Dear Friend and Reader:
Last week, we looked at the triple conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune in Aquarius, which has been playing to audiences all year. Because this involves Chiron and Neptune, it's potentially subtle astrology -- we are not usually accustomed to dealing with these energies except in their most difficult forms. One of the challenges presented in particular by Chiron making its rare conjunction to Neptune is confronting the lies we are told, the lies we believe and the lies we tell ourselves. This aspect portends spiritual work of the first order. The problem is that most of our psychic operating system is based on denial.
 |
The problem is that once a person comes out of denial on one theme or issue, that can lead to a cascade effect of wanting to live for the truth. Facing that potential, the psyche can have a reflexive reaction and heap on even more denial, fearing that admitting anything at all will lead to the need for sweeping or even catastrophic changes. This is an ego game: an indulgence of fear and avoidance when what we need is to take a breath and explain the situation to ourselves as it is; as best we can. Then at least we have a tangible situation to address. This could be in any aspect of life, though in Aquarius, it will be where
social expectations are involved: the things we have to do to fit in; the cost of individuality; and the crisis involved in crossing the line from conformist to individual.
There is a fourth planet involved in what keeps being described as a triple conjunction -- and that planet is Nessus. This was the third Centaur planet ever discovered. Everyone considering astrology needs to know about the first three, at least. The first was Chiron (discovered in 1977). The second is Pholus (discovered in 1992 and currently in Sagittarius). The third is Nessus (discovered in 1993 and currently in mid-Aquarius).
One could explain Nessus in terms of injuries associated with violated boundaries, and these are often sexual boundaries. If you take away the story and look at the effects of Nessus in a structural way, it can be applied to any situation where the return of karma shows up. Something has consequences, and someone has to take responsibility. Melanie Reinhart gives the key phrase, "The buck stops here."
Any planet in Aquarius is going to bring up tribal themes. Since humans no longer live in tribes, we have to look to families, social groups, companies and anything asking for our loyalty. Nessus is calling on the carpet all the ways in which we are betrayed by those groups. What do you have to do in order to fit in, and in what ways to you voluntarily betray yourself by doing so? As for the 'rules' of the group, to what extent are people expected to violate their most private interests in order to be allowed to participate? We all know we have to play conformist games. But there comes a time when they turn out to be extremely toxic, and only feed energy to the most insecure people among us, who try to set the rules for the rest.
Yours & truly,
Hey! Do you receive Planet Waves by forward? Please sign up.
(March 20-April 19)
I've often thought that all matters spiritual would be easier to understand if we remove the word 'spiritual' from the
language. Everything we think of in this 'category' needs to be thought of as normal rather than as something distinct
and special; then we will get it. That would include having a broad mental horizon, honoring ethics, being honest,
treating people as equals and the world as one place, and living in the spirit of love. As I've grown older, I've
rethought my position on this; the qualities covered under my concept of spiritual need to be identified and honored
as such. They need a place and as you know, that place is everywhere; it's not church. Your charts this week suggest
a return to the heart and soul of your faith. In that case we might well ask why you are concerned about anything
else.
(April 19- May 20)
You have many admirable gifts and attributes; the one you consistently forget to reach for is leadership. Even going
back 15 years and up to the present day, you've been called on to take a stand for what is right, and to help organize
the efforts of others. Part of why this is so frustrating to you is that while you can accept people in their
imperfections, it's another thing to be responsible for their conduct, or to depend on the undependable. True enough.
The solution is a new concept of leadership, based on mutually supportive relationships. You can think of these
relationships as involving sacred contracts, where everyone involved gets the purpose of the gig, and responsibility
and the burden of dealing with human flaws are fairly distributed. You are creating or renewing some of those sacred
contracts these very days.
(May 20- June 21)
It's often difficult for you to stand up to your relationships because you see so much that's outside you as larger and
more influential than yourself. If we remember that the Galactic Core is in your opposite sign (which signifies
relationships), it's possible to adjust the scale and remember that nothing in our world is quite that monumental. You
now have a point of emotional access to a situation or circumstance that once seemed daunting. That's all it takes -- a
little common ground; the feeling of being recognized; the emotional sensation of trust, whereas before there was just
an idea. If as the weeks and months progress you lose your sense of scale, remember this feeling. Connect with
the reality that people are people. We're all in this together, no matter what anyone thinks or tries to convince us.
(June 21- July 22)
Are you grateful for your health? The planet is in crisis about this right now, and it's not just about how to pay for
doctors. Between the faltering global immune system, poor nutrition and the constant overdose of stress, I suggest
you practice a yoga path of appreciating even the most modest experiences of wellbeing: such as making your own
food and walking under your own power. Yet it's also time to reconsider what exactly we mean when we say healthy.
There is something in there about staying connected to your source; to your inner core, which is always alive and
always thriving even if we don't quite express it in the world, or feel it in our emotions. This source can be tapped
into when we need it. It takes practice, but you happen to be in an excellent position to learn (or relearn) the basics.
