Winter Solstice - Dec 21st at 17.47 UT/GMT

Mars turns retrograde for Winter Solstice

On December 20^th Mars turns retrograde until 10^th January 2010. Just when we thought we could finally steam ahead with our plans, we may experience hesitation, delay and obstruction. It is important not to feel frustrated by this, nor to simply carry on regardless – the frustrations and delays are there to ensure that we act from our innermost heart and not from our ego. It is time to take stock and wait for the moment of Right Action to occur naturally and spontaneously, which it will when the time is right. Retrograde Mars is “priming” us to act with clarity and pure intent, when the Chiron - Neptune conjunction on 16^th February accelerates us all towards the Big Shift in 2012.

Winter Solstice - Click on image to Enlarge

At Winter Solstice, the Sun is poised between Venus (in Sagittarius) and Pluto (in Capricorn). The choice is clear – to allow renewal and rebirth to emerge from the depths of your heart, and move into a place of empowerment; or deny that, and life will continue to challenge you at every turn.

With Mercury conjunct the Moon’s North Node, this is the time to make a conscious choice to do what is right at the deepest level of our being, rather than to continue doing what merely keeps us in our comfort zones. Retrograde Mars in Leo, at the apex of a “Striving Figure” is telling us that we really do need to let go of our ego-based wishes and intentions if we want to receive the new Vision for our lives that Jupiter is offering, as it completes its third and final conjunction this year with Chiron and Neptune.

That individual Vision needs to be based on what is true in our innermost hearts, and freed from our past self-delusions and inhibiting fear-based limitations or boundaries. Uranus can help us to break free of those fears and outmoded beliefs about who we are, whilst Mercury conjunct the Moon’s North Node has the potential to make us consciously aware of what we need to do next in order to put us on track with our true spiritual path…all of this is possible if we can let go of Mars thinking that we know best: the old joke that “if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans” has never been more true than it will be this Winter Solstice!

Mars is opposing the Jupiter/Chiron/Neptune conjunction, which means that the only way we can truly see what lies ahead for us, is to let go and allow Chiron’s deep healing potential to bring to the surface all of those unresolved patterns from the past which we are still holding on to at a deep unconscious level.

These patterns may go back throughout our entire lives. As Jupiter brings them to light, it is important not to become caught in them, or to believe that they are to do with anything current in our lives; current events or relationships may be triggering the feelings that are brought up, but their roots lie way back in our past.

If Jupiter is not approached in a conscious manner, then it is prone to exaggeration and blowing things out of all proportion; combine that with the tendency of Neptune to plunge us into illusion and self-deception, and it will be very difficult to see things clearly. This is the true value of the retrograde Mars – it is teaching us not to just react, but to think and reflect about what is going on internally before we take any rash action. This may be difficult at times, because the feelings that are brought up will most likely be very immature and child-like; however, we have the insight of Uranus in Pisces and the pragmatic thinking of Mercury in Capricorn to help us in this, and enable us to perceive what is really going on.

Once we have seen the roots of the patterns that are being brought up, then all we have to do is to acknowledge and release the feelings; not to pick them over and analyse them, or think that we need to spend the next three years in therapy, but simply to acknowledge, release and forgive – as soon as we can truly feel that impulse of forgiveness for self and others, then the healing energy of Chiron will engage, and Neptune can release and dissolve what has been holding us in thrall for many years, and enable us to see more clearly the Path that lies ahead of us.

Have a Deep, Still and Blissful Solstice, and a Joyful rebirth!

October - December Update ~ Are You a Mystic or a Striver?

The Mystic Rectangle

A rare “Mystic Rectangle” pattern occurs from 30^th September to 15^th October. Saturn will be in opposition with Uranus and Juno: During the two weeks the pattern lasts, Pallas Athene, Mercury and Venus move sequentially into conjunction with Saturn. On the other axis of the rectangle, Mars will be in opposition to the Moon’s North Node.

The Mystic Rectangle ~ Click on Image to Enlarge

The Mystic Rectangle’s purpose is to confront our inner conflicts (the oppositions), and to find our still Centre, which is the only place from where these conflicts may be resolved. When this deep centering occurs, huge resources of energy become available, but as long as we resist the challenges in the oppositions, then we are likely to feel tired, drained and confused. So, what are these challenges?

