Today is Monday, August 15, 2011. The Moon is in mystic Pisces all day, but the hot news of the week is the big Mercury-Venus-Sun conjunction tomorrow. This is very close now, with Venus meeting up with the Sun today before the two of them align with retrograding Mercury. In other words, you’re probably feeling it; and it may feel a little complex. This is in part because the trio is also trine Eris and opposite Nessus.
You’ll want to keep an eye on your thoughts today and tomorrow. That the triple conjunction is happening in Leo shines light on facets of self and self-concept; Leo also relates to childhood. A retrograde Mercury crossing paths with Venus in this sign may point to a sense of devaluing — of your sense of yourself, your ideas, your feminine side, or childhood dreams and ideals.
Eris can manifest as a fracturing of self-concept or as the eventual unity of the same; Nessus relates to cycles of abuse and karma, and the idea of ‘the buck stops here’, among other things. This means you may experience an eruption of self-doubt or a crisis of self-esteem. Any latent, buried and festering issues of psychological abuse — personal and collective — may come to the surface. Remember that any pain of this sort has a purpose: abuse patterns and wounds to the psyche, just like physical infections, need to come to the surface to heal. And here are three planets aligned in Leo, sign of the Sun, to help things along. Ultimately, this is a process of getting clear: What pattern do you want?
As you sort through any self-esteem issues or old abuse patterns, keep an eye on how you’re feeling. Old mental scripts do not need to be true to affect our emotions negatively, sometimes without our noticing that it’s happening. If you need to, check yourself Byron Katie-style, asking yourself The Four Questions:
Is it true?
Can you absolutely know that it is true?
How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?
Who would you be without the thought?
With the Moon in Pisces squaring the north node in Sagittarius, this is a good day for introspection, despite all the fire in the sky. Use the fuel consciously; a flowing Moon-Jupiter sextile at 4:21 am EDT may help. After that, the Moon will be running void of course. Because the Moon will not have another ‘conversation’, or be able to pass the baton she picked up from Jupiter before changing signs, this is not a great time for beginning new things. If, however, what you want is to ‘fly under the radar’, then you can do so now. (Gary says he literally begins long trips on a void moon if he can because nothing happening means he arrives safely and with no tickets.)
The Moon will also cross the North Bending of the lunar nodes today. The nodes are the places where the plane of the Moon’s orbit around Earth crosses the plane of Earth’s orbit around the Sun. The North Bending is the Moon’s highest point above Earth’s plane of orbit. It also means the Moon is square its own nodes.
In general, lunar things tend to feel obvious and urgent; they tend to manifest themselves ‘like it or not’. And events involving Pisces can have a sense of mystical longing or moodiness. So between the North Bending of the Moon and its void of course status in Pisces, today all things lunar and Piscean will be at once unconnected to or without conversation with the rest of the planetary pantheon, and yet also very obvious and manifest, like the Sun at noon.
Perhaps if there is a sense of disconnectedness that is very obvious and manifest, this is serving a purpose: to unplug from something which is obviously not working on the physical level, and to begin to look to the spiritual for both solace and rest from any frustration connected to it. You may find some insight into the deeper purpose for this limitation or disconnect. Perhaps you are barking up the wrong tree out of some ego attachment, or perhaps you are working from a Chronos perspective (chronological time in which people are ‘in charge’, via clocks and calendars) when it is not the spiritually appointed time, at which point you may align yourself with it (a Kairos perspective).
Thursday of last week, Len described the Sabian symbol for tomorrow’s triple conjunction of Mercury, Venus and the Sun. It is a man completely involved in his inner meditation at the expense of all outward activity and care. It may be that today’s void Moon is setting us up for the detachment of that symbol for tomorrow’s triple conjunction, though its energy may feel anything but detached now. Take your time to notice today what comes up, or places in your life where you feel obviously stuck or disconnected. Keep your self-esteem issues and any questions of psychological abuse in front of you where you can see them. Listen to any message coming through any sense of un-connectedness you may feel, and see where it points you tomorrow. Give your thoughts the attention they call for, without getting seduced by any unfounded self-doubt, and note where they carry you as you reconnect with the world.
By Gary Caton, Amanda Painter with Eric Francis
Notice and choose: in fresh horoscopes weekly and twice monthly, the current sky speaks through your Sun and rising signs. Eric unfolds the themes in Planet Waves subscriber edition and Planet Waves Light so you can notice your patterns and choose consciously.
