Dear Friend and Reader:
THE COSMOS is thundering on our little Earth at the moment. Not everyone will be finding this pleasant, hearing the shocking vibration of their soul come through as a kind of last warning to get into motion; others are busting through years of resistance and karmic debris and heading for much greater places. I gather there are a few who will sleep through this latest rendition of the alarm clock going off.
The planets are colliding and bursting in Sagittarius. We are on the Earth. The Earth is the ruler of Sagittarius in Alice A. Bailey’s system of Esoteric Astrology. Though this fact may not appeal to the traditionally minded, we are talking about Sagittarius here, not Capricorn :). Note, in AAB’s system there are two kinds of esoteric ruler — one for the Masters and one for us, the Masturs. I will quote her from page 356 of the tattered paperback edition:
It is interesting to discover that the hierarchical ruler of Gemini is the Earth itself, which is a non-sacred planet. The Earth is also the esoteric ruler of Sagittarius, the polar opposite of Gemini. These are the only two constellations ruled by the Earth, and this fact is of major significance, creating an unusual situation in the solar system and a unique relation. The cosmic line of force from Gemini to Sagittarius is subjectively and esoterically related to our Earth, thus guaranteeing its soul development, the unfoldment of form as an expression of that soul, and leading our sorrowful humanity on this woeful planet inevitably to the very gate of initiation in Capricorn.
In this statement and in the fact of the pain and sorrow which are distinguishing qualities of our planetary life lies hid a secret mystery.
Through this relationship and through the medium of the potencies pouring into our planet, a situation is setup which I might express in the words of the Old Commentary: “When the dual forces of the cosmic brothers (Gemini) become the energy of one who rides toward the light (Sagittarius) then fourth becomes fifth. Humanity, the link, becomes the Hierarchy, the bestower of all good. Then all the Children of God rejoice.”
By the way, have I ever mentioned that Rob Brezsny is a fan of Esoteric Astrology? Basically, any astrologer who concerns perself with personal and collective growth (and in particular, where they connect) has fallen under its influence. Any astrologer who feels that the cosmos has a life of its own — that it’s not this dead collection of burning gas and dust — is under the influence of this basic school of thought. Anyone who feels that the Earth is a kind of preparation ground for growth and participates in it that way is riding the beam, and these days there is quite a beam to ride.
In fact, I cannot explain it exactly; I have tried; I have been trying since Bridge to the Corethree years ago. However, given that astrology is supposed to hand out a bit of decent advice here and there, I can tell you what this chart is pulsing with, translated out of hieroglyphics and into something resembling English.
How about this: Stop bullshitting yourself and do what you need to do. Do what you came to this Earth to do, starting today. Tell the people in your life the truth about who you are. Tell them what you need. Try it; I promise, you won’t drop dead, and civilization will not end. If people blow you off, good for you — they were blowing you off already. Stop worrying about it and get on with the life you came here to live. Don’t let anyone stop you, most particularly yourself.
As an astrologer, I am intimately familiar with planets, galaxies and bizarre little hunks of ice spinning around inside my brain, my computer and your life. I am somewhat more familiar with people, and I could write The Encyclopedia of Lame Excuses. Most people have about 50 or 60 at least. You probably also have some good excuses. Keep track of the good ones while you dismiss all the lame ones. The bad excuses take your attention away from the ones that you really need to be working on. We all know that the lame excuses and the opportunities to point to trivial external factors are the usual hang-up points, not the serious situations.
I shall go on. The cosmos is broadcasting the message on every known frequency that it’s time to stop giving yourself lame excuses to not make love, make art or make a difference. This message is coming over so loud I am surprised anyone’s cell phone still works. In fact I am surprised that anyone can still make a coherent sentence, given what is blazing through Sagittarius these weeks, days and hours, amplified by Pholus (the second Centaur planet). Pholus is like that experiment where you drop two Mentos into a bottle of Pepsi and it floods the attic. It’s like throwing grease onto an ice rink. It is like Jonathan Cainer flying down the expert slope.
There are a lot of reasons people get stuck in life, and there are occasionally opportunities to blow past them.
We are in a magnificent one right now.
Aries (March 20-April 19)
You will need to take extra care to get along with housemates and family members through this winter. It would be prudent to not make any new commitments to living partners; this is simply not the time. As for the ones you currently have, your domestic relationships will only be as good as your conflict resolution abilities. Commit yourself to reducing unnecessary drama. Take the lead and ask people what they are feeling. The sooner you defuse tensions, the less power they will hold over you. The ones that go unspoken, and are not raised to awareness, promise to be the ones that do the most damage.
