By Len Wallick
At the earliest ending of winter,
In March, a scrawny cry from outside
Seemed like a sound in his mind.
— Wallace Stevens
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Welcome to Monday. Welcome also to a special day, a unique week. The weekend just past saw a lot of astrological action: the last quarter of Moon’s current cycle as it nearly crossed the length of Sagittarius, conjoining the Great Attractor and the Galactic Center.
Venus is moving into Aries, forming a fire sign trine (120 degree angle between the planets) with still-retrograde Mars on the edge in Leo. Mercury conjoined Jupiter in the full house of Pisces. The Sun passing the halfway point of its journey in Pisces. Quite the few days. All three of the fire signs lit up while the vast deep currents of the final sign of the zodiac flowed through the days and nights.
It was not a sound in your mind but it was part of your consciousness and the awareness you were able to bring is part of the thing itself. Today’s aspects would best be taken with the continued certainty that what is going on within is one with the without. Integration is the task. Mediation is the method. Thus we gradually prepare as the outer planets move to herald the dawn of a new season and a new era. Luna shows us how an ending can serve to prepare us for the beginning that Venus leads us towards.
Venus in Aries is a stranger in a strange land — potential with problematic baggage. Being in a sign opposite of one that it rules, it can be said to be in detriment. Your correspondent prefers the word exile. The narcissistic self-involvement that’s part of the Venus package would seem to be emphasized in the first fire sign. Generous compassion part would seem to be taking a back seat, in truth it is a learning goal of Venus in this sign. In context, this would well serve leading the Pisces pack into spring. After all, pioneers blaze trails. Today’s opposition with Saturn in Libra however, says: not so fast. Let us integrate the perception of limits and temper recklessness. Let beginnings be mediated by humility so endings will not be characterized by exhaustion. Let us awaken to the fire gradually so that the idea can be discerned from the thing itself.
As if to take that theme even deeper, before the Moon leaves Sagittarius this morning it joins in with a lot of action in the 27th and 28th degree of various signs. Uranus in Pisces trine [centaur planet] Chariklo in Scorpio. Centaur Elatus in Leo trine the conjunction of Ceres and the Galactic Center in Sagittarius. The air conjunction of Chiron and Neptune is modulating the fire and the water, with the Moon making the Sagittarius conjunction a threesome. Where to begin?
Perhaps with the two centaur-class planets. Chiron and Chariklo have been in a functional square (90 degree angle) for nearly a year and will continue to do so for nearly another two. This period of time includes among many other things, the dance of recurring quadrature (90-degree base) aspects between Saturn, Pluto and Uranus leading up to their cardinal T-square, joined by Jupiter later this year. If synchronicity and minor planet wisdom prevails, this prolonged aspect may well hold a clue on how to negotiate the events of our time.
In Greco-Roman mythology Chiron and Chariklo were betrothed. Unlike may other marriages of their epoch, they eschewed the drama in favor of devotion. If gossip tabloids had existed in the golden age, they would not have made much copy from these two. The test of their relationship came after Chiron suffered his legendary injury. In his time of need Chariklo did not abandon him, though his physical condition could not possibly improve. By holding true to her devotion in the face of hopelessness, she healed Chiron’s psychic pain of childhood abandonment and made it possible for him to let go of immortality, leaving his pain-wracked body behind.
The enduring square aspect between between these two celestial centaurs underscores and echoes the relationship between the mythological pair. Taking place between Scorpio and Aquarius, the positive attributes of being fixed are brought out. Enduring through injury and hardship, devotion for its own sake, without the promise of resolution. At the same time the promises of a square are on display. Chiron’s wound required him to face a lot of things internally. Fear, pain, humiliation, frustration, grieving and sheer loss among them. Given a space where he could feel safe and loved however, allowed him to navigate and mediate within to see his way clear to release his burden and be free. Turns out the wound inflicted by that poisoned arrow was just a symbol of his thing, not the thing itself.