Retrograde Uranus and Juno are conjunct in Pisces, challenging us to let go of everything in our lives that does not express Right Relationship – this is particularly true of our long-held emotional belief-systems and values. At a deeper level (and Pisces is very deep), it would be true to say that they are actually challenging us to let go of all the patterns that we are holding onto from the past 2,000 years of the Age of Pisces, that do not express Right Relationship with ourselves and others! Put simply - it’s time to let go of any attitudes that do not enable us to express Compassion and Unconditional Love for ourselves and all of our fellow-beings on this planet…which is basically and simply what the Piscean Age’s Spiritual Teaching was all about. We have 3 more years (until 2012) until Time’s Up completely on the Age of Pisces – so, it’s time to review how we have each fared with that old “Love your Neighbour As Yourself” thing over the last 2,000 years or so. It sounds quite a simple task to accomplish, when viewed in the larger perspective, doesn’t it?

Saturn’s opposition with Uranus and Juno brings into sharp focus exactly how and where we are still attached to those old patterns of fear and denial of our spiritual heart. Saturn in Virgo shows us the intricate tapestry of attachments that we have woven into our lives over many lifetimes, but which are now limiting us, and preventing us from allowing ourselves to move forwards. Uranus/Saturn oppositions always challenge us to wake up and withdraw the projection of our inner Shadow onto others - it is time to take full responsibility for our lives, and not to blame others for whatever it is that we fear the most.

First Pallas brings the urge to break free; then Mercury starts to bring the know-how for doing this; then Venus brings the motivation, at the emotional level, to move more towards Right Relationship; the next day, Venus moves into Libra, which is the sign of relationship – there is such elegance in the Cosmos!

Meanwhile, Mars conjuncts the Moon’s South Node in Cancer, challenging us to finally have the courage to release our attachments to emotional “comfort zones”, and embrace new challenges and opportunities, that are afforded by the North Node in Capricorn…if we can let go of the past. If we fearfully, or stubbornly hold on, then we simply won’t have the clarity of vision to recognise these new opportunities. The day after the pattern completes, Mars moves into Leo, bringing a new lease of energy, vitality and creativity.

Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune turn Direct

Meanwhile, during October Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune start to appear moving direct (forwards) again, after a prolonged retrograde period (appearing to move backwards from Earth’s perspective). We are emerging from a time when their focus was internalised, enabling us to finally release those old belief patterns, before our new Vision can emerge. Jupiter moves direct first on 13^th October, in opposition to asteroid Vesta; next is Chiron on 31st October, also in opposition to Vesta and then Neptune on 4^th November (just in time for the fireworks!) and yes, you guessed it, Neptune is in opposition to Vesta!

The Striving Figure

The oppositions with Vesta form the “backbone” of a “Striving Figure”, which includes the Juno-Uranus conjunction and the Moon’s North Node.

The Striving Figure ~ Click on Image to Enlarge

This figure is concerned with aligning our emerging Vision with the deepest levels of our spiritual heart (Vesta); it is about reaching out to live our lives from the truest expression of our spiritual essence, and with the utmost integrity, honesty and compassion. From this place, we will no longer tolerate half-truths, spin and excuses from ourselves, or from those in positions of power around us. This is about saying to those who continue to act from a lack of integrity, honesty, or awareness of the good of the whole “we can see right through you, and your days are numbered”. To ram this home, Juno and Uranus make their third and final conjunction on 20^th November.

On 2^nd December, Uranus goes direct – hold on to your seats, because everything is about to change. With every planet moving direct between 5^th – 20^th December, nothing can now resist the processes of change that we ourselves have instigated. To paraphrase J.W.Goethe - Whatever it is that we have been dreaming we could do, now is the time to begin it!

The September Equinox

A powerful Autumn Equinox, on Tuesday 22^nd Sept at 22.19 BST (21.18 UT) propels us towards the final stages of 2009, as the challenges of this year begin to move towards a resolution and set the stage for the major changes in 2010, which will accelerate us towards a New Dawn, beginning in December 2012.

