 3 days later as a spirit being. The co-relationship is unmistakable. The most beautiful part of the Story of Jesus is this hope and faith in something everlasting, something that supersedes pettiness, rivalry, hatred and everything dark. Just as the Winter Solstice marks the return of the LIGHT. so does the essence of the Jesus story. Clever Constantine!

So, at 10:19 pm on December 21, here in the central time zone, we shake off the last few fiery impulses of Sagittarius and enter into the steady and secure energy of Capricorn. I know. It doesn’t feel all that secure or steady. In fact, with Pluto transiting Capricorn and only about halfway through this cardinal earth sign, any steadiness is being shaken. We see it all around us on a global level. I know that it feels like CHAOS but step back, take a breath and really observe what is going on. Birth, transformation, actually transmutation, is messy, often indescribable, incoherent, even bloody. Evolution—and this is what is happening, involves a measure of random destruction. Whatever is no longer useful or applicable must be done away with. Not everyone will be on-line with that and sometimes, it may not even look like that is what is going on. Trust the process. Though it may be incomprehensible from this point of view, there is a method in the madness. Set your egoic fears to one side and try to see the big picture. To come up with a new world order, an old world order must be eradicated. Remember, we are merely at the beginning of the process. Most surgery, at the start, can be scary.

So, what to do on an individual level at this most magical, most mysterious time of the year? The Sabian Symbol for 1*Capricorn is AN INDIAN CHIEF DEMANDING RECOGNITION. I will restrain myself and not co-relate it to the literal world—smile.  Rather, let’s find that inner personal place of authority and use it in this coming year. What have you learned? What do you know to be true? Have your values changed, grown, shrunk, whatever? These are useful questions to ponder because what we are is the sum total of all that we have experienced. Have your experiences opened up your heart and mind or have they shut it down?

The light of the Capricornian Sun is fully focused on the 2^nd quadrant. The heart is being activated to express itself in full creativity. How can we align our actions to our deepest sense of who we are? Are we expressing ourselves positively, fully, and with love? Can we connect to the archetypal Artist who lives in all of us and let her SHINE?

For this Solstice, the Moon embraces the mystery and magic of Scorpio. The authority of Capricorn is underlined by the power of Scorpio. This is intense energy that demands to be felt. We are being asked to go deep, to be fearless in our quest for truth, to define ourselves with authenticity and courage no matter what we find in the secret places of our hearts. Let’s all take a deep breath. Let’s pull up our britches. We can do this!

This Solstice is powerful! Saturn, transiting Capricorn, sits side by side with Pluto. There is no more time left for shirking our duties. We must accept responsibility for all that we have done and all that we have become. Be willing to stand in front of the mirror and accept what you see. No more denial. No more rose coloured glasses! If we do not acknowledge that we must alter our behavior, we will never do so. That is the definition of insanity, refusing to recognize that what you are doing is NOT WORKING. Yes, its hard to admit error but it’s even harder to refuse to admit error. Truthfulness will lead us into transformation. Self-deceit will lead us into DEATH.

Finally, Keep an eye on the pesky fellow, Uranus. The fire of Prometheus has sparked many of us into action. His transit through Aries for the last 7 years has ignited the hearts and minds of people globally. We know its time for CHANGE. We want it. We are impatient as we wait for it. Now, Uranus has shifted into Taurus. The next seven years, as Pluto continues his transit through the last half of Capricorn and Uranus transits Taurus, will set the foundations for the change that is underway. Intrinsic structure is shifting. Everything that we thought we understood is morphing. The very essence of our reality structure is changing right before our eyes. Make no mistake, this is momentous. We must pay attention in our own lives to the things that we hold dear. What incentivizes us? What motivates us? What are our deepest held desires, beliefs, values? The answers to those questions will define who we are as we move into the next year and beyond. Don’t forget! Pluto will be shifting into Aquarius in a few short years. Let’s get ready NOW. Let’s make this mess work! We can do it!!

So, take a moment this Saturday and set some intentions for yourself. Who do you want to be this coming year? If you can’t come up with a coherent response, then give some thought over the course of the day and when you have a quiet moment, see if you can articulate a plan of action. If you can’t, never mind. The alternative course of action is to just move lightly through the next few weeks and let your feet find their pathway.

 

Happy Solstice to all and to all a good night!

This blog was first posted in 2010. It is even more timely today…

The Age of Aquarius

SO much has been expressed about this incoming ‘age of Aquarius’. There is, probably, no one in the western world who has not heard this expression. It is possible that no one anywhere in the world has not heard this expression.

We all know what it means when we call someone an ICON—a representative of a particular time, a symbol of a collective idea, someone who is more than themselves, even other than themselves. Well, this expression has become iconic. It suggests limitless possibility, unimaginable freedom, absolute justice; the fullness of what the future might bring to us all.  It is the hope that we all hold deep in our hearts. So many dreams are woven into this expression; so much anticipation, even longing. When we hear the expression, we look forward to something brighter and better, something that is more than all that we currently can imagine. It is a testament to the power of the astrological model that this little phrase has so permeated our consciousness, even to the point of being the title for a popular song, first released in the 1960’s.

