By Len Wallick
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The astrological events of this week are too big for one daily blog. Yet they also constitute a continuum. Today, your itinerant reporter will strive to make a beginning of it with a summary of the up to now combined with a metaphor to carry us forward. Hopefully it will serve to make more sense of things rather than less.
Today is the Cancer Solstice. In 240 BCE a Greek astronomer named Eratosthenes used the occasion of this annual event to estimate the size of the Earth. In doing so he proved for the first time that the Earth is a finite sphere. The playing field upon which all human life takes place was shown to have boundaries and limits. Thus it is clear that we are all in this together. All of us. No exceptions.
This week’s astrology reinforces that message as do recent events in the world and in our personal lives. Like all great truths, it is easy to say, but difficult to make it a permanent part of what we walk around with inside ourselves. Hardest of all is to practice it on the outside where we come into contact with each other. Be that as it may, it seems the time has come to do just that.
The message is expressed today with the Cancer Solstice. It continues through to this coming Saturday with the Full Moon, which is also a partial lunar eclipse, and completes a grand cross in the first degrees of the four cardinal signs. This is as powerful a combination of transits and aspects as any one of us is likely to see in our lifetimes.
Let’s start with today. Astrologically, according to the excellent resources of serennu.com, the Sun reaches zero degrees, zero arc minutes, zero arc seconds of the sign Cancer shortly after 11:28 UTC (7:28 AM on the east coast of the United States). Astronomically, the excellent resources of the United States Naval Observatory agree with the time and inform us that it corresponds with the center of the Sun’s disc being directly overhead “at a point on the Tropic of Cancer in the southeastern corner of Algeria”.
That’s as far north as the Sun goes. Thus we experience a turning point commonly known as a change of seasons. As has been expressed many times on Planet Waves (and elsewhere), any event involving the first degree of a cardinal sign tends to correspond to the personal becoming political and vice versa. That synchronicity, demonstrated in experience time and time again, originates with the fact a change of seasons is something we experience personally and collectively at the same time.
Admittedly the details are not the same everywhere. In the northern hemisphere, the change of season is to summer and a warmer time of year. For our brothers and sisters south of the equator, it is the winter solstice and a time of cold. The differences, however, pale in comparison to the singular similarity. For all of us, no matter where we are, the change takes place at the same time on the same day on the same finite sphere of a planet. For a short period of time our personal experience, no matter how it may manifest itself is also a common (or political) phenomena.
But this is not your ordinary Cancer solstice. In the years and months leading up to today the first degrees of the other three cardinal signs have become occupied in a manner analogous to the bases being loaded in the American sport of baseball.
First up was Pluto. Setting a trend that other planets would follow, it moved into Capricorn twice. It made its first ingress on January 25, 2008, then in June of that year it retrograded briefly back to Sagittarius where it had spent well over a decade. On November 26, 2008 it moved into Capricorn to stay until the year 2024. Today finds it in the fifth degree, in retrograde, heading back to the first degrees as if to tag up. One on, and one out.
Next was Saturn. Following the pattern set by Pluto, two occasions of ingress. The first time into Libra was October 29, 2009 followed shortly thereafter by exacting its first square (90 degrees of separation) to Pluto. On April 7th of this year it retrograded back to Virgo, where it had spent over two years. It is currently direct again in the 29th degree of Virgo. On July 21st it will enter Libra again to stay until October of 2012. Two on, two out.
Finally Uranus and Jupiter. Uranus moved into Aries on May 27th of this year after about seven years in Pisces. It is still in the first degree of Aries. Jupiter followed on June 6th, just over two weeks ago (how long it seems!) after less than six months in Pisces. Two days later it exacted a conjunction with Uranus. The first such conjunction in Aries since July 15, 1927 and the last of this millennium. Although both planets will follow the pattern of Pluto and Saturn and retrograde back across the Aries point, that will not happen until late summer. Three on two out. Bases loaded, full count, everything on the line. Up to the plate steps the Sun. Having crossed the Cancer Solstice point, it resonates with what we all have in common.
