Mercury and Venus will make separate, but virtually simultaneous, conjunctions with spiritual implications on Sunday. Mercury’s nascent Capricorn adventure crosses paths with Pluto at 11:43 am EST. Less than three hours later, Venus conjoins the core of our galaxy near the end of its Sagittarius sojourn.
Both mergers will be brief, emulating the short shrift spirituality often receives in our time, but giving you enough time to check yourself out.
Spiritual is not the same as religious. Religions, more often than not, distinguish themselves as ideology. Spirituality, in the context offered for use here, asserts that there is more to our existence than property and politics.
Mercury conjunct Pluto will symbolize the larger, more complex picture of spirituality in the world. In joining, both will be in a tight sextile to Saturn in Scorpio. At the same time, both Mercury and Pluto will be semi-sextile to Mars next door in Aquarius, all to the degree.
Saturn’s sextile to Pluto is more than an aspect, it is an exchange. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn. Pluto has occupied Capricorn since 2008, long enough to have incurred some squatter’s rights. Saturn’s October 2012 ingress to Scorpio, in turn, put Saturn in Pluto’s signature domain. Two planets occupying each other’s dominion is called mutual reception.
According to Alan Oken, planets in mutual reception “work together, enhancing or debilitating their various functions.” The sextile, 60 degrees of separation, is a candidate for the most functionally enhancing aspect of all.
In combination, then, we might expect the current relationship between Saturn and Pluto to be a mutual admiration society, except for one thing. Saturn as a sign dispositor is ancient and traditional, whereas Pluto is a relative newcomer to astrology and our consciousness. Saturn’s seniority would therefore appear to enhance the more worldly functions Pluto has become associated with: sex, death and taxes. If you look at what is going on in the world and (probably) in your life right now, that scenario seems to fit. There are, however, other sides to Pluto.
Pluto is slow to reveal itself. It took half a century from its discovery in 1930 for astrologers to actually use it and see something past its admittedly prescient name (attributed to the precocious Venetia Burney). Eventually, astrology’s time-honored protocol of observation and correlation, along with a few brilliant minds, got past the nominal prejudice. As Eric noted of Pluto some years back: “What became clear over time was its transformative nature, what you might call its spiritual value.”
Of course, spirituality can be scary too. It can be scary to the ego. Having egocentric Mars, the traditional ruler of Scorpio, holding hands (which is what a semi-sextile amounts to) with Pluto brings that fear to the forefront. Mars in a simultaneous tense square with Saturn only exacerbates matters.
Then, of course, Pluto is in a long, continuous cardinal square with Uranus. That darn square, as you may have read by now, is continuously proving the maxim that personal and political are one and the same. It’s all enough to make you forget that Pluto is also profoundly spiritual. That’s where Mercury comes in.
Mercury has to do with the mind and its means of expression. Spirituality is decidedly not analytical or linear. Nevertheless, one way sentient and corporeal beings can gain access to the spiritual is through the abstract proficiency of the intellect. Plus, no other aspect and no case of mutual reception can exceed the intimacy of a conjunction, where the function and nature of the merged objects briefly become as one. In this case, quite briefly.
The thing is, Mercury is moving really fast right now, 50% faster than the Sun. That means Mercury’s Sunday conjunction with Pluto will reveal more about you than the planets so complexly involved. Consider it a litmus test.
Be aware of what comes up in any situation where anybody (including you) senses or suggests that something is going on that empiricism, science or common sense cannot account for. If you can keep your antennae up for the situation, go a little further and watch your reaction. Any scoffing or eyeball rolling will probably mean your relationship with Pluto is firmly grounded, but capable of so much more. If that is the case for you, don’t worry, Venus will have your back.
Venus is nearly as fleet as Mercury for the time being. That means its conjunction with the Galactic Core will also be brief, but it is a different situation from the one Mercury and Pluto will comprise. Venus is not intellectual. The nature and function of the brightest planet is receptivity and attraction. Such qualities are very powerful in the clinch of conjunction. Venus is thus compatible with the center of our galaxy, which, unless science is very wrong, holds the rest of the galaxy together with the attraction of its gravity.
Yet a galaxy is more than a gravity well where stars collect. Its innermost essence is the largest elaboration of fundamentals such as a center, or a source, that are the references for spiritual access. Venus’ conjunction to the Galactic Center will thus be a different sort of litmus test for you. If you can take note of where your senses and feelings take you on Sunday, and heed them, you might become your own Veneita Burney, revealing and illuminating the profound even if your feet are still on the ground. And that is also spiritual.
Offered In Service
Len is available for astrology readings. You can contact him at lenwallick [at] gmail [dot] com.
Your Len blogs are wonderful doors inviting us to infinity of us even. I live currently the square of Mars at the MC with Saturn in conjunction has my Neptune. In the meantime the Moon reaches the sextile to Venus and Mars Trine Jupiter which are valuable AIDS for not falling into melancholy.