 

The astrological ages follow a precise schedule and as we observe this apparent movement through the Zodiac we can co-relate the flavour of any given era on earth to the Zodiac sign that is associated with that time. The complete cycle through the 12 signs, when observed this way, takes about 26,000 years. Thus, each individual ‘age’ is about 2000 +/- years long. When we study history using this broader timeline, we can more easily see the major trends of any given epoch; the things that define a particular age. Futurists can gain great insight when studying history in this way and their predictions become more insightful, more precise. Looking back at history is always a good tool to use when attempting to look forward to the history that is yet to be made.

 

Obviously, at the transition point between the ages, things become intense, muddled and chaotic. At this point in time, we are in the final few gasps of the Age of Pisces or, put more positively, the first few breaths of the Age of Aquarius. Either way, both of these energies are manifest around us, collectively.

 

One of the resonances of the Piscean age was DEVOTION. This passionate mindset took many forms throughout the last 2000+/- years but we can see it very clearly in the KIND of philosophies, both secular and religious, that dominated. As a collective, we believed that we should be followers of a ‘god’ or of his apparent representatives here on earth. We deferred to ‘his’ better judgment and gave ourselves over to any number and types of dogmas and creeds. We saw ourselves as disciples or devotees of whatever doctrine we followed, whether religious or secular. We sacrificed ourselves to our passion, our chosen way of life. Who has not heard the expression, “For God and Country!” This is surely indicative of this type of devotion to something other than ourselves.  This kind of ‘devotion’, which can lead to the ultimate sacrifice, is aptly symbolized by the image of a man hanging on a cross. Who does not respond to this iconic symbol with some kind of emotion? It surely could be regarded as the symbol of the Age of Pisces, at least here in the west. Certainly, the symbol of the supplicant, whatever the religious protocol, is another of the images that can be associated with the Age of Pisces.

 

At the optimum level of vibration, Pisces taught us to aspire to higher principle, to believe in the magical aspects of faith; that it could sustain us even in the face of unimaginable circumstances. We learned to serve others and to exercise compassion to all. Reactively, we gave our power away to something outside of ourselves. We learned to feel like victims or martyrs to something that was larger than we could ever be. The distortions of this energy led to holy wars, wholesale killing in the name of some lofty ideal, judgment, censure and genocide. The primary lesson that we (hopefully) learned was that the essence of ‘god/dess’ could not be found outside of our own perception of reality.  Ultimately, we learned to turn inward and to locate the god and goddess in ourselves through the process of faith, that is through the DOING of good, rather than through some nebulous attachment to the idea of faith which, in and of itself, has no impact on our immediate community.

 

And so, here we are at the threshold of the Age of Aquarius. What are the next 2000 years going to look like? Well, that really depends on us. In Aquarius we discover the principle of lateralism or egaliterianism. We understand that hierarchies belong to another time. We begin to truly understand that there can be no mediator between the god principle and the human being, thus, laying to rest the religious disciplines of the past 2000 years. We, each one of us, are the gurus. We, individually, can find our own pathway into illumination.

 

It is essential that the current feudal-like societies, where a chosen few have privilege, while the greater majority slave to sustain an unnatural social system, become a thing of the past. The ‘top-down’ kind of system is becoming increasingly uncomfortable for the collective mind to swallow. Aquarius promises us a place within ‘the web’ of life’, with no one position being superior to another. This is the age of the ‘EVERYMAN’ where all can aspire to greatness. Individually we each can find a fullness of personal expression where our talents, whatever they might be, are expressed freely, easily and contribute to our community. And, really, if we could choose one concept to define the shaping of the next two millennia, let us choose COMMUNITY and let’s really begin to think in global, even universal terms. Let’s redefine the word, “border”, so that it refers only to that edge that exists around the outside of a card. Let’s forget that it describes a world divided into parcels of land and groups of people who regard each other with distrust and fear. With the electric energy of Aquarius guiding us, we have the opportunity to redefine what ‘community’ means, to transform the way we live with one another into something that is healing, supportive and totally different from the fractured communities that exist today. We are, truly, a group of peoples who naturally like to ‘tribe’. Today, this tribal impulse has been severely distorted. Though we live in what looks like a multi-member community—cities, towns, villages, even, to a certain extent, countries, we can go for days, weeks and even years when we barely say a word to our nearest neighbour. This is unnatural and we see the results of this distortion everywhere around us; an aging population that feels a growing fear because there is no support system, youth who are left to grow without direction because the parents are caught in the treadmill of necessary materialism, entire societies that have lost their sense of purpose and expend all of their energy in defensive actions rather than in the creation of strong and vital communities which can sustain and nurture their members. As we move into this ‘new age’, we face the challenge of recreating the way we live together and of truly implementing the ideals of equality and justice so that a new society can emerge from the ruins of our current global reality. Hopefully, it will be a true global community and not the unbalanced one that exists today where the strong rape the weak and the powerful dominate through force and in the interests of their greed rather than in the interests of the collective.