Just as mediation is found in square, so it can be found in trine and conjunction. Thus does the proud self-expression of Elatus find humility without disgrace when in flow with powerful faith in returning abundance that is Ceres on the Galactic Center. Hence does Chariklo surprise herself finding energy from Uranus to awaken her depth. Finally Chiron finds himself assuaged by the soothing succor of Neptune as he sorts through his options on his way to clarity.
So, as rich aspects and shifts of the weekend can be discerned as not being what they seemed at first but rather what they are, so can the integrating mix of our morning Moon be integrated into what has been brought forward. The emerging new will be mediated by the retreating old. As the Moon moves into Capricorn where it will square Saturn and conjoin Pluto, may we be informed of a new and more solid perspective. It is through exchange that we enrich one another. It is through integrity that we support each other. It is through mediation that we appreciate each other. It is in being one with the thing that we find the thing itself.
Offered In Service
Len,
“In his time of need Chariklo did not abandon him, though his physical condition could not possibly improve. By holding true to her devotion in the face of hopelessness, she healed Chiron’s psychic pain of childhood abandonment and made it possible for him to let go of immortality, leaving his pain-wracked body behind…….”
firstly, where can I find more centaur lore? Secondly, talk about “whoa”
I was just lamenting recently to someone about the helpless feeling of watching someone you love suffering with debilitating physical pain…and of course, I couldn’t sleep again…and here’s this gem to remind me of a role I am empowered to choose…thank you – thank you – thank you
truly, I feel less helpless right now-than I did ten minutes before now…and that tiny liberation in consciousness means everything
blessings and sincerely,
sophie
Don – thank you for your feedback. Will personally work to learn more about and be more sensitive to the Southern Hemisphere perspective.
Thanks heaps Len for your great work, as I am a late starter and very little time to respond, am gaining heaps from those who respond to you, all are very gifted with experence and ability to respond with clarity all that life throws at them.
In regards to your coment on mindstrument with Wallace Stevens !!! great but so often I have found that many fall into some sort of false awareness of where they are, I have responded many times and had shock apologetic replys, Downunder here in Australia we are the other half known as the southern hemisphere and we have had our summer and are heading into the dead of winter, Priya Kale has now responded with times for our easten seaboard which is great and those who live more west have brains and can work there times out with very simple calculations ,Eric has refused to give times for Australia due to wide time zones this I feel is very disappointing and he needs to more aware of the feelings and needs of the other half.
Don Downunder.
When my husband lost seven jobs in four years, I reminded him that the blows to his sense of self worth should not be used to define who he is. I comforted him and we kept the family together through times when many families would have fallen apart. Thanks Len for sharing the Chiron-Chariklo information; that was beautiful.
I have venus and mars in Aries. Always thought it gave me the mental stamina to endure whatever. The chariclos/chiron story matches my life completely, as it is right now. My husband has been disabled since 1994 and I have not been with a man since then. I wanted to, but it never worked out – for all my yearnings and carryings on. Now Uranus is smack dab on my sun. My chariclos is at 22 Sag. He is sag. What a small world and life keeps changing, though the center of my existence (hearth and home) stays the same and never changes.
Thank you Len. You do nice work.
RE: “Venus in Aries is a stranger in a strange land — potential with problematic baggage. Being in a sign opposite of one that it rules, it can be said to be in detriment. Your correspondent prefers the word exile. The narcissistic self-involvement that’s part of the Venus package would seem to be emphasized in the first fire sign. Generous compassion part would seem to be taking a back seat, in truth it is a learning goal of Venus in this sign. In context, this would well serve leading the Pisces pack into spring. After all, pioneers blaze trails.”
Thanks Len for adding the part about Pioneers blazing trails….as a female with Venus in Aries, conjunct Eris, in the last degrees of the 12th/nearly conjunct my ascendant, I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been warned about this aspect and gotten a lot of “sympathy” for it’s placement….Strangely, I’m standing on the precipice of blazing a new trail for myself (but one that has been the culmination of many years of internal struggle and resistance to claim my Feminine Creative Fire). My Art is exploding and I am truly on FIRE.
