Today is Independence Day in the U.S. — considered the nation’s birthday, commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. Fittingly, today also features the Cancer Sun’s square to Uranus in Aries: a planet about upheaval, awakening and — in its square to Pluto — global revolution and evolution that will come to define this era for years to come.
The Sun’s square to Uranus is exact at 2:22:22 am EDT today. But the Sun has been engaged with the ongoing Uranus-Pluto square for several days now, and the news is reflecting that. Consider the protests across Egypt this week, possibly the biggest in the world. As of yesterday, they have culminated in the ouster of President Morsi by the military. Millions of citizens have been out in the streets since Sunday, both those calling for Morsi to step down as well as his supporters.
Over two and a half years ago, Egypt’s revolution was the crown jewel of the Arab Spring uprisings, which were the harbinger of the Uranus-Pluto square heating up. And now, with the Cancer Sun making contact with that aspect (and Jupiter in early Cancer — Aries Point territory), we’re getting another wave of this energy. People are standing up, taking action and creating change.
For example, an estimated 5,000 people descended on the Texas Capitol this Monday to protest Republicans’ attempts to revive the bill that was defeated via filibuster last week — a measure that would have would shut down nearly all of the state’s abortion clinics and ban abortion 20 weeks after fertilization. And on Sunday, more than 1,000 people marched in support of whistleblower Bradley Manning (whose trial has just wrapped up behind closed doors) at San Francisco’s LGBT Pride Parade. After the event’s board refused to let Manning be an official grand marshal, supporters dubbed him a “community grand marshal.”
How are these things affecting you personally? Are they? Do you feel inspired by the messy push for democracy and a humane government in Egypt, or does it terrify you in its potential to spread upheaval and violence and change? Are you willing to stand for what you believe in, even just amongst your own family members?
Today’s astrology is about rebellion and surprises, about busting out of routines and acting on the original, quirky or unexpected idea. The Moon enters Gemini this morning at 5:21 am EDT, briefly squaring Neptune. Don’t get sidetracked by indecision or confusion about your options. True independence comes with the understanding that there will be upsets and surprises, indecision and insecurity along the way — but those feelings need not take the place of your identity.
In the words of The Poet:
“Work in the invisible world at least as hard as you do in the visible.” – Rumi
Excellent thought Bette, “. . we are the Vestas to the others’ Athenes”, and I’m on your team along with xtica and Strawberry!
be
Cheers to you both, Xtica and Bette Loreen. We’re each being called to use the tools we have, and not deny ourselves our power because it might be seen as “less than” someone else’s. While certainly a revolutionary at heart, I’m not a “storm the battlements” kind of girl. I respect that, and will remain true to myself, even if no one else approves. I continue to be drawn back to Len’s post from a few weeks ago, where on the Solstice, he exhorted us to “refuse to be shamed, even by those with whom you would link your arms in solidarity of cause.” It seems that, in this summer of revolution, I will spend a lot of time with that clause.
Xtica, I wanted to say that I too believe we can make an energetic/spiritual difference in the world “out there” – that the ripples we set in motion do indeed travel far.
My limitations are those of geographical isolation & responsibilities that keep me close to home, & I am by nature not an outgoing person, but I can still stay informed on events, & I can work at a very local level in terms of encouraging peaceful dialogue & doing the best I can to avoid the high-horse of judgement so many jump on these days. And I can send my thoughts of loving peace.
Not all of us are cut out to be front-line activists. Perhaps we are the Vestas to the others’ Athenas. I don’t find your thoughts on this at all ‘whoo-whoo’ – sending love into places of great pain can only do good.
I believe it matters. Perhaps more of us are engaged in this effort than we imagine.
Bette
here are links on rape and sexual violence as weapons of war
http://www.ohchr.org/en/newsevents/pages/rapeweaponwar.aspx
http://www.unicef.org/sowc96pk/sexviol.htm
and on patriarchal use on the threat of rape as social control
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lovejoyfeminism/2013/01/the-threat-of-rape-is-a-tool-for-controlling-women.html
day late and a dollar short-
if the government is in the throes of a breakdown, the reported numerous rapes that are occurring are part in a pattern of sexual violence that takes place in liminal spaces as observed by Robert Hayden (2000), where he states “Mass rape is likely when such conflict takes place during a partition of a territory and its population, when the STATE ITSELF IS LIMINAL (my emphasis) and both its territory and control over it is uncertain” –
the unfortunate and heinous fact is that strategic rape, if that is the case, is nothing new and is used widely as an unspoken means of social control, as Eric pointed out yesterday during his podcast and the segment in the commentary on the deteriorating recourse that U.S. women have to protect their own bodies.