(July 22- Aug. 23)
Your potential is opening up in unexpected ways. You're never one to fear how amazing you can be, though you have
a way of getting stuck on one level. Then you forget you're there. You're suddenly rising to a new occasion or
accepting a mission that stretches your talent. This has been developing for a while, but now the sense of a calling is
undeniable. You seem to have made a decision about how you see the world, or perhaps learned something from an
important relationship. This has helped you redefine yourself; perhaps an analogy would help. Imagine someone who
didn't feel that beautiful caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror, in a certain light or from an angle that provided a
new perspective; and that momentary glance changed her self-image forever. But this is not about how you look; it's
about who you are.
(Aug. 23- Sep. 22)
Remember your relationship to the world. Not to the 'little world' of activity around you, but the very world. The
whole story, the drama of our time in history, and the planet Herself: the planet that's your home. Why you have such
a deep sense of the Earth and her reality is not just about Virgo being an earthy sign. It's about the placement of
Sagittarius in your 4th solar house: your roots, your safety and your grounding. In one system of astrology,
Sagittarius is the sign associated with the Earth. This week's New Moon is an invitation to celebrate your home; which
as you know is part of a much greater whole. I suggest you take some time this weekend and celebrate the fact of
your belonging, your involvement and your sense of authentic contact -- rare among humans -- with the planet you
belong to.
(Sep. 22 - Oct. 23)
Have you figured out that you think by divination? Most people hardly think at all, or try to use an outdated version of
logic more resembling MS-DOS than an iPhone. Your mind is a crystal ball. You don't exactly think; you allow a
moment of no-mind and 'unknowing' -- then you recognize what's really going on. You've just had a big glimpse
into the crystal. So much information came through that you might have forgotten the whole experience. However, it
would seem that international travel plans are involved, and that you suddenly have a sense of your long-term
trajectory. And there was the latest pleasant shock into some new creative or erotic territory, someplace you've been
expecting to go for years, but are now suddenly willing to take the chance and explore with your senses and your
soul.
(Oct. 23- Nov. 22)
Do you have the feeling that you just avoided some grave danger that you only found out about after it was over?
Check in with the year 1999 and see if that time in your life, or in the life of the world, has any messages for you. You
seem to be going back over the territory of a relationship that happened then, which may be leading you to question
some current situations in your life. True, there is common ground between the two situations -- but most of that
involves your memory. You're actually standing in a hologram of where someone close to you was some 10 years ago.
You're able to feel a little of what they felt, which is delivering some surprising information. Stick with this process -- it
has a lot to teach you; and along the way you can be grateful for how far you've come since then.
(Nov. 22 - Dec. 22)
Feminine does not mean passive. True, most girls and women are raised to be more fearful and retreating than are
most boys and men; but feminine is an alert, potent state of mind. Particularly in your relationships, the key to
opening up to your receptivity is allowing yourself to flow from experience to experience. Notice who notices you.
Respond if you like the vibes. Observe who is drawn in your direction and notice the first thing they say to you. Yet
the real gifts will come from listening carefully to your intuition. Solutions to problems that have puzzled you for years
may enter your mind, but unless you notice and actually write down what you hear, the benefits of that information
will likely pass you by. This year has been all about learning to focus your mind. Now is the time to put that skill to
work.
(Dec. 22- Jan. 20)
You seem driven toward a goal without knowing what the goal is. Well, it's about you, not a place, a thing or an
accomplishment. I don't think there's been a time in your life when you've been under so much pressure to become
someone you are inside. The early to mid-1990s contain a clue, but that was likely such a chaotic time in your life you
don't like to think about it so much. Yet you learned a lot, the most significant thing being that you can rise to the
occasion of highly demanding situations. Growth in this particular case involves dismantling some aspect of your
personality: or releasing some habit of existence that has gradually become a false reason for living. It would be nice if
less were going on at the same time. Yet part of what you're learning is how to distribute your energy effectively, and
to make personal evolution part of your life experience every single day.
(Jan. 20- Feb. 19)
For a long time it felt like you were not ready to act. Suddenly you feel overdue for action. Don't worry about that
interval between the two observations about yourself. There wasn't actually a moment when you 'became ready',
though you're currently in the moment when you're noticing. That's the time to cast the chart or draw the runes.
Recognition is the connection point. You still have the ability to drift, delay or pause; your next reminder won't feel
like the original message. You will have to summon more of your internal will rather than moving with the flow. At the
moment, you have the option to let go into the circumstances and events that are shaping you and allow yourself to
take a new form, precisely at the beginning of a cycle in your life. You have reasons to make a move; you have
reasons to hesitate, though remember -- you can delay change but not defy it.
 |
(Feb. 19- March 20)
You're starting to fill in the blanks on just how accessible some extraordinary success really is. Success is elusive to
you because generally it demands being competitive. While you're capable of this, it doesn't feel good; no goal is
worth feeling less than human. However, a truly human version of recognition and reward are available right now.
This is partly because you're so visible at this time of year. You're finding it easy to be authentic lately, and someone
who can provide a vital connection is actually noticing what you're up to. Proceed every day as slowly as you can,
whatever you may be doing. Emphasize what is beautiful about your work, without neglecting how much you've
achieved. And if you're doubting that, I suggest you make a list of how far you've come in how little time. This will
help you remember your confidence as a conscious act of will.
To unsubscribe, click here