 

Aquarius, then, is the energy of the future. It is the energy of innovation and change. It is the ‘aha’ moment, the aspiration to a greater and better vision. The Aquarian personality excels in the application of mental energy. There is an inherent ability to ‘see’ things from a variety of focal points, giving the personality adeptness in the area of problem-solving. This energy is often linked to metaphysics because it describes someone who is able to think and reason inclusively rather than exclusively. Often, Aquarian types are ‘out of the box’ thinkers, able to make that impossible leap that propels the human mind into a completely new mode of thought and being. Some of the principles that are of paramount importance to Aquarian types are ones such as community, justice, fairness, equity. Innovative, often eccentric, sometimes solitary yet always able to network and make those necessary connections, Aquarian types are the hidden leaders amongst us. Social issues and group action are often linked to this energy so it is not unusual to find Aquarian type people behind the scenes in activist groups or for that matter, any kind of association or group. They have an intuitive understanding of the principle of collectivism, that there is strength in numbers and that unity leads to victory while discord ends in defeat.

 

Reactively, this energy can get stuck in its own brilliance and begin to believe that it has all the answers. I call this the “Egalitarian Dictator Syndrome”. The ‘dictator’ says, and with a smile that is oh so charming, “Please, do as you choose. Just make sure that is according to my instructions!” We hear the first part while missing the second part. Because Aquarius is so mentally agile, there is always another argument to support his position and the arguments are SO good! They make so much sense! And down that rabbit hole we go!

 

A strongly Aquarius persona must always, always, monitor their nervous system. Oftentimes, these folks can be very ‘sparky’, even giving off real electrical charges. They need regular rest, lots of water and the kind of exercise that facilitates grounding like Tai Chi or Yoga. It is easy to stay in one’s head and suddenly realize that the body has been left behind when there is so much mental and electrical energy being generated. Anything that can remind the Aquarian type that she inhabits a physical body is a good thing. With a lot of this energy present within the psyche it is fairly easy to disconnect from the emotional body so it is important that these ‘types’ access body work of all kinds along with strategies that open and balance the emotional part of the personality.

 

Astrologically, Aquarius is a fixed air sign, belonging to the family that includes Gemini and Libra by element and Taurus, Leo and Scorpio by modality. Fast moving, yet strong, light yet substantial. A key lesson for all Aquarian types is FOCUS and METHOD. There is little that an Aquarian type cannot accomplish once she learns to maintain focus on first thought and develop a practical method to support that first thought. The danger is that that first thought leads to another thought and another thought and ten other thoughts and so forth and that once the mind is engaged in the sheer delight of chasing the thoughts as they flit across its screen, any hopes of developing a method of application are dashed! So, Aquarius, hang on to that first thought and follow it through to its finish. Because the mind is so fertile, it is helpful to carry around a ‘jot it down’ journal to catch the ideas as they pass through. Remember, this is the ‘age of Aquarius’ so in a sense it is the Aquarian’s time. What comes through the filter that lies between us and spirit—the ascended energies—can certainly land first in the consciousness of the Aquarian type.

 

The symbol associated with Aquarius is the Water-Bearer and the Zodiac symbol is the double wave, representative of flowing water. Because of this, many wrongfully assume that Aquarius is a Water sign. Water, however, means life, movement, change, all aspects of this wonderful energy. Interestingly, water serves as the source for electrical power and the Aquarius glyph of the double wave does, indeed, also evoke a sense of electrical charge. This is such an important aspect of Aquarius; that it is plugged into the very source of being. After all, without the spark that gets things going, there is no life! The Water-Bearer is one of the few human symbols found in the Zodiac, again demonstrating the potential of nobility contained herein. It is through the conscious expression of the feeling body that we, as humans can aspire to a full expression of the god/dess energy within us all. Water is also a symbol of knowledge and as the Water-Bearer pours his water upon the earth, nourishing it, so does the Aquarian part of the collective bring us all a never-ending source of information that we can use to expand our minds and grow into a place of wisdom. The search for knowledge and understanding facilitates the evolution of the human psyche. The more that we understand, the more we expand; the more we expand, the more we learn and so forth.

 

Each of us has this energy wired into our psyches somewhere. When it is activated, we are asking ourselves to look at things from a different point of view, to be open to invention and re-invention. Wherever we find this energy in ourselves, is where we have the potential to soar to the greatest of heights, to find a unique expression of being and share it with our community of choice. Aquarius is the potential of genius in every one of us.

 

 

in the first house                                                     unusually motivated

2nd house                                                              detached from attachment

3rd house                                                                  uniquely articulate

4th house                                                                      individualistically connected

5th house                                                            brilliantly creative

6th house                                                                          independently occupied

7th house                                                               partnership plus, plus,plus…

8th house                                                                inclusively intimate

9th house                                                            broadmindedly explorative

10th house                                                                   dramatically different

11th house                                                    aspirationally far-reaching

12th house                                                                   the singular soul

 

Lovely Libra 

When the Sun finally moves into his transit of Libra, we have reached the midpoint of the astrological year, if Aries is considered as the start point. This is the time of the Autumnal Equinox. Light is once again balanced with shadow and we are now well and fully into the waning part of the sun’s cycle which began at Summer Solstice, moving into winter’s silence from this point on.

