By Len Wallick
Mercury, Neptune and the Galactic Center are key to our astrology today, but first a look at the Moon and selected events of the recent as well as distant past.
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Today is the second Monday of 2011. Just as it did on the first Monday of the year, the Moon starts the business week entering a cardinal sign. A week ago the lunar ingress was to Capricorn, today it is into Aries. In both cases the Aries point was activated. The implication is that the first two Mondays of 2011 are associated with the beginning of a new paradigm of some sort. One that is consistent with the characteristics of the lesser luminary. Having to do with the personal, intuitive and emotional progressions of a shorter, more intimate cycle. A cycle that, by benefit of its positional context, connects with the collective as well. After today is over, compare it to January 3 and see what parallels you can come up with.
Along the lines of a new beginning, it is worth noting that Eris stationed direct yesterday. This ends a period of retrograde motion that started on July 18 last year. It places the planet ostensibly associated with discord into a meaningful and possibly even auspicious concordance with the so-called major planets which are all in direct motion at this time. It also provides us with some perspective.
At the time of Eris’ retrograde station, Saturn was completing its last tour of Virgo, Jupiter and Uranus were still on their first foray into Aries, and the cardinal T-square was still going through its motions. Now of course, Saturn has completed a decade-long series of squares and oppositions to outer planets and is moving on to other things. Jupiter and Uranus have also recently exacted their last conjunction for a long time. Thus this direct station of Eris comes at a time of transition as we build to the next rendition of the cardinal point squares, when Uranus and Pluto resume their own series again next year.
Today is also an important anniversary in our relationship with the solar system. It was 401 years ago that, after observing Jupiter for several nights in a row, Galileo Galilei concluded that several of what he first thought to be fixed stars were in fact moving. After a few more days he realized that these objects were satellites of Jupiter. This observation, which was soon independently confirmed, put an end to a primary underlying assumption of ancient western cosmology, that all heavenly bodies circled the Earth. It was the beginning of modern astronomy. It also got Galileo into a lot of trouble with an established order that was threatened by and resistant to any sort of fundamental change.
In retrospect, it is also possible that Galileo unwittingly observed Neptune, which was conjunct with Jupiter at the time. It may have been one of the objects that he did conclude to be fixed stars. As momentous as the discovery of Jupiter’s moons proved to be, imagine what it would have been like if Galileo had realized what he was looking at 171 years before the eventual discovery of Uranus. This was nearly three quarters of a century before Newton formulated the laws of motion ultimately resulting in the determination on paper of Neptune’s position before finally identified by telescopic observation in 1846.
Thus we are called to humility. If one of the greatest minds in history can miss a trick, so can any one of us. That applies especially to astrology which is as intuitive as it is systematic and ultimately verified by retrospect. This also connects us to today’s astrology of which Neptune is an important part.
Let us begin, however, with Mercury, which while in direct motion is still in the final echo phase of its own retrograde cycle. This process included two previous conjunctions with the Galactic Core. Today completes the third. The first was before the station retro on the Sunday after Thanksgiving in the United States. The second was in December while old Fleet Foot was in backpedal mode during the same time frame as its conjunction with the Sun — a total lunar eclipse and the Capricorn solstice. Perhaps the third time will be a charm, perhaps not.
One of the things conjunctions are supposed to symbolize is a merging of energies. This particular case would appear to defy or at least confound that definition. When the planet that symbolizes our conscious, thinking mind conjoins with the Galactic Center — something of scale beyond human comprehension — it is bound to be problematic. If there is a way to bridge the apparent contradiction between the aspect and the participants, Neptune may hold the key.
Today, Mercury and the Galactic Center share a sextile with Neptune. Sextiles are, among other things, encouragements to apply ourselves. Neptune, among other things, connects with the unconscious, even impaired potentials of our mind. It leads us to consider whether this time of astrological transition is also an opportunity for a transition of human consciousness. One that would eventually help us make sense of conundrums such as today’s featured conjunction, or at least start us on the path of an entirely new perspective. This would in turn help us to prepare for the challenges of the new rendition of the cardinal point phenomena that Pluto and Uranus will resume next year.
Assuming that this transition of consciousness will not descend upon us all at once, what are we supposed to take from this aspect today? Perhaps the first thing to do is to recall Galileo’s experience and that of several other astronomers after him who observed Neptune without identifying it: that its final discovery was in the abstract, leading to that in the actual; that this planet historically corresponds to the gradual process of connecting what is perceived unconsciously to that which is conceived consciously.
So it is that our minds may be uncomfortably present to thoughts or even actual experiences that it cannot resolve today. We may get the hint that we have been there before. We may even be able to make a connection with specific corresponding events in the recent past. But taking that last step and finding a way to make it all fit may not be a matter of collecting additional information. It may have to do with finding a different way to think about what is already in front of us.
Offered In Service
Len
Do you think that these floods which began 18 days ago, around the same time that Julian Assange was arrested, are synonymous to what he represents in the world? It may be that I am ranting but he was born in upper Queensland, in the town Townsville, and, 75% of Queensland is flooded. The devastation was spontaneous last night and it happened on his court hearing date today. If water represents consciousness, the flood gates have broken loose on the unconscious in more than one way.
“Assuming that this transition of consciousness will not descend upon us all at once, what are we supposed to take from this aspect today”. It’s a thought.
This sextile is not helping us down here in Australia.
Yesterday ie. 10th was disastrous for Nth. Australia with disaster declared on half of the state. It’s unprecedented.
“It may have to do with finding a different way to think about what is already in front of us.”