/blogs/lovejoyfeminism/2013/01/the-threat-of-rape-is-a-tool-for-controlling-women.html
i don’t know how many of the readers out there are in the predicament i am in, where mobility is limited and physical energy is taxed or unreliable, but i am hoping that perhaps we are called here to planet waves and this moment in time for a reason– could we not as a community – collectively perhaps, to send light to those places, whether locally or internationally as whatever the case may be, in the spirit of what Elsa writes on?
for me to hit the pavement is nearly a non-issue, but i can do things on other planes and work for the good like that. i can work in the little space around me and hope that those rings of energy are sent out rippling to where they are supposed to be, near or far.
i’m not deliberately trying to be ‘whoo-whoo’ here. i’m forced to be practical and work from the outside of things where i for whatever reason, have signed up long ago to be.
peace and blessings to all creatures and objects and, even, maybe especially, the stars in the skies
x
“Amanda says the rapes are targeted.”
well, i said they *sound* targeted. i don’t know for sure, and my understanding is based on the observations and understandig of one egyptian woman interviewed on Democracy Now. definitely check out the segment i linked to in my other comment (there is a rush transcript there, too) for the full context.
and: i’m glad to see the conversation about rage. it’s a good one for these times.
Lizzy, I’ll attempt a brief response to your question, though the whole topic is enormous. I’d like to qualify anything I write by saying I am exploring this topic of rage, and rage and gender, and as much as anything, attempting to discover what it says about me, to me, and what it calls me to do. I am bringing something personal into the light that has been hidden and feared most of my life. thank you for your question.
What I say here about men’s anger: What do men feel about men’s anger? And one answer may be, they don’t feel, they rape. Rage, bound by impotence (political/economic/personal) will explode into violence, and for some, that violence will be rape.
is a reference to events in Egypt, which I have sketchy news reports on. Amanda says the rapes are targeted. Are the rapes a form of terrorism? Are they a few thugs out of thousands of protesters? Out of 10s of thousands of people a small percentage of them are raping women. Probably men are also being raped. Maybe it is nothing to do with the movement, and outrage. Still, rape is sourced in outrage and hatred, and violence. And what is happening there has happened before, can happen anywhere.
A couple of days ago, I posted on my blog about my year with Lilith, and it called forth several women talking to me privately about their rage. Rage is up for us, all of us. We can look at it through the lens of gender polarities. We can turn the lens arounds and see it the subject reversed, or upside down. It’s a healthy thing, these emotions, and being able to explore them in community, art, and actions.
All I know is that on the other side of rage, when it is spent, is peace.
Across cultures, the bitch goddesses complete their cycle of rage and destruction and transform into goddesses of love, beauty and abundance. This Uranus-Pluto square is cleaning house, and making way for a new era.
what if?????
“i do think it’s significant that SO many people — whether it’s 14 million or 40 million or even just 4 million — are turning out and being vocal in egypt.” Yes, you’re right Amanda – it is an extraordinary thing that’s taking place.
“What do men feel about men’s anger?” DivaCarla – I observed my brothers and a very gentle boyfriend I once had, and how they reacted to men’s anger as I was growing up – men’s anger can be terrifying to other men too. We women have the terror or rape, but men can be victims of other men’s rage and bullying – it’s nothing like rape, but it’s not nice.
Amanda, what can I say? You’ve laid out the hottest Uranus sq Pluto US Independance Day for all to see. Spread out like a picnic.
Be, you are stirring the cauldron. Anything can manifest from this blend, and with 7 billion manifesters active on the planet, it’s going to be a circus.
Kelly, your post points to horrible subtext in this revolution, and suggests an answer to the question I posed for myself yesterday in the PW FM comments thread: What do men feel about men’s anger? And one answer may be, they don’t feel, they rape. Rage, bound by impotence (political/economic/personal) will explode into violence, and for some, that violence will be rape.
Women were prominent in the first Egyptian protest that birthed Arab Spring. The quickly learned they had no seat at the table in creating the new society. I am quietly typing, but I seeth. I SEETH!
kelly — yes, the sexual assaults were something i was hearing about on Democracy Now yesterday, in the second segment: http://www.democracynow.org/shows/2013/7/3
it’s horrific and it sounds very strategic and targeted in Tahrir Square.
for sure, the moment is egypt is very complex. take, for example, the way that many of the protesters are now welcoming the military. or the fact that some protesting in support of Morsi are saying that not letting him serve his full term will simply undermine any hope at democracy, setting egypt up for a never-ending cycle of coups.
by no means do i think that the situation is all rosy and heroic. but i do think it’s significant that SO many people — whether it’s 14 million or 40 million or even just 4 million — are turning out and being vocal in egypt.
and genevieve — speaking of economics: my understanding is that the military still has a huge economic stake in how things are run — that they control a huge range of manufacturing, etc, in egypt.
nothing simple here, just very striking and powerful.
bkoehler — thank you for mentioning the sun’s trine to chiron. it’s something i wanted to bring into the picture, but i ran out of space. for sure, chiron’s involvement so soon is encouraging, even if it’s not necessarily comfortable.