 

Libra is an interesting energy. Associated with the planet, Venus, first impressions lend themselves to images of lightness, grace, love and peacefulness. Well, as the saying goes, looks can be deceiving! There is a lot more going on in the beauty that is Libra.

Libra is a cardinal air sign. There is implied action here and a mental clarity that is often hidden behind the smiling face of conciliation. Libra’s opposite sign is the fire sign of Aries, also a cardinal energy, and just as Aries seeks to establish its sovereignty and individualism, Libra is avid in its search for dialogue and partnership. However, do not be fooled into thinking that Libra will always concede to someone else’s desires. This is not at all the case. Libra’s ability is best understood when we understand the contradictory image of the iron fist in the velvet glove. Libra knows how to forward its cause while appearing to consider everyone else’s needs and desires. So, though the picture may appear to be one of dialogue and compromise, the back story is all about absolute devotion to the pre-determined resolution that Libra has arrived at all on its own!

 

Libra has the ability to review and assess in advance, plot out a strategy and then maneuver through the situation, all the while adjusting, finessing and shifting but never, never, never, getting off track. When Libra responds with non-commitment to a query or suggestion, it is merely because it is looking for the temperature of the situation before making the next move. In most cases, Libra knows exactly what it wants even while appearing to be indecisive.

 

One of the great skills that this energy can have is the ability to create comfort. This is why Libra type people can be successful as negotiators. They have the mental clarity to keep on track, the emotional equilibrium to maintain balance and the simple sweetness to make everyone feel safe, not threatened, a necessary quality when it comes to finding common ground.

 

The symbol associated with Libra is the Scales, the only non-living representation of a Zodiac energy. Sometimes, the Goddess of Justice is included in the symbol, holding those scales and weighing out whatever matter is at hand but for the most part, when we think of Libra, we think of those balancing plates, swinging back and forth like a teeter totter. There is a clue in this symbol as to what is actually going on within the Libra psyche. Rather than being in a place of balance, the Libra soul is actually searching for that place of inner balance. Thus, we see Libra’s determination to appear calm, even, peaceful. That which we focus upon is usually the very thing that is in short supply within ourselves!

The shadow side of Libran energy is the tendency to manipulate and manage others. The reason for the manipulation is usually related back to Libra’s need to create congeniality in its environment. Because of the mental clarity that can be associated with this energy, the Libra psyche is a great assessor of situations, able to nail down just exactly what is necessary in order to find solutions and develop compatibility and union. Any manipulative behaviour, then, is derived from this insight and the sure belief that the end—peace and coherence– must justify the means—seducing others into following Libra’s intention—emphasis on the seduction, by the way! One thing is certain, Libra makes it easy! This energy is so graceful, so accommodating that it is often not evident when coercion is being used. Libra makes us all want to do it! No aggression, no brow-beating, just simple sweetness and lots and lots of cupcakes to tempt us into it!

Libra can appear to be indecisive but again, we need to look a bit more closely at this. Usually, Libra knows exactly what IT wants but is reluctant to commit in case this commitment creates conflict. So, in fact, it is not indecisive so much as it is desirous of maintaining peace within the context of the relationship. Look a little closer and you’ll see that often as not, Libra will manage to find a way to do exactly what it has wanted to do all along and everyone else goes along willingly. Ever heard the term, Passive-Aggressive? Calm down, Libra, we all love you!

A great example of a famous (and, dare I say it, successful!) individual with a ton of Libra energy is Bill Clinton—Rising sign supported by both Venus & Mars!!! After all that Mr. Clinton has been accused of, alleged to have done and known to have been involved in, we just can’t help but love him. He makes it hard not to. To this day, his partner is still married to him, apparently still committed. He continues to charm and convince and inspire despite all of the evidence of his ongoing duplicity! He was also one of the greatest diplomats ever and to this day is called on for his negotiating skill. It was under Clinton’s leadership that peace talks between Egypt and Israel took place culminating in that famous concord announced on the White House lawn! Clinton’s indubitable Libra ability to bring together diverse and apparently discordant opponents as partners in process, was at work here.

Libra, then, is the energy of coordinated action, measured and appropriate application of the energy of peace and unity. Very fitting for a Venus ruled archetype!

 

Wherever you find Libra in your own birthchart, the issue of relating to partnership, inner balance, values and how to attune to them into your life will somehow be brought into play. The Libra part of your psyche is concerned with finding the right words to create dialogue. How do you enter into relationship? What sorts of strategies do you use when trying to establish common ground? Where is your own inner balance point and what forces are at play within your own psyche in this regard? As an example, if you have Libra somewhere in the first quadrant, the lower LHS of the circle, it will always be important to that you have balance in your life and action, that you are surrounded by beautiful things, that you are fair and just in all that you say and think—at least according to your own measure…

 

For all of you Aries people, this is your half birthday, a good time to review how your own birthday year has gone so far. Accomplishments? Realized goals? Non–realized goals? And what are you going to do about it? Take some time to sit and think about how you would like the next 6 months to look.