Taurus (April 19-May 20)
You have gained sufficient perspective to see yourself as a significant other sees you, but you still may not trust this view. Indeed, you may be feeling a wide variety of doubts, but in truth they are all self-doubts that you can work through if you choose to. It would help at every turn to know what you want. Most of your issues will come back to questions relating to your most elementary goals, which need to make a transition from ideals or dreams to practical steps toward something that will feel simple or basic, not grand or ambitious. It is taking a series of these steps that will get you closer to your next destination, and indeed get you there at all.
Gemini (May 20-June 21)
You are someone who, in truth, needs to be firmly rooted to a place. But what you may be feeling lately is that the ground above any roots you may have is moving. This may be disorienting, and you may have some moments of genuine uncertainty about where you need to be, and why you need to be there. Your real grounding in the coming year will happen in the agreements that you make. You must ensure that you see both sides of anything you are negotiating. Note its potential impact both positive and negative on any of the parties involved in the discussion; and do some analysis not only of who is the stronger party and who is the weaker one, but of why you think this is so.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
You seem to be going in the direction of the past, or looking deep within yourself for your safety and confidence. It should come as no surprise that, having committed to that endeavor, people close to you are responding with a measure of genuine reassurance. This may serve as a hint that how you feel you are projecting yourself is not really how it’s happening. In other words, even if you are in a moment of deep reflection, that may be expressing itself as confidence because true introspection is a sign of strength and maturity. Insecurity has an odd way of becoming a source of strength, once we acknowledge it. People who love you will do whatever they can, as soon as you are willing to work with them.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23)
You have reason for fear, and you have reason for deep reassurance. The question is, which one do you believe? Perhaps it would help to start with an inventory of what you have feared in the past, and how little that has meant. Then consider what you have depended on as a source of strength, and how much it has meant. I would say that potential sources of strength are worth more than potential things to worry about; they have a greater chance of coming true, and they mean a lot more. In a little while you will finally see both of them for who and what they really are. And that is good news.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
You seem to need a strong partner, urgently. You need someone who has solid opinions, defined views, and who holds you to your word. I wonder, why in the past when such people came into your life did you not take them up on their offer? If you can answer that question now, you will be able to avoid passing up an opportunity for companionship that comes your way this month. What you will need to do, however, is create a vision for relationship — starting with personal willingness — to integrate the human need for security and the human need for freedom and independence. You are able to conceive of this idea; the discussion will start with you, and you will become the safe haven where both sides of the equation can be balanced.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)
Many movements of the planets suggest that now is the time for you to consider improving your living arrangements. If you have not been playing roulette with the housing bubble, you may soon be in a good position to purchase something or at least get a much better rental. The thing is this: it will be far better to be proactive than to be compelled into anything by outer circumstances. In other words, you want to be making all of your own decisions, and leaving nothing to chance. When you start to drift, decide. When you start to hope, decide. When you feel desire — decide.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
Your friends care about you, and they will take care of you. You need to expect the same thing of close partners or lovers. Your friends feel more solid to you, and you to them; where love is concerned, you seem to be in a moment where your equilibrium is off kilter. Such is an opportunity to deepen your communication, and to guide someone to speaking a truth they may not know, and which you may only suspect. The time has arrived for you — and all of us — to put truth above security in our relationships. When we do so, we will live in warm, dry places, not card houses in the rain.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)
Your sometimes-rocky home life or personal life is being stabilized by your commitment and your ability to focus on a goal. You may not have thought that you could make something previously so unstable seem simple by focusing your intentions, but that turns out to be a big part of the picture. It also is helping a lot that you know what your ideas are, and are committed to experiencing those ideas with every cell in your body. That is magnetic; and it is providing an organizing principle for your life and the people in it.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)
You are the source of security for many around you. You are the rock they stand on. What happens when you have your doubts? Well, it’s not always easy being the source of security for others, and there are times — this being one — that the people around you need to be supportive of the changes that you are embracing so bravely. You are doing your part; you are willing; you have come to understand that the people around you really are free. It will take them some time to appreciate that gift, but for now, if you want them to appreciate you in the way that you need, you may have to speak up.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
You are coming to terms with the fact that a partner or loved one does not know what he or she wants. That is a temporary state, but how temporary we cannot be sure. You may want to investigate the ways in which they perpetuate their not knowing; and what function the confusion serves. You also need to look at the way you are influencing their indecision or state of confusion. You may not be able to change them or even influence their direction, but your self-awareness will be helpful because, at the least, you will be able to make up your own mind when you need to. And that, you must be willing to do.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Planets are moving into the house in your solar chart associated with public recognition and reward for your work. These are things that, for a Pisces, are usually slow in coming. Capricorn rules this house, and Cap is not a sign known for getting fast action. But I would call your attention to that literary masterpiece called The Tortoise and the Hare. You have done a good job of slow and steady for quite a long time. Now that the pace of your life is picking up rapidly, make sure you maintain that policy. Your experiences are concentrating and so are the results of your actions. Keep your focus.