Chart of the September 22nd Equinox

Click on Chart to enlarge

The Sun, Mercury and Saturn are conjunct at the Equinox, bringing spirit, mind and body into alignment to meet the challenging opposition from the Juno / Uranus conjunction (both retrograde), with Pluto completing a T-square pattern:

It’s time to get your act together and let go of everything in your life that is not an expression of Right Relationship; then prepare to stand fully in your power, ready for the roller-coaster ride of global healing that will emerge after Chiron and Neptune align in February 2010. Take a deep breath and remember to keep breathing and centered, however that works for you – meditation, yoga, walks in the woods, gardening, sitting with friends, or just sitting…

Two inter-laced “Learning Triangles” are created by Ceres, Mars and Jupiter, and by Moon, Jupiter and Mars:

Ceres in Libra is calling us to find a place of balance in the ways that we think about our relationship with the planet, and what we each now need for our personal and spiritual nourishment; whilst the square (90°) aspect from Ceres to Mars in Cancer, is causing us to act in order to change the status quo of our old emotional patterns, comfort zones and attachments, especially when we know that they are not giving us what we truly need, and are having detrimental effects on the planet as a whole. The quincunx (150°) aspect from Mars to Jupiter in Aquarius is challenging us to consciously create a new belief-system and value system that can enable us to get our own needs met, and take care of others and the planet…but we probably can’t see that clearly yet, as Jupiter remains retrograde until October 13^th - then we can really get things moving.

The Moon in Scorpio is causing us to dig deep and to look at (and question) our emotional values, patterns and attachments – Scorpio is a “Fixed” sign, which means that our attachments can be very deeply rooted in old emotional patterns that cause us to fear change – especially when that change may take us into unfamiliar emotional territory, or trigger early memories of loss, abandonment, or any level of abuse of our feelings. However, the square (90°) aspect from the Moon to retrograde Jupiter means that whilst we cling to those old attachments, for whatever reason, we will not see clearly where we need to be heading next. The quincunx (150°) aspect from Jupiter back to Mars in Cancer means that we simply have to muster our emotional courage and take the risks that are necessary to confront old, stuck emotional patterns, and start to move forward into the unknown…or we can simply retreat into our shell, feel even more frustrated and powerless about the things that are not right in our lives, and blame others because they are not right. However, the effect of the two Learning Triangles working together means that it will become very uncomfortable for us if we do not make the changes that we know we need to make – in the words, attributed to Goethe “"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."

For the moment, Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune remain together and retrograde, helping us to release the cords of our attachments to outmoded ways of thinking, being and believing. We are being called to let go of cherished beliefs that may have served us well in life, thus far. Now is the time to acknowledge and give thanks for those beliefs, and be open to receive whatever comes next. What does come next needs to be an expression of the true beliefs and values that spring spontaneously from our individual Spirit. The beliefs of others, no matter how wise or enlightened they may appear to be, are not necessarily what is true for the unique individuality of our spiritual soul. Only by becoming empty in this way can the inspiration of the New flow in unimpeded. If our mind or heart is cluttered with past beliefs, hopes and unfulfilled dreams, then there can be no room for the New to take root. When we become truly empty, then all things become possible.

The next Full Astrology Update, running from the Equinox to the end of the year is currently being prepared - you will receive an email, letting you know when it is posted on the Blog.

If you have not already signed up for this, email astrology@heavenandearth.org.uk and ask to be added to the mailing list - you will only be sent Heaven and Earth Updates and Newsletters, and your address will not be revealed or forwarded to anyone else.

A Journey of a Thousand Miles

We are emerging from the most rare of astrological alignments, which occurred on August 26th. Four major astrological patterns occurred simultaneously: a Grand Cross, a Mystic Rectangle and two Kites; accompanying these were two slightly lesser, but equally intense patterns: a Striving Figure and a Sensitivity Rectangle. This was a bit like getting to eat all of your most all-time favourite chocolates in one go - so you may be feeling a bit off-colour, queasy, or disoriented as you are trying to digest all of this.
According to Aluna Joy Yax'kin, in her latest Center of the Sun Newsletter (http://www.kachina.net/~alunajoy/news08-09-2.html), this is the Turning Point of No Return as we approach the planetary shift in 2012.
So what exactly has been going on:Below, you will find the chart for 21.00 UT (GMT) on 26th August 2009, followed by an explanation of these amazing patterns.

The Grand Cross:

This is the big red square pattern, involving Mars in the first degree of Cancer, Mercury in the first degree of Libra, Pluto in the first degree of Capricorn and asteroid Juno in the third degree of Aries. With these planets all right at the beginning of the Cardinal signs, it is like a very high-powered, highly tuned engine revving up and giving us the energy for what comes next. Mars is challenging us to move out of our old emotional patterns; Mercury is challenging us to change the thinking patterns that have supported those old feelings; Pluto is challenging us to transform how we act in the world, and Juno is challenging us to remain in Right Relationship with ourselves and others, whilst we do all this. That in itself would be quite demanding and exhausting, but that's just the start! The Grand Cross will remain until September 2nd.