Hello Carrie. I hear you, and want to add that some of these techniques, like comedy, really work when you take them seriously and give what you are doing ‘weight’. The funniest comedy is like that – often where the actors play it ‘straight’.
xxxp
When I was full of my own pain, rage and fear regarding years of childhood abuse and sexual abuse from several different people and two rapes in my late teens, the feelings of which took years to acknowledge, much less work out, I wasn’t able to be present others’ suffering. Being around others’ suffering was too terrifying. It brought me face to face with my own when I wasn’t ready for it and had no resources to deal with it, and I had very little to offer that might have helped anyone cope with their own.
Working through my own suffering has enabled me to be present to the suffering of others. They came along together. The more I worked on my own pain and suffering, the easier it got to be present to the pain and suffering of others. And what did it for me was people who were able to be present to my suffering even when I couldn’t reciprocate.
Questions like the ones in the Byron Katie protocol were the first ones people like my therapists helped me ask myself that gave me the idea that I might be just a bit more than some sort of hateful and disgusting human being that had somehow attracted and deserved all those terrible things that had happened to her. Instead, I could be a person who had the right to dream, to nurture her own talents, to enjoy her life. In fact doing these things helps me balance my ability to be present to suffering (an ability called upon frequently by the nature of my work with children with disabilities, life threatening conditions and illnesses, and their parents and families) with renewal and refreshment.
Life is hard and I know I will experience more pain and loss as I walk through the remainder of mine. But what I know now, is that no one who really cares about me wants me to suffer, that the loving and creative power of the universe didn’t create me for suffering, and that I can choose to find my way back to happiness and enjoyment whenever I decide to even if it may take awhile.
“i encountered a fun synchronicity yesterday at a dance workshop:”
That sounds like a lot of fun! I love dancing and drumming workshops but haven’t had one to attend in a long time. Sounds really cool!
Amanda and Kat,
Excellent points! Those are definitely the ways I would prefer to do “The Work.”
Hi Carrie – I get what you are saying about philosophies that seem to encourage people to float off on a self-indulgent ride to pink cloud heaven. However, it hasn’t been my experience that The Work of Byron Katie translates in self absorbtion and inaction – though that is what it seems like it would do based on an initial introduction. I still occasionally run into that fear when I get to the question – what do I fear would happen if I didn’t believe that thought?
For instance, take the thought, there shouldn’t be war. It is totally logical – most of the world might agree – that if I didn’t believe it, I would be irresponsible and apathetic. No realist will argue with that (Hey, I am Taurus) However, when I inquired using the work on the stressful thought “There shouldn’t be war,” my own truth about the question brought me to where I am no longer at war with the reality that war exists. If I am present to the truth that war exists, whether I like it or not, I am in a better position to work effectively to do whatever I can to end war, and ideally I can do it from a place of inner calm – usually more effective than self-righteous anger, for instance.
I might be able to see all of the players – on both sides of a battle – including myself – as people innocently believing thier thoughts. I don’t condone violence, but I can perhaps be a voice of reason that both sides might listen to. Speaking of the 60’s, I am reminded of the Vietnamese Buddhists who refused to choose sides and helped everyone – North and South and were punished severly for it and exiled to France. Thich Nhat Hanh (one of these monks) teaches – “Breathing in I calm my body, breathing out I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is a wonderful moment.” The smile meant he did not let the conditions of the world determine his state of mind.
I would also do what it takes to try to stop people from hurting others. Perhaps, they need to be charged with war crimes in order to be given an opportunity to stop. I know if I were insane enough to be hurting others in that extreme way, I would want to be stopped – I might not know it at the time, but putting me in prison would be a compassionate act. Anyway – you get the idea. Kat
katlyons — we all brought different things to this stew; the byron katie but was one of my ingredients.
carrie, point taken, though i think any process urging us to notice and call back projections *so that we can free ourselves up to engage effectively in the world* is worthwhile. and from what i understand, once you get the hang of the questions, they can be incorporated as you’re doing other things.
for example, i encountered a fun synchronicity yesterday at a dance workshop: it focused on using the four questions to check assumptions and “stuck” thoughts in a contact improvisation context. i had no idea this workshop existed when i worked that bit into yesterday’s post. but the idea of internalizing this process as a means to freer, more authentic and joyful engagement with others makes perfect sense to me.
:::Virgo rising realist speaking::::
While I like the concept of Byron Katie’s Work, I have to say it quacks like that “self empowerment,” “working on me” duck we have been hearing for so long. Sure, “work on me” is good but it also sounds like the mantra of “all is illusion and when you give up earthly desires, you will no longer suffer.” That’s all well and good for ME but it is another easy distraction away from using some of our energy to help others. We as a society have been working on ourselves for decades and so far that has fostered a “me, me, me” and “everyone for himself” attitude that has not served us well as a group.