Egypt’s revolution
Almost 100 women have been raped or sexually assaulted amidst the recent protests
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/07/20137312315973608.html
Unfortunately, Egyptian and foreign women cannot walk the streets at night without being attacked.
I hope the next Egyptian revolution comes from the women – demanding reform
Amanda,
It feels like a mix of inspiration and terror to me, and I guess that’s what excitement is made up of. Adding in that unpredictable element puts us all on equal footing so I would imagine the people directly participating in demonstrations are pretty much in a different zone than those (like me) who are observing on the sidelines. It would give them an immediate sense of being part of something greater than self and also give them a sense of purpose that routine life might not provide. At least that’s how participating in the anti-war demonstrations in 2003 affected me.
I’m so glad you put in the EDT time of the Sun square Uranus; seeing it in “writing” seems so prophetic! That the Sun trines Chiron tomorrow morning (as it conjuncts the USA Sibly Sun) makes me believe that the next 24 hours will have a profound effect on everyone, but esp. U.S. citizens.
Thanks too to Genevieve for making us aware of the lucrative side of demonstrations, and because Mercury rules commerce, and he being in Cancer (a sign of food and shelter), the vendors and hotels have seized the moment. Since this has been happening for weeks now, back when he traveled tightly with Venus ($$$) and Vesta (investing) up until his retro station, it was easy to oblige the ‘needs’ of the masses – at a price!
And thanks Lizzy for noting that there are those of us who thrive on chaos and rebellion who are in their element right now. Without them change would be difficult at best, but without defining lines any rebellion can turn to anarchy. Having Saturn (stationing direct) trine Neptune and the various residents of Cancer (esp. Jupiter) forming grand trines in concert with the Uranus (stationing retro) square retro Pluto (in Saturn-ruled Capricorn), allows a modicum of order (definition) during this alchemical (or evolutionary) process the planet and all its passengers are experiencing. Come the Fall Equinox things will tighten up with (1) the quincunx (adjustment) between Uranus and Saturn, and (2) Saturn’s sextile to Pluto – both in direct motion, as (3) Chiron’s trine to Jupiter wanes and his (4) trine to Saturn perfects. It’s that 2 steps forward, one step back you talked about Amanda.
A look back at the June Solstice reminds us that Jupiter (expansion) was opposite the Galactic Core/Center (Universal Directives) and the Moon (the masses) in Scorpio (transformation) was quincunx (adjustment) Jupiter. Moon was also trine Ceres (food, esp. grains) providing sustenance (emotional as well as physical) during the summer months. But Ceres was quincunx (adjustment) the GC (Universal Directives) too, which promised change in how we eat and how we grow what we eat on Planet Earth.
The Moon was also trine Venus-conjunct-Mercury-conjunct Vesta in Cancer in the Solstice chart as all 3 were conjunct Ceres. This means that the merchant vendors (Mercury), the financiers (Venus) and the determined investing (Vesta) in and/or of our food supplies must also adjust, but that the masses would support these adjustments.
The Solstice Mars in Gemini (conjunct Pallas-Athene) was sextile Uranus in Aries and quincunx Pluto which manifested as the recent wildfires in the western U.S. as well as the world-over demonstrations, but it also squared Chiron turning these things into teachable experiences, whether we wanted it to or not. This was the astrological promise for Summer 2013, a two-step forward, one-step backward process toward improvement. Knowing that helps me get through the scary tough times and rejoice in the inspiring ones. All in all, not a bad outlook for the U.S.A birthday!
be
Yes, thank you Amanda – especially for these precious words,” True independence comes with the understanding that there will be upsets and surprises, indecision and insecurity along the way”, a mantra which I shall stick on my notice board, to help me stay on track.
Ha ha! Great tidbits, Genevieve. Interested to read your comments, as you lived there.
The media in Melbourne is saying 40 million people turned out last night to protest across Egypt – some demanding Morsi’s resignation, others supporting him. That’s about half the population in Egypt at a protest. I bet the street vendors selling coffee and koshari (Egyptian street food) at the protests were raking in the dough last night. Wish I could bottle that enthusiasm and drive for change and pass it around American. Also, the hotels around Tahrir Square make a lot of money every time there’s one of these uprisings. In the Arab Spring protests of early 2011, hotels overlooking Tahrir Square were charging $500 per camera and $1,000 per video camera, that’s per day for both. I bet they’re charging more now. Just some interesting tidbits. 🙂
An absolutely beautiful piece, Amanda. From sea to shining see. Thank you so very much.
Let’s hope for the best, and that the army have stepped into guarantee deomocracy and a decent new government, as they say they have:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23176401
What’s happening in Egypt right now is extremely complex – there are many people demosntrating against the (ex) government, but many others whom ths present state of chaos suits, “The BBC’s Kevin Connolly in Cairo says no-one knows what will happen next. The danger, he says, is that both sides will try to settle differences by bringing supporters on to the streets” – and now they’ve brought the army in.