I will prepare an article I think you will love Len which follows a news on Yahoo and reflecting the truth of the asteroids in the practice of astrology. Venus on the Galactic Center is this possibility that we gave to sublimate the throes of daily life not always very happy.
It takes courage to not let win by the lower astral energies…
Good Weekend with spiritual guides 🙂
Please find here the link to the cardinal sign paraphrase, the (Mercury/breath of spirit) bit I added in.
http://thecardinalexperience.com/symbols.php
Dear Chief, thank you for offering us your breadth (pun intended) of knowledge.
“…we all run around trying to find the spiritual, when perhaps what we need to do is just sit down and listen.” Absolutely, is my growing understanding and practice each day.
I am fascinated with your thinking of the relevance the placement of Mercury in our solar system in being closest to the light/sun. There is most definitely no mistake in your seeing this and something very moving to me there. Thank you for this.
Penticost I believe was the literal breath and fire of God being spoken to the people. The actual message received that started Christ’s church. Good Episcopal girl here…
The image of this as you describe, literally spoke to me in that tarot card Sarah drew during the the Sun’s transit of Venus and again in September. I looked it up and was reminded was the Planet of Venus Card, from the Xultun Myan deck. The impression to me felt like the holy spirit with it’s breath of God – visually blowing on the earth.
Now Speaking of the Myan deck and In thinking about the four key words that stem in Latin from the root translation of the word cardinal -key, hinge, heart and cross, I am recalling the last days of the Mayan Calender and that Portal Eric kept referring to,(i call the door) to the Abyss.
Maybe this is what the Myans we’re referring to as not claiming to a “next Phase”. The actual pointing is the significance, in our being led to this portal.
Understanding the ‘key’ in meaning: vital, main, crucial, important, etc., as in our finding “The keys to’ the Kingdom of heaven.
Hinge, is needed on our cardinal cross as what is the door there for if it cannot swing open to us.
Heart, is to of course where we are moved–to expression (at the hinge). To give and recieve.
Cross, the word crux, to mean “a sign that gives directions. there are really only two ways at a crossroads. Which way to go? Fear to separation, or Love to Unity?
And, as Len so simply described as our opportunity to ready for spiritual access in Venus’ conjunction to the Galactic Center Sunday, i am made more aware in being led to and recognizing this passage in discovery last night.
“… A sign however, is a message, uniquely designed for the individual receiving it…the recognition of a genuine sign can lead to the beginning of a new ‘communication’ (Mercury/breath of spirit) with something that is beyond our normal realm of experience. In this respect, a sign can be considered a phenomenon or, a cardinal experience.”
P. Sophia- thank you for sharing your wisdom (pun intended) and your personal insights.
If I may offer the following etymology in support of your research: the word “spirit” in the anglicized version of the latin “spiritus,” which means “breath.” When the Bible was translated into English, as requested by King James, the word “spiritus” was not translated, possibly because the clergy did not wish the people to know that the Holy Breath is not some supernatural being, but is an energetic phenomena within our physical body. Old Christian contemplatives from the European Middle Ages speak of god “being closer than the breath,” meaning something more intimate within than physical breathing.
Other traditions speak of a life breath, the terms in common parlance are “prana” from the Vedic tradition, and “chi” or “qi” from the Chinese medical and internal energy arts traditions. So the Bible too mentions a life breath or “Holy Spirit,” but that information was hidden by a failure to translate a key word.
In our current day the word “spiritual” has lost a clear, central meaning, because it never really had one in English usage. So we all run around trying to find the spiritual, when perhaps what we need to do is just sit down and listen. 🙂
aword, be, and chief: thanks for commenting! I have had this feeling about Mercury since I first started studying astrology last June and with the transit of Venus when one of the cards Sarah associated with this aspect the Holy Spirit came up for me. I will have to look back in my notes to share that one.
Since I am finally beginning to somewhat comprehend the Aries point due to all these fabulous articles Len, Eric and PW are putting out in making us aware of this current influence, that I just realized my angles are all on the Cardinal Cross. And currently transits yesterday and today are Mercury in exact 1 degree opposition to my MC and True Node, Moon is exact conjunct AC and Uranus 2 degrees conjunct IC. (Sun is in Cancer).
Regarding my comment here, last night I began researching the meaning of Cardinal Cross and still contemplating it all but in process stumbled upon an interesting website with the following terms that fit into the esoteric, spiritual framework were examining here together…I would like to offer the following terms: key, hinge, heart, cross.
It all relates back, as all is interrelated to us, the signs (Moon, mercury, Uranus, Sun) and the Cross (Christ, Father, Holy Spirit/Unconsciousness, Us/Consciousness)…on every level we connect I believe.
Be, thank you so much for your prudent Saturn-advice. I shall keep it close.