It is a great program but I question the ideology of ending personal suffering to the point that you have no time or energy left to look outward enough to help others along the way. Self absorption is just as much an imbalance (ask the Hopi, they will tell you) as being “in their business” too much is. Balance works for all, not just for me.
Oh and just as an aside, Byron Katie was born in 1942…almost a Boomer. Boomers have been described as a “self absorbed” generation. “The Work” fits that description a lot.
Just saying. :::End Virgo rising realist::::
I just noticed this piece is by Gary, Eric and Amanda (In an earlier post, I was thinking it was only Amanda. Mercury retrograde, perhaps.) I just read it again, and enjoyed it even more. I just cancelled a core training I was supposed to lead at work today. I just don’t have it in me today. Void of course moon kind of feels like being in a bubble. Kat
Susyc – Your suggested additional questions for the Byron Katie protocol are right on-there are many sub-questions that can be asked to deepen the meditation on the third question: how do you react, what happens when you believe that thought? For instance, What image occurs when you think that thought? When did you first have it? How do you treat others and yourself when you are belieiving it? What is the payoff for keeping it? What do you fear would happen if you didn’t believe it? What does this belief stop you from doing?
For clarification, if you or others are interested – the first two questions are designed to begin the inquiry process. The protocol asks for simple yes or no answer to each of them (no right or wrong response – you go forward with the other questions no matter what) For instance, if I do inquiry on a belief- “My husband should quit smoking.” By asking myself, “Is it true.” I will elicit a shitload of evidence that supports my belief, and I have a world of aggreement (don Juan) to support me.
The next question deepens the inquiry – Can I absolutely know that my husband should quit smoking? Hmmm. I might still say yes to that, but I might also begin to question that stressful thought (the stress being that I believe something shouldn’t be happening that clearly is happening.) Can I really know what is best for him? Maybe his path to God is to die from lung cancer. Maybe he will die tomorrow in a car accident, and it is a non-issue.
On the other hand, I might say, yes I ABSOLUTELY know he should quit smoking which is an honest answer for me at that time. Good to know.
The next question: How do I react when I think that thought? I get angry, I project a future of me taking care of him for a long time and being pissed off and then him dying, I try to get him to stop and to educate him, to make him feel guilty. I certainly stress myself out and him too. I am certainly not in my own business or in the present moment. Looking back – when did I first have a thought like that as a child? An image might occur when my step mother was drinking and I clearly believed,”She should stop drinking.”
Now, the fourth question – who would I be without that thought, My husband should stop smoking? (I’m not asking myself to give it up – I am asking myself what it would be like if I didn’t believe it) I would see that it is his life and his journey. I would see that I chose to marry a smoker and must take responsibility for that choice, no matter what. I would be more willing to look at what I need to change in myself (as Katie says: if it is so easy – do it yourself first) I would tell him I love him, I might ask him to quit with the understanding it is ultimately none of my busines if he does or doesn’t. (We are married, but it is his life.) I would remember when I was smoking and how hard it was to quit. I would see that my belief is what is causing my suffering.
As a child, what would it have been like to see my step mother drinking alcohol without the belief she should stop? I might have seen that I have no control over her. I might have been less angry. I would have noticed she is not nice to be around when she is drinking and I would avoid her as much as possible. I wouldn’t think I was responsible in any way. I would feel sorry for her, perhaps. (One question that often comes up: does this mean that kids are as responsible as adults for what they believe? Katie’s response is: no, it means that adults are as innocent as children for what they believe.)
There is another part of The Work called turnarounds – the idea is that the nature of the mind is to have a belief and then only notice the evidence that supports that belief. So you turn the thought around several ways to play with it: He shouldn’t stop smoking (in what way could that be as true or truer?) He isn’t ready; his karma is to die of lung cancer; he doesn’t know how yet.. Another turnarournd: I should stop smoking (or stop my own addictive behavior): I’m addicted to thinking about his smoking; I should lose weight; I drink too much caffeine.
Anyway – I hope that is helpful to anyone interested enough to read all that. Also, thanks Burning River. Your are kind, as usual. Kat
Kat, thanks for the link. Had used energy tapping several years ago but the presentation/method was too complicated (not as elegant) as the EFT site that your link led me to. I appreciate all your comments and what you are doing as your work and service to those around you. Best in love and light to you always.
I would add a few more questions to the Byron Katie protocol:
Where does this thought come from?
What situations seem to bring these kinds of thoughts to mind?
Who does it sound like (from the past)?
Am I going to take issue with this thought?