Now, at this point, many of you are probably wondering about what seems to be a digression into the baseball metaphor. After all, not all of us are familiar with it, it is not an interest we all have in common. Please indulge however, for this particular pastime has some unique attributes which bear directly upon the astrological synchronicity. The first is the fact that there is no game clock in baseball. The length of the game and when it ends are relative to the events that take place in the course of the game. These events in turn are determined by the actions of the participants.
The second distinguishing characteristic is the fact that there are no pre-determined territories to attack or defend. Finally the role of each player changes constantly. Like the time factor, the definition of the space in which the game is played and means by which a participant is identified is relative to the perceptions and responses of of each participant, separately and in sum.
For all of us, the field of play is our planet. It has boundaries and limits. It has cycles and seasons. It is what we have in common. Within those boundaries, limits, cycles and seasons we act according to our perceptions. Those actions, individually and in sum, have consequences. Those consequences determine the course of events in our individual lives. They also determine the collective outcome in the biggest game of all, the only one that really counts, our lives on planet Earth. To be continued.
Offered In Service
Thank you, Len! This reminds me of George Carlin’s classic “Baseball”. Let’s all be safe at home!
Baseball is different from any other sport, very different. For instance, in most sports you score points or goals; in baseball you score runs. In most sports the ball, or object, is put in play by the offensive team; in baseball the defensive team puts the ball in play, and only the defense is allowed to touch the ball. In fact, in baseball if an offensive player touches the ball intentionally, he’s out; sometimes unintentionally, he’s out.
Also: in football,basketball, soccer, volleyball, and all sports played with a ball, you score with the ball and in baseball the ball prevents you from scoring.
In most sports the team is run by a coach; in baseball the team is run by a manager. And only in baseball does the manager or coach wear the same clothing the players do. If you’d ever seen John Madden in his Oakland Raiders uniform,you’d know the reason for this custom.
Now, I’ve mentioned football. Baseball & football are the two most popular spectator sports in this country. And as such, it seems they ought to be able to tell us something about ourselves and our values.
I enjoy comparing baseball and football:
Baseball is a nineteenth-century pastoral game.
Football is a twentieth-century technological struggle.
Baseball is played on a diamond, in a park.The baseball park!
Football is played on a gridiron, in a stadium, sometimes called Soldier Field or War Memorial Stadium.
Baseball begins in the spring, the season of new life.
Football begins in the fall, when everything’s dying.
In football you wear a helmet.
In baseball you wear a cap.
Football is concerned with downs – what down is it?
Baseball is concerned with ups – who’s up?
In football you receive a penalty.
In baseball you make an error.
In football the specialist comes in to kick.
In baseball the specialist comes in to relieve somebody.
Football has hitting, clipping, spearing, piling on, personal fouls, late hitting and unnecessary roughness.
Baseball has the sacrifice.
Football is played in any kind of weather: rain, snow, sleet, hail, fog…
In baseball, if it rains, we don’t go out to play.
Baseball has the seventh inning stretch.
Football has the two minute warning.
Baseball has no time limit: we don’t know when it’s gonna end – might have extra innings.
Football is rigidly timed, and it will end even if we’ve got to go to sudden death.
In baseball, during the game, in the stands, there’s kind of a picnic feeling; emotions may run high or low, but there’s not too much unpleasantness.
In football, during the game in the stands, you can be sure that at least twenty-seven times you’re capable of taking the life of a fellow human being.
And finally, the objectives of the two games are completely different:
In football the object is for the quarterback, also known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his receivers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy’s defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! – I hope I’ll be safe at home!
George Carlin
Hi, Len, Happy Solstice and thank you; what a beautiful, apt analogy for a timeless summer evening! The thought of all those planets lining up and swinging away – where’s the Galactic Center in all this, BTW? And the Great Attractor? How appropriate that baseball is the eternal wheel –
I also did my homework (ever the good do-bee) this weekend and just enjoyed being, and noticing. Found a book for you that I suspect you already have: “Be Here Now” by Richard Alpert with an intro by Baba Ram Dass. Totally magical. If you don’t have it I’ll send it on, you can send it back when you’re done. Quote from p. 108: “You’re standing on a bridge watching yourself go by.” That about sums up my solstice experience.