Be and P.Sophia, looking much forward to more on spiritual rulers. Enticing.
P.Sophia- so maybe Mercury, being closest to the Source of Light with our Solar System, and a crosser of boundaries, gives access to the Light/Spirit. Kewl.
Thanks Len, always insightful!
Maeve, I fixed that once but this new computer makes all the decisions, not me. I type, it re-arranges, deletes or disconnects when it thinks it is necessary. It also disregards in this case!
aword (and everyone else too), be greatful for that transiting Saturn, and natal Saturn too. I’ve come to realize, after looking back at a pounding from the trans. outer planets I got that lasted several years, it was Saturn that kept me (more or less) sane and functional. If I hadn’t had the bills to pay, the laundry to wash, the groceries to buy, the sinks to clean, etc. . . I never would have made it through that period of time. As dreary as they are to perform and as much as we put them off, chores like filing (if you work in an office) are what keeps us on track. It’s the discipline thing. You may hate it but someday (if you are lucky) you will look back and see that it saved your ass from some possible disaster. It’s a good thing, although I admit, sometimes too much of a good thing.
Thanks back at you Len, Sarah, P. Sophia. . and P. Sophia I am interested in your connecting of Mercury to the Holy Spirit. I’m reading about the spiritual rulers, as opposed to the natural rulers or even the esoteric rulers of signs right now. For example the Sun is the spiritual ruler of Cancer as opposed to the Moon as natural ruler and Neptune as esoteric ruler. I’ll get back here when I learn more about the other signs’s spiritual ruler and let you know where Mercury fits in!
be
be – “The seeds you have planeted today…”
I don’t know if that was intentional, but I dig it. 😀
P Sophia – I like that; Merc aka Holy Spirit. Nice. Thank you.
Len,
I can be compelled to say that trying to personally “revealing and illuminating the profound even if your feet are still on the ground” has been my life’s work aka trying to keep my feet on the ground whilst revealing and illuminating. And I can be further compelled to say that I do suppose that this amazing time in (my personal) astrology gives structure, framework, reality, perhaps even creative/life to that goal.
With your guidance I have learned to see so much visavis our planets and although the stories I am able to tell by way of their transits are still murky and misty, I am thrilled to be able to see the patterns they make far more clearly than I would have supposed possible. For this I am ever grateful.
With natal Uranus/Isis-TransPluto conjunction on my AC and natal Hades/Pallas-Athene on the MC making a cross with transiting Saturn (on natal Jupiter/NN/Neptune) and transiting Mars (on natal Pholus)….among many super-powered aspects going on…..It is Time, I say! Time for…as Be says….”new seeds of spiritual significance.”
Wish this Johnny Appleseed godspeed. 🙂
What a beautiful, thoughtful, astrological (and spiritually informative) message. Has anyone else ever felt of Mercury as in the Holy Spirit? In it’s communicative, intellect of fire finding its expression. Or, if you like inspiration, if/when heed creatively.
Be: thank you for again for your sow (ing) of wisdom and…The seeds of love imagery!
be: Right you are. Thank you for expounding on another, important, characteristic of conjunctions (as the beginning of a cycle for the two or more objects conjoining). You have provided not only perspective, but a look down the road from the day of conjunction.
Sarah: You are very welcome.
And thank you, be 🙂
Ooooh, lovely, Len! Thank you.
Little things mean a lot. Like a conjunction – no matter how brief – is the start of a new cycle. New cycles create opportunities to change and move things forward. If the conjunction is between an “outer” planet or galactic point and an “inner” planet who moves through the cycle in a year or two, that inner planet will carry a seed of something profound gleaned from the conjunction. Somewhere through the inner planet’s short cycle that seed could be planted. It could grow and flourish if cared for and nourished. The more seeds planted the better the chance for harvest.
In the case of the Winter Solstice, Ceres (the goddess so knowledgable in the ways of plant growth) was opposite the Galactic Core and she was the release point of a yod formed with Mars in Capricorn and the North Node (of Opportunity) in Scorpio. She has provided a fertile field for any seed Venus releases along her cycle’s path this year.
In the Winter Solstice chart, Mercury was conjunct the Great Attractor and now on Sunday he conjuncts Pluto. Perhaps Mercury will deposit a seed garnered from the GA as well as collect a seed from Pluto. The yod of Pluto sextile Saturn as they quincunxed Jupiter in the Solstice is still active but now includes Vesta who tightens the gap toward a conjunction with Jupiter. The conjunction won’t happen now but perhaps that seed deposited with Pluto will find its way to Vesta who will nurture it as she temporarily replaces Jupiter in the Solstice yod. All part of the Cosmic Plan, right Len?
The seeds you have planeted today and for some time now have been nurtured and cared for lovingly and we will all do our best to provide you with a bountiful harvest. Thank you.
be
In the wake of our Winter Solstice what could be more meaningful than new seeds of spiritual significance?