I’m not sure the first few questions always need an answer. Sometimes it’s helpful to make those connections and sometimes not. Paying attention to negative thoughts is the first step. But for me it became really important to argue with those thoughts, even scream at them in my mind. It’s not true; I’m not that way; yes I am going to do that; that’s not going to happen; and here’s why!! An accusing thought cannot stand up to truth and the presentation of evidence to the contrary. I was amazed how little time it took for the accusing thought to be silenced when I made contesting negative thoughts a habit. They had always felt so strong but melted away upon confrontation.
Now I notice negative thoughts about myself much less often. And it’s not because I think I’m perfect or something. I’m OK with being an imperfect human being who keeps trying. I do have to acknowledge though, that while the thoughts might not be so obvious anymore, I have to watch my behavior to check out my beliefs. Am I doing what I want to be doing? What’s stopping me? Is it fear? What is the fear saying? Am I going to contest those fear thoughts, or am I going to let them keep me from doing what I want to do? Am I willing to put up with how that will feel?
And I have a nice set of rules for myself. If someone confronts me, I have a responsibility to listen. I have a responsibility to take in what they say to me that is true about me. I don’t take in anything that is overboard, i.e., excessive anger, pain, etc., that is not about me, but I don’t have to confront that either. I can choose simply not to respond to that. If nothing in what they say fits me then I don’t worry. But I do respond to what is true about me. I apologize in the moment or as quickly as possible afterwards if I need to think about things. I can say I need to think about things and that I’ll get back with them. Then I make long-term amends by working on awareness of my harmful behavior and avoiding repeating it (although this may take a few tries and a few more apologies if it’s an ingrained habit). I don’t play guessing games with people. I don’t practice overt harm if I can help it, but I’m not responsible to try to read anyone’s mind. If they have a problem with me, they need to tell me.
I guess I’m saying all this because it’s good for me to hear it again myself. But I’m certainly also at a generative stage of life where I would love to contribute to making life easier for others too. I hope I don’t sound all preachy-teachy, but if I do, please forgive me, because I know people have to get where they get by their own efforts, in their own way, and in their own time. I’m glad I have learned to love myself. I love myself inside and out, every square inch, good, bad, ugly or indifferent! I love my big peasant feet and big boobs! I love the overhang of my chubby belly and my white hairs! I love my shadow self because that’s the only cure for her. I work towards giving myself the time, attention and direction my spirit craves. Because you see, it really is all about me!
Didn’t catch the spelling errors below- I hate that! Kat
Thanks, Amanda – I too love The Work of Byron Katie. http://www.thework.com I have used it most days for the past 4 or 5 years and went to her Nine Day School of the Work in 2008. Amazing experience. As the program director and clinical supervisor of a family support center (we serve children and families with child sexual abuse HX, pregnant and parenting women with addictions, etc.), I have integrated The Work into staff supervision, and we teach it directly to clients.
I am also a psycotherapist/counselor with 25 years experience. I consider The Work to be the most elegant therapeutic intervention around (elegent in the mathmatical sense – simple and beautiful) As much as I love and value astrology – my first love, really – astrology is beautiful, but not so simple, I’m afraid. I use both.
I also use and teach Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) – another amazing tool for healing. Easy to learn, easy to use and incredibly effective. http://www.eftuniverse.com
Anyway, thanks for the reference and the wonderful article, as usual. Kat
thanks everyone, its so great to be a part of this!
be, you can listen to more about the bendings here
http://ceresastrology.libsyn.com/of-dragons-nodes-and-bendings
click on blue banner at the top for full archives
was out in the backyard wrestling with my moody depression, then came in and read this, thanks, my natal moon is 17º leo, conjunct pluto. Ego attachment, Chronos, Kairos, Nessus..thanks for the enlightenment.
The north and south bendings aspects are so interesting and I suspect very useful. When the Moon is in the north bending (for me that will be tomorrow morning) then it will express outwardly, per Mary Plumb at The Mt. Astrologer site http://mountainastrologer.com/tma/at-the-bending
so I’m guessing that emotions will be easily expressed and possibly, even publicly. This would also hold true for the Pisces Full Moon on September 12. The Moon would express outwardly and the Sun, in the South Bending, would not express easily, and therefore, as she says, ‘signify a point of release’.
I would love to learn more about this subject if you would consider expanding on it.
be
Starrynight,
You brought up a good thought about being devalued.
Yes, I feel devalued..as a friend, as a woman, as a person, as a writer. I really don’t like the neediness that sets up in me. I know where it comes from but not all of it is from me. It is especially difficult when it comes from people who matter to me.