 

Star Crossings 

Venus, Earth’s closest companion in the solar system is the ‘ruler’ of Libra. RULER simply means that this is the planet associated with this energy. Sun in Libra people, Libra rising people or even those with a dominant Libra signature can all be said to be ‘Venus ruled’. Not a bad moniker to own!

 

Venus is the planet that represents our basic value system and how we demonstrate it both internally and internally. Ever heard of the ‘inner moral compass’? That’s your Venus energy operating deep inside of your bones.

She is linked to desire in that it is what we LOVE that we DESIRE or…we desire what we love. Venus is magnetic and a strongly functioning Venusian energy can result in the ability to draw what one wants (desires, values). Conversely, Venus energy still in development can sometimes encounter a sense of frustration in terms of getting what it wants. Whenever we feel friction, this is an indicator that some refining work needs to be done so don’t cave in if things seem hard to attain. Rather, take a good look at yourself and try and figure out where you can be more focused about identifying your basic wants. If you can do this, then it is much easier to make a plan and actually get that thing that you truly desire. But if you are unclear about what is meaningful to you, what fills you up, what makes you feel contentment and virtue, then its sort of like sending out a spray that falls every which way. Wasted effort.

 

The transits of Venus are quick, much like those of Mercury. This planet has an orbital time that is less than the Earth’s so Venus runs through the zodiac signs more quickly than does the Earth, our home. The Venus principle never falls more than about 2 signs either way of the solar principle. In a natal horoscope this can result in a person having the Sun in home loving Cancer but Venus in fun loving Gemini. Such a combination can create complexity within the psyche. Which driver does one serve, the nesting urge or the thrill-seeking urge? HMMMMM… For any of you who have read your daily horoscope and felt a strong disconnect from the description of the energy, it could be that your Venus energy is more reflective of some of your actions than whatever the Sun Sign is. The human psyche is multi-layered!

 

Venus transits can bring up issues related to relationship and desire. Sometimes, a windfall could come your way or long-lost friends and lovers may reappear. This is especially the case when Venus goes retrograde so keep track of this cycle and see what co-relates in your own life. During one Venus retrograde cycle, I reconnected with a long-lost friend seemingly out of the blue and that relationship has survived to this day, much to my Venusian delight!

 

Here is a quick cheat list of Venus through the houses.

Through house:

 

1:         What do I really desire?

 

 

2:         Is this really all mine?

 

 

3:         I love my friends!

 

 

4:         I want to go home!

 

 

5:         I feel sexy…anyone interested?

 

 

6:         I want to do what I love.

 

 

7:         Who can I call?

 

 

8:         Is this really all yours?

 

 

 

 

9:         The pleasure of distant places.

 

 

10:       I get the respect and adoration I deserve.

 

 

 

 

11:       Let’s have a party!

 

 

 

12:       The sweetness of silence; I need a retreat.

 

 

When we gaze up into the night sky, we can often see Venus shining brightly in the inky sky. There is comfort and a sense of connection to be derived from this simple experience. No wonder that the ancients attributed such positive characteristics to this planet. She brings us comfort. She gives us hope and she makes us gasp in awe and wonder. Almost close enough to touch and yet just beyond our reach. Ah! The magical, mysterious Venus!

 

 

 

 

The Venus Affirmation

 

I align my inner desire

with the path of highest good,

creating peace and grace

everywhere I go

and with everyone I meet.

 

Poem

 

Goddess, smile down on me

And let me rest

In your loving arms

I am the dreamer

And this is the dream

You are my keeper

And I am the kept

so hold me safe

in the soft love

of your

infinite heart…

amen

Virgo. What an energy!

One of the most complex of all of the zodiac signs, Virgo is mutable and earthy. Of all of the Earth signs, it is, in some ways, the least “stuck” in its own position. There is a measure of flexibility here.

Virgo loves the process; loves creating a pattern that can be followed over and over. Order is synonymous with this practical and hardworking energy. This is the energy of application, analysis, functional practicality and all things systematic.

More importantly, however, is the relationship of Virgo to healing. When I meet someone with a load of Virgo energy, I listen very carefully to the words that they use when communicating. Invariably, I have found that in that particular and attentive soul, lies the need to serve, to heal, to nourish. Think about the time of year that the Sun transits this section of the zodiac. In the Northern hemisphere it is a time of fruition. The air is filled with the scent of the full and ripened earth. The fields are ready to yield their harvest. And what is more healing than freshly harvested food and the ability to enjoy a warm and pleasant outdoors?