Many blessing to you, Len, and to the entire PW community –
I had to dig back to my softball days!
Yeah, softball/baseball definitely has a sense of timelessness, unlike basketball for instance that has the big time keeping noisy buzzing clock to remind you when it’s time to full court press (when you’re behind) or pass the ball around a lot (when you’re ahead). Baseball is what it is, three up and three down for 7 or 7+ innings. It can’t be rushed and it always comes to a conclusion.
I don’t remember it mentioned the difference between being in the game or being in the stands. An active participant or an active observer. I guess in the game of life here on planet earth we should be both? Especially when the latest science has suggested that actively observing affects what is observed.
As for Friday’s homework, I did dream quite a bit this weekend and noticed that most dreams were relevant to current events. There was little dream quality about them, in the sense that they were lifelike: life was happening while I dreamt about what was happening while I was awake. Other than that, I was experiencing a lot of tension but that was hormone-related or a combination.
Looking forward to tomorrow’s followup!
MoonRose
PS. Be, damn you’re good. And if you’re interested in adopting two cats I have just the ones! I’ve been fostering them and they’re ready for you. :0)
be – Thank you! Your summary and analysis are absolutely brilliant. You capture most of the major players. You link past and future Full Moon events in a meaningful way. You correspond these events to a famous natal / hoary chart. The complete package. You are a generous and insightful teacher. Your contributions to Planet Waves blog comments leave me humbled. As to your questions, please see tomorrow’s blog.
beautiful !
…looking forward to the 7th inning stretch…
Len,
I really, really like your baseball analogy and wondered if eclipses could be compared to the World Series in that the outcome of the 1st game determines the strategy of the 2nd game and so on. I ask because of an observation I made earlier today.
From Feb 28 to March 21 . . 22 days, Mars sat on 0 Leo.
The observation I became aware of, only today, was that the Sun squared this degree at the time of the BP explosion, April 20.
Back at the time of the eclipse of the Sun in Capricorn, Jan 15, it (Sun/Moon) was conjunct the U.S. (Sibly) Pluto (and opposing the U.S. Mercury and trine the U.S. Neptune) and transiting Mercury was conjunct transiting Pluto . . getting ready to station. Saturn had turned retrograde less than 2 days before that solar eclipse in Cap and Mercury stationed direct less than 10 hours after it. Both these planets were intense because of their stations, and their square to each other. Saturn at 4+ Libra, Mercury 5+ Cap and conj Pluto. Saturn would again square Pluto on Jan 31.
So to summarize, 1st the eclipse conjunct U.S. Pluto in Jan, followed by the transiting Saturn square transiting Pluto, then the 22 day intense Mars at 0 Leo in March, followed by the explosion, with Sun at 0 Taurus in April. As solar eclipse effects last months if not years, this one still had lots of steam left.
It is reasonable to assume then, that the Jan eclipse set up the U.S. Pluto (while opposing U.S. Mercury, trining U.S. Neptune) adding to the obscurity. With Mars at 0 Leo hammering away for 22 days, the vision of a drill hammering the earth’s crust is not hard to summon up. Along comes Chiron to 0 Pisces and quincunxes that pulverized 0 Leo degree and BOOM, explosion in the Gulf on April 20.
So now to the next eclipse and players have switched positions. The lunar eclipse in Capricorn this coming Saturday has the Moon instead of Mercury conjunct Pluto and Mercury is conjunct the Sun this time not the Moon, and they are conjunt the U.S. Venus/Jupiter. (Pallas and Chiron are in right & left field) Is this a good strategy? The stakes are higher now and the power players are more spread out. Any thoughts?
be
Brilliant analogy! And now the incredible anticipation….. Home run? (elation, excitement) Strike out? (devastation, disappointment, so close yet failed) A walk? (prolonged tension and waiting). It’s amazing to be so aware as this unfolds, thank you for your insightful perspective!
And p.s. My California vacation this week includes a professional baseball game Saturday afternoon, I’ll be watching the play’s with a view of us, our world, and the universe in my mind 🙂
I love it! But it makes me wonder what that thing is out in left field.