This does seem to fit the puzzle. Recent revelations would support the theory. Some of them being quite upside down and backwards, but heh! it can be surprising what simplicity can solve a long-term “unsolvable” riddle. Or how easily a key fits the lock when one flips it the other way.
xo
martha,
Please forgive the delayed response. Jupiter-Uranus was in the mix but did not make the cut. However, your point is quite valid insamuch as squares do connote internal tension to be resolved by conscious action. Thank you for addressing that.
Gosh, please forgive further indulgence as I write again about something personal, but I had something lovely happen this morning pertaining to Len’s writing here. Some weeks back Eric was encouraging Virgos to work kinesthetically, so I took that advice and found some lumps of various coloured plasticine/playdo in my son’s room to work with. I began with a small piece of purple and worked the ball round and round before simply making a flat, roundish piece, not entirely circular but more oblong in shape. Then I took lump of orange and made that slightly larger piece, this time more circular in shape. Then yet again a bit larger yellow piece, followed by a larger green and finally the largest piece which is a deep blue. With them all laid out on my bed, I decided to place them one on top of the other, squishing them onto each other, with the smallest piece on top then layered in sequence by size to the largest piece at the bottom. The whole creation is really quite small and fits perfectly into the palm of my hand. I stared at it for a wee bit and then thought to call it Galactic Core, as my natal moon is positioned close to there and through all the astrological educating I’m soaking up here at PW, I’m learning to say hello to the energy of the GC and reflect on what it means.
I put the little shape resting up against a picture that’s on top of my chest of drawers and it has remained there for the past few weeks since, until this morning, as I prepared to meditate and reached over for my candle to light, I saw the GC sculpture and had a strong impulse to position on my window ledge alongside my candle. A lovely meditation followed where I remember experiencing a sensation of lovely light of various colours around the position of my third eye towards the end.
Now, after reading Len’s post and thinking about this morning, I think that I experienced an unconscious prod from Neptune to position the GC sculpture beside the candle and that during my meditation, Mercury was pulling my thoughts up and out to the real GC. It was neat.
I actually only discovered more meaning re. the position of Neptune in my 10th house just this past weekend while at a workshop on tarot and astrology, and the positioning really explains my insatiable love of music and my musical temperament overall.
To end, I really want to share one more thing; well *two* links actually as they are tied in together. Some of you may know of a singer called Lhasa who died just over a year ago at the premature age of 37 — I cry still about it. She was an indescribable musical talent and words simply do not do her justice. On Saturday night, on a station here in Toronto, a tribute to her was replayed from last year and I lay listening in bed, transfixed to the show. Lhasa herself gave an introduction to a hauntingly beautiful song about birthing and dying and I think that in this grieving time after the deaths of those six people on Saturday, it is a song with a message for us not to lose hope. The souls of those departed may no longer be here on a physical plane but I’m sensing they are brights lights hovering over us all the while. Especially, I want to mention Christina Taylor Green. There was something captivating about the nine year old and her spirit to live a life full of hope and aspirations. Her story is pulling me in, inspiring me to be the best person I can be in honour of everything she was. According to the philosophy of this song, which came to Lhasa from her father, Christina’s space on earth became too small, but I’d like to think that Lhasa is holding her hand and is singing to her and the others who died, songs of comfort and joy.
Thank you Len as always for this inspiring post.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9WtuuoaBgQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVyyHrMHIHE&feature=related
beautiful
Gee Len,
I hope you don’t mind if I say a few words about the timing of the “Moment of Silence” earlier this morning. I’d posted these thoughts on a notice here at PlanetWaves of the observation led by the President and his wife and attended by the employees at the White House, but it was pulled for some reason and I now think it won’t be coming back.
The chart for 11 AM at D.C. was remarkable in that the Moon was at 0 Aries 18 just above the cusp of the 1st house at 4 Aries. This 0 Aries + (1 Aries) has the Sabian Symbol discussed in articles here often of a woman having just just risen from the sea.
Another aspect which you discuss in your article is the conjunction of Mercury to the Galactic Core. As you explain so beautifully, he also is sextile Neptune and Chiron, in an easily accepted blend of energies. I would also add my thoughts to those of Martha’s of the square aspect from Mercury/GC to Uranus and Jupiter in Pisces, at least in this chart for the “Moment of Silence” which was in honor of those lost or wounded in Tucson.
The Mercury/GC conjunction was in the 9th house and I thought of it as a broad call to the people who live in the USA (bearing in mind this chart was relevant to this country). In squaring Jupiter and Uranus in the 12th house, which the Moon had just passed over and was still conjunct this would include those who are dis-enfranchised emotionally or physically, or are living abroad and who feel alienated from their homeland and family. It seemed to be a call for unity in feeling and thought over this country’s wounding within the sign of we-are-all-one Pisces.
Another phenomonen in this chart is the conjunction of the North Node to the Capricorn midheaven, an opportunity to connect the government and people in a collective experience, as the South Node at the Cancer nadir released the divides no longer needed for the American families united in grief. Would that it could be a permanent thing.
be
Len:
These days, weeks and this year, this phrase bears repeating –
Len – this is beautiful, thank you. How would you rate the simultaneous square to the Mercury/GC conjunction of Uranus/Jupiter? Seems to be further supporting taking our thinking mind beyond our current ability to think through the tension imposed by uncertainty and faith joining in the mutable water sign of pisces to dissolve boundaries, perhaps necessary to allow us to take advantage of the Mercury/GC conjunction?
Well, Len, being uncomfortably present to thoughts and actual experiences that I cannot resolve is actually what is keeping me up late this Sunday night….. and interestingly enough I can track today’s events back as a resonance of a conflict that had some major energy on July 18 or thereabouts last summer (the Eris thing…..) I rarely twingle to such details but this one sure sang out to me, so thank you for that and also for the as always coherent crystallization of the essential energies.
Off I go now to invite a different way of thinking about my story here….. 🙂