On the highest of levels, this is Goddess energy, pure and simple. Virgo understands ritual and, in order to connect to spirit, we need ritual and those who can work the ritual. Come on in, Virgo. We have all heard the cliché, “God is in the details”. Well, guess who gets the details right?  Virgo!

The shadow side of Virgo is, for sure, the tendency to sink into criticism, to nit-pick, nag and chew away at something until everyone else runs out of the room screaming. Enough already, Virgo, they shriek. But, here’s the thing. Virgo has an innate sense of what works and if it is confronted with something less than this, it is a challenge to maintain detachment and allow mistakes to be made. Have you noticed how tight lipped some strongly Virgo folks can be? That’s them clamping their mouths shut to prevent those words from slipping out! The real reason that anyone falls into criticism is because they strongly desire everything to be …PERFECT. This longing for perfection can then lead to discontent whether expressed externally or nurtured within the self. The solution is, as always, to focus on what does work even when there is lots that is not working. Life lesson? Acceptance, of course.

If you have Virgo prominent in your birth mandala, it is vital that you develop strategies that you can draw upon when you feel challenged and especially when you feel that you are not managing to keep things under control

 

When nothing seems to make sense & when it does settle down, something happens to skew you off course yet again

solution:

Detach from outcome & focus on developing trust

 

When your emotions are like a roller coaster and you can’t find your ground

Solution: make a cup of herbal tea & take a salt bath

(A good combination of herbs to promote calm is: mint, lemon balm, catnip, sage & a bit of honey. Be mindful of catnip as it is a strong sedative in humans. One cup before sleep can do wonders for your system.)

Secondary solution: Pour this stress energy into a task like purging & cleaning.

 

When your head is full of ideas but you can’t always make sense of them or you may feel like you have lost your mind

Solution: carry a tiny journal to jot down flashes as they occur

Focus on the immediate concern; resist obsessive compulsive thinking

 

 When nothing feels secure in your relationship life

Solution: love the one you’re with & don’t over think the future

 

         

When you keep running into obstacles and even having accidents

Solution: take time out to do breath work (10 minutes as needed).

Pause before running head on into whatever you think needs doing.

Tracking the transits of the outer planets is useful for the Virgo soul. (Well, its useful for all of us, really!) Virgo will find some comfort if she can co-relate the sometime cuckoo patterns that occur in life by keeping her finger on the moving parts—the planetary movement through the zodiac. The outers move slowly so it is especially useful to keep track of where they are in relations to one’s individual birth chart.  At all times, the key to integrating the unpredictable, transformative or discombobulating energy of the outers is to move into a place of detachment from outcome. Trust that once the earthquake is over, you will still be standing and you may even be aware of things that needed to be brought out into the light.

 

Star Crossings: What’s the deal, Mercury?

         

Every Zodiac sign has a planet (celestial object) associated to it. Virgo is aligned to that pesky little fellow, Mercury.

 

Mercury represents the mind within the persona. How we think, reason and communicate are all aspects of the mental body. No one part of the psyche or entity is more important than any other. We cannot forfeit our reasoning ability just so that we can experience love. On the other hand, we cannot turn our back on emotion just because our head cannot logic its way through the experience.  We cannot deny our spiritual needs just so that our physical body is nourished.  On the other hand, denying our physical body does not always lead to spiritual illumination. The integrated personality is one that honours all parts of the energy system and provides itself with what it needs on all levels of existence. No wonder that when we block or deny on one level, we can feel the effects on other levels. Things like depression, anxiety, denial, dislocation are all potential side effects when we do not acknowledge truth. In the personality matrix, the condition of our individual Mercury placement can reveal a lot about the way we get our ideas across, how we interconnect with others and our general thinking process.

 

The transits of Mercury are rapid and he is either catching up to the Sun during the orbital year or running ahead of him, but never by more than about 2 signs either way. However, since he moves so quickly, we may only mildly feel anything energetically, unless we are strongly ‘mercurial’, that is Mercury ruled or with a highly accentuated Mercury energy. So, Virgo, with her special connection to Mercury is more sensitive to the relative condition of this planet at any given moment. This applies, in some ways, even more so to Gemini, also connected or ‘ruled’ by Mercury.

When Mercury goes retrograde, that is appears to be moving backwards in the sky, even those of us who are not Mercury ruled can suffer the consequences. Obviously, he is not actually moving backwards literally but because of the relationship between the Earth and the other planets in the solar system, we have the experience of backward motion from our vantage point here on the earth.

