In case you missed yesterday’s edition of Planet Waves FM:http://planetwaves.fm/podcast/111012podcast.mp3
Today is Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011. The Moon is in Taurus all day, having just passed through the Full Moon earlier in the week. It’s now in old gibbous phase — still bright and strong in the sky, though rising earlier in the day.
The Sun is conjunct Saturn in Libra. This is exact today at 5:13 pm EDT. Sun-Saturn aspects are often said to ‘suppress vitality’, but with all the action in Libra, that’s hardly the case. This is partly due to how strong Saturn is in Libra. Sun-Saturn aspects also illustrate the need, or the potential, for self-mastery and maturity, and that is something that’s truly meaningful in our current era. We live in a society and in a time of history where we’re constantly avoiding growing up and taking on adult responsibility, leadership or consciously structuring our lives. In Libra, the key is that these choices, moves and decisions can feel good.
This might be a new perspective for you. Or maybe you’ve taken on so much responsibility and leadership for others, the novelty has worn off. Challenge the idea, if you have it, that taking responsibility equals some sort of death to a life that you love and would be nobody without. Wrestle, if you must, the notion of ‘leadership’ from the jaws of your codependent coworkers and neighbors. In the movie of your life, edit out the scenes where ‘structure’ is a small room to which only your ‘superiors’ or parents have the key.
Where does that leave you? Namely, in a position of creativity – but not alone. Think of the thousands of people involved in Occupy Wall Street (or Occupy Everything). They have decided, individual by individual, to lead by raising their voices and lending their presence. They have decided to take responsibility for their frustration by calling out the injustice they see, rather than fuming in silence. Each person is contributing to new structures of decision-making, public address and public living space.
That is not to say that everybody reading this must go pitch a tent in Zuccotti Park (although that would be really cool). Actually, all you need to do is occupy yourself. Take that ego represented by the Sun and fill up the container Saturn provides. The cosmos has erected a temporary billboard on this highway to 2012, and it’s advertising the option to be present, to guide your life with some focus and discipline, and to let the ego be the slave instead of the master. (Or maybe it’s more like a series of those old Burma Shave signs: ‘Responsibility / ain’t just for Dad. / Take some yourself / and you’ll be glad! / Planet Waves’.)
Just in case you’re not so sure, look at it this way: Conjunctions equal the start of a new cycle between planets. So this truly is a time for a new beginning in some aspect of your life. The Sun and Saturn in Libra are signaling where that new start is due.
Nessus in Aquarius is making an exact trine to this conjunction. This may bring up some cyclical family or karmic wounds surrounding responsibility and how it may have been abused in the past, or possibly power imbalances in relationships. Tread gently here if it comes up, and know that you’re not alone — Aquarius indicates this is a collective issue. Remember that taking responsibility for your own healing is one of the most empowering and sane things you can do – and asking for help with that counts.
Vesta in early Aquarius (a sign connected to Saturn) square Venus and Jupiter reinforces the Sun-Saturn conjunction. It’s lending the message of devotion and ‘less is more’ to the potential for excess represented by the Venus-Jupiter opposition, which is still building.
Finally, as the Moon moves through Taurus it will make a conjunction to Jupiter at 12:25 pm EDT, briefly magnifying the Venus-Jupiter effect. Simply put, if you have any moments of doubting your worth or that you’re loved today, you can reassure yourself with some sensory pleasure, including self-loving. Just watch out for overindulging in food as a palliative, since Jupiter is the planet of expansion. Remember, the idea is to occupy yourself, not stuff yourself. But if you do get a little carried away with a tasty treat, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you are still loved – and entirely worthy of being so.
Looking for insights on how this week’s astrology affects your personal Sun and rising signs? Try out Planet Waves Light, our streamlined horoscope service. For deeper cultural context and astrological investigation, the premium Planet Waves subscription includes the same horoscopes, plus extensively-researched articles on Fridays.
Sorry about the WSJ citation… it was forwarded by a friend who is on the production team for Wired magazine, so he’s usually more meticulous. Me, not so much 8^\ But it *is* interesting that 3 days ago ‘hygiene’ in the discussion. Seems like OWS could have picked up the slack at that point.
The Wall Street Journal says that Bloomberg has announced that OWS can stay.
http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/10/10/bloomberg-occupy-wall-street-can-stay-indefinitely/
Move to clean up Zucotti Park is an attempt to end Occupy Wall Street.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/13/1026069/-CONFIRMED:-Cleanup-is-an-attempt-to-end-OccupyWallSt-?via=siderec
What we need are people there, in body, as witnesses.