The Mercury Kite:

This Kite pattern is pointing towards Mercury, with Juno and Uranus at the tail, and the Moon and Vesta/South Node/Venus as the "wings" of the kite. Here is the challenge to change our thinking (Mercury) to align with our spiritual knowing (Uranus) of what Right Relationship is (Juno). In order to do this we need to be deeply in touch with, and listening to our feelings (Moon in Scorpio), and aware of all of the old emotional patterns (Venus in Leo) and even deeply heart-felt beliefs (Vesta in Cancer) and attachments, which may be holding us back from now following our true spiritual path (South Node in Cancer). It is truly time to think new thoughts, and to manifest what we know to be true from the innermost depths of our being.

The North Node Kite:

This Kite pattern is pointing towards the Moon's North Node in the final degree of Capricorn; the tail of the Kite is the Vesta/South Node/Venus conjunction in Cancer/Leo and the wings of the Kite are the Moon in Scorpio and the Juno/Uranus conjunction in Pisces/Aries: The North Node shows the direction in which we now need to travel in order to fulfill our spiritual destiny. The Nodes travel backwards around the zodiac signs, so the North Node has just come out of Aquarius and moved into Capricorn. This means that it is time to truly begin to manifest our spiritual ideals in the "reality" of the world that we find "out there". It is time to fully "walk our talk", and to continue to challenge all of the out-moded, out-dated, out-worn and "old-Age" paradigms and institutions that we can see are falling apart around us. The key is to focus on the positive aspects of where we are heading, not on the negative aspects of where we have been. That has passed, and we can all now see how corrupt, wrong and out of alignment it was. Now we need to move on and focus on what we can each individually create that is more in alignment with our inner spiritual knowing. The old-guard will try to keep re-establishing the old patterns, paradigms and institutions, and dressing them up in new clothes, but their days are numbered - we know it, and they know it, but they simply can't think beyond the old paradigms. It's not just a question of us all learning to "think outside the box". It's a question of truly grasping that there is no box, and in fact there never was a box, apart from the ones that we created for ourselves by our beliefs, fears and unwillingness to fully open our hearts to What Is. Therein lies the key to the Mystic Rectangle:

The Mystic Rectangle:

This is the big blue rectangle, with the red oppositions in the middle. It involves the North Node, the Uranus/Juno conjunction, the Vesta/South Node/Venus conjunction and Mercury. This is the box that we have all believed we were trapped inside, and while we continue to believe in its existence, then we will remain trapped. We will be caught in trying to maintain the status quo of the comfortable "blueness" on the outside of the box; trying to maintain our emotional security and comfort zones, trying to ignore our inner spiritual knowing of everything we see that is "wrong" in ourselves and with the world, or more correctly, all those things with which we are not yet in Right Relationship. It is really just a question of shifting our perspective, and allowing the possibility that everything can change and move more into alignment with our inner knowing. In order for this to happen, we need to not be afraid of owning, accepting and standing fully in our power, for all the world to see:

The Sensitivity Rectangle:

This is the green rectangular pattern, with the two red oppositions inside it. It involves the North Node opposing Vesta/South Node/Venus and Mars opposing Pluto. The Node opposition is what is challenging us to move forward. The Mars opposition to Pluto is saying that we can only do that, when we learn to become fully empowered from our spirit, not from our ego. This is about understanding the power of our innermost being and our ability to remain true to that, no matter what. This pattern will tend to feel uncomfortable to us, until we are able to learn how to do this. Pluto works best when we learn to become still, and allow the power of our spiritual will to well up out of the stillness, from the unconscious levels. If our Mars-ego-will is being impatient, wanting to "get things moving and make things happen", then Pluto cannot be in this way, and will instead appear to create obstacles in our path, or challenges that appear to be diverting us from our true purpose. These obstacles, or opposition to our intended purpose, are the projections of our own unconscious - it wants us to stop rushing around and move into the stillness, so we can feel the promptings of our Pluto-spiritual-will. This is particularly true of Pluto in Capricorn, so we'd better get used to dealing with it, as it will be there until January 2024!