So what’s the deal with Mercury Retrograde? Firstly, let’s understand that Mercury is a mini-activator within the energy field. When he transits points within the psyche, you can have something like the experience of a light-bulb being turned on. Or you might get a message, either literally or figuratively, within yourself. A Mercury transit could signal a time to make a deal, form a partnership or do some data work. When this planet appears to be ‘moving backwards’, all of these sorts of things are either up for review or perhaps just take a pause. Example: you are in the midst of signing a contract, maybe for a home purchase. Suddenly you realize that Mercury will be turning retrograde. Do not panic. Just do your do diligence and carefully and meticulously review all aspects of the deal. You may find that the deal dies but it may be in your favour for it to do so. When you review, you may notice a major oversight and thus have the opportunity to correct it. It is true that everyone has a story about the mini disasters that they have experienced when Mercury was retrograde but I feel that mindfulness can allay much of the chaos. Remember, Mercury is connected to logic and order, reasoning ability, so doing a bit of prep work in advance by ensuring that everything is in order can be very helpful. So, rather than being victim to the slings and arrows of fortune, keep track of the retrograde periods of Mercury ( 3x/year) and make preparation. Ensure that your computer is backed up. Keep your desktop clean and tidy. File your important papers properly and always in the same way. Creating pattern and order within your daily life will go a long way when dealing with ‘backwardness’. Its easy these days to keep up with the daily transits since it seems that everyone and their crazy aunt are doing astrology so there are no excuses when it comes to being caught with our pants down! Track those transits.

No matter what sign Mercury is in when he stations retrograde—remember it will only last about 3 weeks—take note of where this part of the zodiac falls in your own birth chart. This is where you could feel any of the things that I described above in your life. If you have Mercury located in the sign in question, the retrograde period could be a time of mental renewal for you. You could take the time to reflect on some of your mental goals and make any adjustments to your actual thinking process. Maybe you have let things slip organizationally. Use this opportunity to make adjustments in this area.

 

One thing that I have noticed with the transits of Mercury is that I have often received some sort of news when he was transiting either my 1/7 house pair and even sometimes my 3/9 house pair. People have told me secrets, old friends have resurfaced, relatives have suddenly reappeared! But, for the most part, this is a pretty innocuous little fellow, more of a nuisance than a trauma. And, even if the news is not so great, the transit is quick and the discomfort, if any exists, passes rapidly. So, TRACK THOSE TRANSITS! It truly is helpful. Here is a quick cheat sheet list for strategies to enact for each house.

 

When Mercury transits through house

1:  enact plans

 

 

2:  analyze resources

 

3:  intellectual curiosity is heightened; stay open

 

 

4:  increased activity at home; enjoy (hopefully)

 

 

5:  potential focus on fun; be ready to play

 

 

6:  opportunity to pay attention to the details

 

 

7:  perspective can be gained through dialogue

 

 

8:  tackle those deep, intensive projects

 

9:  plan ahead

 

 

10: step into the limelight and be heard

 

 

11:  the brilliance of networking

 

 

12:  a good time for a retreat

 

 

 

Affirmation for VIRGO

I use my ability in the service of others.

 

 

Poem 

Devoted

And

Diligent

I am determined

To create

Peace

And prosperity

For the healing

Of the peoples

Of the earth

 

“the earth beneath your feet”

The Sun is the future. It shines in the sky and draws growth from the earth. Without that sun, nothing can live. Astrologically, this is a very apt analogy. In the natal chart, the Sun represents the destination that we pursue as works in progress. It is the thesis that we are exploring in any given life. We gain as much from exploring what not to do as we do by exploring what to do. As we gain more and more experiences we acquire a certain amount of skill in how to actually live through our solar energy as represented by the Sun in the natal chart. Life is evolution and change while a static state is what we call death.

The Moon is the past. It governs the tides and other cycles of this earth we inhabit. It soothes and nurtures us after a long hard day’s work. Just as the Sun beckons us to all that we could possibly become, so does the Moon secure us to all that we already know and understand. It is the safety net that we hold within ourselves, that which we instinctively cleave to when times get tough or incomprehensible. It is the life habits that we don’t have to think about but that just kick in when necessary. It is the things that bring us comfort under duress. We can hide in our Moons, tucked away from the glare of the noonday Sun.

If you like the idea on ongoing incarnations, then think of the Moon as the container of all that you have ever experienced. And the operative word is experience rather than understanding. Understanding comes only after some pretty intense work on the part of the psyche to integrate experiences into some sort of coherent form. This could be after one experience or it might be after several repetitions of the same kind of experience. Learning is never simple or straightforward. (More on this in upcoming blogs.)

I have a friend who, when asked about the general condition of people’s mental health, says, everyone is f@#*ed because we all have a Moon. She’s only half joking. What she means is that we are just as prone to develop bad habits as we are to develop good habits. It’s the bad ones that can really mess us up. Because the Moon is the seat of our emotional body, things don’t follow a straight line or a logical order. Once those emotions get involved, the sky can turn green and the grass can grow down rather than up. Perception, as they say, is everything and perception can absolutely play tricks on our poor little logical mind.

There is an intimate relationship between the Sun and the Moon, both literally, in the solar system, and astrologically, as they demonstrate how the psyche operates. Literally, the Moon has no light of its own but merely reflects light, the light of the burning Sun. And astrologically, the Moon holds (or reflects) all that the Sun has lived through. It ‘contains’ the sum of the parts and again, once you embrace the concept of ongoing incarnation, that sum can be quite massive. She really is our Mother and it’s where we came from in a very lyrical and poetic way.