Oh sure, I could stop allowing them to matter but isn’t that like blaming me for the pain I am experiencing when someone else may have caused it? We all carom off one another and sometimes that causes hurt; feelings are not wrong. It is what we do about them that can cause problems.
I think a lot of myself but that doesn’t mean I am unaffected by the people who I care about; I am. Working through these issues is not easy but it is a necessary thing and I do it every day. Yes some of it comes from my childhood and the people that inhabited that time are still doing damage; I cannot stop them and I often wish I could just walk away. I don’t because I realize their damage is not deliberate but rather a result of their own damage sustained in their past. So I forgive and have compassion through the hurt. Is that being unhealthy or masochistic to do so? Is it wrong to continue in those relationships? I don’t have the answer.
In my friendships, it is a different thing. I am uncertain where I am with some of them because unlike me, they are not as direct or honest about how they feel about me so I live in uncertainty and fear of imminent abandonment and rejection at times. This is because I have experienced both so often in my growing up (as a very different Army Brat/Global Nomad and as a child of divorce) that I am not good at interpreting clues. How will I ever know what friendship really is? What degrees of friendship are there? I feel intimately close to some and only a little close to others and navigating all those feels like teetering on an edge. For if I misunderstand and assume a closeness that the other person doesn’t feel, they run away and leave me bereft.
I work on those fears of abandonment every day of my life. So I feel devalued and I keep working on that.
Wow! Felt devalued as a mother this a.m. And I have natal moon in Leo (not sure degree) conjunct Pluto in 8th which has ruler Leo on the cusp! Lots of action here, that’s for sure. Received an email Friday that we should get an offer on our house by Tuesday. And, after a week plus off, I head back to work (it involves travel and I’m independently contracted) tonight to begin tomorrow.
The most significant feels like the issue in relationship to my daughter. I have felt this energy (of being devalued) from her for a long time. This a.m. Brought it home again.
So many aspects. Forget chronos. We’re talking eternity here.
Bingo, Bingo, BIngo!
whew.
re: ‘Barking up wrong tree’: early morning walk had me fuming re: Pisces moon/Leo sun friend’s lack of the kind of attention to me that I want dammit……whoops! sounds like that’s more about me fuming at me (ye olde Pisces 2 sun 8th house) than anyone else.
I’ll take that one indoors. (inside for meditation).
Then there’s that devaluing/childhood thing you mention – last couple of nights dreaming left me quizzical….but your discussion here sheds light on the the environments around said dreams. Now I just have to go looking for solving the mysteriess in them. Hm – I woke up yesterday with the hymn “Go Tell it on the Mountain” in my head – wow – that’s a throwback and wasn’t in the dream….and I never liked the hymn although surely I sang it often as a child. So I spent yesterday drumming up songs that DID inspire me that contained the thought of Mountains….there are many….:)
Thanks for the time to put this somewhere.
Love and Thanks.
You are all such a wonderful gift of support through these times!
xo
Wow. Thank you so much for this Gary, Amanda and Eric. There’s a lot to digest here but so very pertinent to today, this week, and my life.
OH! Especially chronos vs kairos! REALLY needed that XOXO +_+
WOW again and again.
My plate is too full to say all you deserve to hear in feedback this morning. Thank you from my heart must do: may it clearly ring in your hearts for your faithfulness to astrology and to all the levels of our human beings that you and it address through your offerings, day by day (and I must include here all the contributer’s to PW). The PW articles have given me insight needed at this time for me to sustain the direction I must go. May the energy you send out be returned to you all uplifeted even higher in light and love.
Excellent piece, and thanks. Given my current challenges, and a natal moon at 24 Leo already in distress, this is THE perfect advice and focus. I don’t know what other astrology sites are doing but THIS one is lifting the vibration for all of us. Namaste to all.
Isn’t August 17 the last day of the Mayan 5th night – or so I’ve read elsewhere. Not sure what it means. I’m envisioning the sabian symbol as an opening bell to enlightenment. Leo 23 – A strange figure is revealed, outwardly unprepossessing, untidy, unkempt, he is a yogi of transcendent powers.
This is an appropriate follow up to the weekend full moon, where we needed to let all of our illusions walk out the door. Top dog status is meaningless if you can access the 5th dimension of awareness – pure love. Those flashes of light that come from other people are no accident.
It does have the feel of a clarion call, so much so that I can’t imagine what the next week will be like.
Thank you, Loves !
Brilliant interpretation and application of the ‘mundane’ astrology! Personally relevant and giving to me a clear clarion call. Much appreciated peeps.. 🙂
Thank you for incorporating the Byron Katie protocol at just the right time. This is a truly enriching piece.