Pow! Thanks for giving me this extra boost of confidence today!
“Let us integrage the perception of limits and temper recklessness.” I love this line Len. Where I used to find Saturn annoying if not down-right mean, I now turn to him for wisdom when lost in chaos. Even if, or maybe especially if his presence is felt only for one day!
I was also touched by your grasp of the relationship between Chiron and Chariklo as this is not common knowledge (and I emphasize “common”) in centaur lore. It makes me happy that Chiron had such a devoted and loving mate, especially at the end of his life.
Very nicely done Len, thank you again.
be
cmassy – thank you. i’m a solar Aquarius (2/5) as well. The key here is discernment. If the cause be worthy, a fixed sign can hang in there like a terrier. The trick is to know when we are just plain being stubborn and avoid that tendency. Best wishes.
“In his time of need Chariklo did not abandon him, though his physical condition could not possibly improve. By holding true to her devotion in the face of hopelessness, she healed Chiron’s psychic pain of childhood abandonment and made it possible for him to let go of immortality, leaving his pain-wracked body behind…….”
“The enduring square aspect between between these two celestial centaurs underscores and echoes the relationship between the mythological pair. Taking place between Scorpio and Aquarius, the positive attributes of being fixed are brought out. Enduring through injury and hardship, devotion for its own sake, without the promise of resolution.”
As an Aquarian (1/26) whose been life has been TOTALLY upended since 2006, these words resonate with me powerfully. Thanks for that; I’ll keep this in mind.
Pam – thank you for the compliment and the hyperlink.
Mysti – It truly rewarding to know this resonated with you. Thank you.
Len, you can never go wrong tuning up your mindstrument with Wallace Stevens. And so the article flows…
Thanks for Venus in Aries heads-up (started my day cheerfully arguing with the g/f and the heartson – yipes). And I know you’ve said it before, but I’m finally grokking the Ceres/Galactic Core placement.
Makes sense: A few weeks ago I started qualifying my reality as a Tantrika by saying that my daughter –on her deathbed– taught me to enter and hold a state formally called “Meaning Clear Light.” That (along with my birthdate) is my ‘lineage,’ so to speak. (This kind of crap is important to those who can’t self-initiate, and so I have rotten meat in the house for my vulpine guests.)
What else would Ceres be doing on the GC but tripping the Dark Fantastic? She’s living on the tip of my tongue.
M
Very beautiful. Thank you Len.
And http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8537992.stm
JuanaL – You are very kind and generous in your assessment, thank you.
Musicman – Thank you for your kind complement. Thank you for the music. i used to have a hat like Mr. Gordon’s.
Chrysanne – It give me joy to please you.
Stormilarue – Thank you for the heads up.
Eric – thank you for editing the bumpkin astrologer to make him look better.
Mr. Wallace Stevens – wherever you are, thank you for one of the greatest poems of all time.
Len, Your description of what is happening and how it feels is so spot on, but what I really appreciate, what is so beautiful, is the way you convey a usefulness and a healing developing, rather than just talking about how rough it is. It is astrology at its best.
it’s also International Womyn’s day…
A very beautiful and moving post to start the week with
thanks so much
chrysanne
“Just as mediation is found in square, so it can be found in trine and conjunction. Thus does the proud self-expression of Elatus find humility without disgrace when in flow with the powerful faith in returning abundance that is Ceres on the Galactic Center. Hence does Chariklo surprise herself finding energy from Uranus to awaken her depth. Finally does Chiron find himself assuaged by the soothing succor of Neptune as he sorts through his options on his way to clarity.”
Charlie Parker wrote “Scrapple for the Apple” about all of his contemporaries hustling to get to New York!
If only he’d played at the Galactic Centre with Elatus and Ceres!!
Len…..this article swings like Fuck…it really does!!
Here is Dexter Gordon’s version…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8Q2_vESwlA
PH