In Part one of this Moon blog series, I talked about the Fire Moons with their impetuous and adventurous nature. Here we go with the Earth Moons.

By the way, there is an immutable order when it comes to energy. Wherever you begin, it never varies. Fire, Earth, Air and Water. Always. Its one of the basic things to understand when you are starting to learn astro-speak. Fire, Earth, Air and Water. Always and forever. And in that beautiful wheel that I call the mandala of the soul, aka, the natal horoscope, this sequence of elements repeats itself 3 times. (More about that in a future blog, as well.)

So Earth follows the Fire. Which is good. After all that activity, a rest period is always welcome. And that’s kind of how the Earth Moons feel in the persona. Calm, steady, grounded and solid. Not Moon-like at all if you think about it.

There’s a thing in traditional astrology that classifies the weight and, I guess, a good word would be power, of planets in signs. It’s called the ‘dignities’ if you want to google it for yourself. Interestingly, The Moon finds both her exaltation and her fall in two of the Earth signs of the Zodiac. I don’t particularly like those words since they carry a certain assessment by their attachment to the position but I understand where the ‘traditionals’ were going when they came up with this system. They wanted to establish the way to describe the manner that the lunar energy, as represented by the Moon in the chart, might act in any given zodiac sign. There is potential in all placements, of course. And my teacher, Jeffrey Wolf Green, used to repeat, rather emphatically, that the reason anyone was born with whatever horoscope they had was because the soul that is behind the ego chose it for purpose. Nothing, absolutely nothing is haphazard. The essential nature of each individual’s experiential process is what contributes to the evolution (or not) or the soul. (Evolutionary Astrology absolutely encompasses an acceptance of the concept of ongoing incarnation.) So, no judgment for any given lunar energy. The words associated with the dignities, however, imply a ‘better than’ and a ‘lesser than’ state of being. So, I have long felt that we need to come up with a more inclusive kind of language when we talk about these positions within the wheel.

Never mind all that, however, and let’s just look at the earthy Moons.

Moon in Taurus people can often experience what the rest of us might call ‘luck’ when observed from the outside. This is truly the ultimate in ‘receiver’ energies. This placement is one of those ‘dignities’—the exaltation. What this really means is that the Moon finds total ground in Taurus. The normal changeable and erratic lunar energy is steadied and can be extremely focused and calm. Taurus is, after all, the ultimate earthy energy. It is all things organic and growing. It is the symbol of gestation, the creative force taking form. Do you know the Tarot? The Empress is a great depiction of all that Taurus can be. So when the skittish, moody Moon lands in Taurus, it suddenly becomes a force to be reckoned with.

In past lives, the Taurus Moon person diligently pursued the gifts of the spirit. He worked hard to manage his emotional energy. That’s why, in current life, he seems doubly blessed. But it isn’t by accident. The partner sign to Taurus is Scorpio so we know that this energy was somehow relevant to current life experience. Scorpio is, in part, the loss of what makes us secure, transformation, rebirth and all that sort of thing that can actually look pretty challenging at first glance. Taurus is the end result of the metamorphosis, the respite that comes after the storm.

If you have Taurus Moon, your challenge is to MOVE. Don’t just sit complacently in all that you have so far received. Be open to ongoing change and transformation. The contribution that you can make to the greater collective is much like the rudder on the ship. You have an almost palpable etheric energy that can be used to steady and steer through the waters of life. Your connection to the intrinsic cycles of life gives you the ability to trust and believe that ‘this, too, will pass’ when times get tough. Your intuitive sense of order and structure often can put you in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. You instinctively can ‘smell’ when to make that critical move. If you can harness the energy of powerful Scorpio, that shadow part of the Taurus/Scorpio partnership, to motivate yourself, you really can become an unstoppable force of nature.

When you feel threatened, Taurus Moon, you flee to nature; you surround yourself with tangible, physical comfort. It could be a long aromatic and warm bath in a candlelit room; a delicious and extravagant meal accompanied by wine and chocolate; a luxurious spa day where you feel pampered and stroked and don’t forget TOUCHED! All things organic draw you. And this is exactly what you can give to others; warmth, comfort, support, a sense of security. People might often say to you, You make me FEEL so safe and you don’t even know just exactly what it is that you have done! Just keep doing it!

I have a funny story that really illustrates the seeming serendipity of Moon in Taurus. A young man with this placement was moving house in L.A., a kind of a scary sort of city in many ways—and really, really big. He couldn’t find a truck to make the move and there he was on the last day that he had to do this. Without really thinking about it, he walked outside and made his way to one of the many freeways that criss-cross that city. He stood there at the side of the road for a bit watching the traffic speed by him. Then he saw a moving truck coming towards him. He flagged it down. What do you think happened next? You got it, he was soon moved into his new place. Chance? Luck? Maybe. But what really happened is that his natural wisdom kicked in, he intuitively made his way to the place where he would most likely find a moving van, he absolutely believed that he would find one and that whoever was driving it would help him. And that is exactly what happened. Taurus Moon—gotta love it.