So Bloomberg is trying his hardest to evict occupy wall protesters starting tomorrow at 7 am, can everybody take 30 seconds to sign and pass on…
http://civic.moveon.org/defend_ows/?rc=c4_defend_ows_letter.fb.v3.g2
kathyC — and apparently cleaning supplies are the more immediate need:
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/10/13/headlines#1
NY has declared the square needs to be cleared friday so that it can be cleaned; occupiers say they’ll clean it themselves.
carrie — sounds like you made a great decision. and yes, there are many different ways to get to europe. it may not happen the way you hoped, or all as a family all at once. but there are certainly study abroad programs and work abroad programs for students. good luck to all of you and congrats for realizing that plowing straight into an MA program might be more detrimental than helpful right now.
*****
p.s. when it comes to hand sanitizer, unless it has a really high alcohol content (something like 60 or 70%), it’s more likely to just spread germs around & make them stick to hands. gotta check the label.
“I wish there was some way to get people to donate warm sleeping bags to the protesters… but I would have no way of knowing how to go about it. They have a UPS address to receive such donations.”
They could probably use things like toiletries too (soap and hand sanitizer to help keep the spread of germs down, etc.). Extra blankets too.
Wow. This is so on target.
“Challenge the idea, if you have it, that taking responsibility equals some sort of death to a life that you love and would be nobody without.”
And this:
“So this truly is a time for a new beginning in some aspect of your life.”
And this:
“The Sun and Saturn in Libra are signaling where that new start is due.”
And this:
“know that you’re not alone — Aquarius indicates this is a collective issue. Remember that taking responsibility for your own healing is one of the most empowering and sane things you can do – and asking for help with that counts.”
The Sun-Saturn in Libra fall in my second house. Yesterday, I talked to the family about something I have been wanting to do that would change things for me. I want to finish my degree (I will get my bachelor’s degree this December) but instead of going right into a Masters program (for the student loan money) I realize I need a break. I am burnt out, feeling so frazzled because I cannot effectively homeschool my son because of the course load. He is nine years old and for the next three years at least, he will need a solid educational grounding in order to move on to self-directed homeschooling at around the age of 12.
So for the next three years, I really want to be able to BE there for him. It means giving up that student loan money that we were using to live on so we could save to take the kids to Europe. We wanted to take them because both my husband and I have been there and we know how educational it is for kids to travel and interact within other cultures. The problem is, trying to do that is making ME so stressed out, leaving me feeling totally inadequate as a mother and teacher, and not leaving me time for processing the issues surrounding my discovery about my Narcissistic mother or the issue of caring for my aging father. My plate is way too full right now and something had to give.
The thing is, Libra is my second house of values and I have found that every time I stop putting money first, good things happen for all of us. So I am going to put my sanity and my family first.
Another decision I made was that I don’t need a masters degree in order to do what I am feeling compelled to do; that idea was an excuse to keep me from stepping out there and DOING it because of fear of failure. I want to do workshops to teach adults things I know and have a unique and valuable insight on. I have been getting the message for more than a year that I am supposed to be sharing this knowledge and I am feeling intense pressure to go out and DO it NOW.
So these are huge changes for me and for my family. I was surprised that all of them, without reservation, told me to stop the schooling this Spring and do what I need to do. They all felt their brother’s needs and my needs outweigh the trip to Europe. They all said (including DH, and this puts the onus of our support solely on him again) that they want me to be happy. I am SO blessed and the messed-up, inner girl in me cried because she still feels like she doesn’t deserve these people and their love. But now I tell myself and that inner girl that I DO deserve to be happy; I have helped everyone in the family be happy and it is MY turn too.
I feel a sadness because I fear we will give up taking our kids to Europe but maybe it isn’t supposed to be…or maybe it will happen but in another way than I had originally planned. After all, I never thought we could take them to Washington DC and the museums there or the other educational places we got to take them back east this past summer but then my Dad gave us the money to do just that. So who knows what will happen.
I am feeling excited about my life now. That is a great feeling!
Thanks PW for lighting the way.
That is likely to work just fine, Kathy. It’s a good idea, too.
I wish there was some way to get people to donate warm sleeping bags to the protesters… but I would have no way of knowing how to go about it. They have a UPS address to receive such donations.