The Striving Figure

This is the "arrowhead" shaped green figure, with the single red opposition inside it, involving the Moon's North Node, Mars, the Vesta/South Node/Venus conjunction and the Sun. One might literally view this figure as a bow and arrow: the resistance of our past emotional patterns and attachments is held in the Vesta/South Node/Venus conjunction; this is creating a tension between our Sun, which is the self that we aspire to be, and the Mars-will, which wants to act, gathering all the information that we need, so that we will know how to move forwards, when the time comes. When we have created the right balance in our being, the arrow can release spontaneously, propelling us towards the North Node and our new understanding of how to live and express our spiritual purpose in the coming years. So, this figure too is about gathering energy and information, and waiting for the moment of release, when we understand, or just get a clear glimpse of what is required of us.

August 26th was the crucial turning point in this process, when everything was now in place for us to begin to move forward, or at least to see how to do so, and make the necessary decisions for this to happen. Elements of this pattern will continue until September 6th, so we have until then to integrate these huge energies of change, and make the necessary adjustments to our internal and external structures, so that everything stands in readiness for the 22nd September Equinox, which will be the topic of the next Astrology-Blog...watch this space, and remember to keep breathing and taking one step at a time - "A journey of a thousand miles begins under one's feet" (Lao Tzu)

Jupiter, Chiron, Neptune & the Solar Eclipse

The Jupiter alignments with Chiron and Neptune

As I write this, we have just returned from a magnificent meditation inside the circle at Stonehenge last night, to celebrate the second alignment this year of Jupiter with Chiron and Neptune. With all three of these currently retrograde (appearing to move backwards from Earth's perspective) they are releasing us from our attachments to old belief systems that may have served us well in the past to bring us to this point in our understanding and spiritual evolution. However, in order to move forwards into the next phase of our development we need to embrace a new personal and planetary vision for our future. This retrograde part of the cycle is offering us all the possibility to let go, and allow our new Vision to emerge, so that we may fully embrace it when Chiron and Neptune finally conjunct over Hawaii in February 2010, offering the possibility for planetary healing on an unprecedented scale. The last time this alignment occurred was the day after the signing of the Japanese surrender in 1945. This heralded the beginning of a whole new world order, as it will next February, as we begin to truly emerge from the global process of dissolution from old paradigms based on greed and corruption, that we have all been immersed in during the last year or more.

We were blessed to be joined in our meditation at Stonehenge last night, by a true master of the didgeridoo, Sika with his partner Caitlin, from New Zealand. As he played to release the patterns of the past held in the land, to open the ways for our new Visions to emerge, it felt as though the whole planet was resonating with the energy at this sacred place. As he said afterwards, he felt as though he were playing to the whole planet, as we all felt it too, and have remained in a profoundly altered state for the whole of the next day!
For more about Caitlin and Sika, visit: www.caitlinsika.com

The next step in this process of release, will be the Total Solar Eclipse on 22nd July.

Total Solar Eclipse – 22^nd July 2009

This Eclipse begins off the west coast of India, near Surat, passes across northern India, clipping Nepal and Bangladesh, then through Bhutan, Assam and across China, passing just south of Shanghai, south of Japan, and ending about 1,000 miles east of western Samoa, in the south Pacific. Maximum Eclipse occurs at 24°16.4'N 144°00.9'E, about 725 miles north of Guam, and about 250 miles south-east of Iwo Jima (Iōtō) in the Volcano Islands, Pacific Ocean, at 02.35 UT (GMT).

You are encouraged to "tune in" to the energies of this Eclipse, wherever you are, and in whatever way you may choose, through meditation, ceremony, music, or simply being in stillness. The focus is to release past patterns and attachments, in order to create space in your being for new insights and a new Vision for your future and the planet's future to begin to manifest. The Eclipse runs from 0.55 to 4.15 Universal Time (formerly GMT), with maximum Eclipse at 02.35 UT, so you will need to adjust for the Time Zone and Daylight Saving Time (Summer Time) for wherever you are. (In Europe: 02.35 UT = 03.35 BST, 04.35 CEDT. In USA, it will be on 21st July at 22.35 EDT, 21.35 CDT, 20.35 MDT, 19.35 PDT, and so on).

Click to enlarge images

This is a South Node Eclipse, so is concerned with releasing patterns from the past. The point of Maximum Totality lies just inside the northern Pacific UVG) Energy Grid, on the other edge of which lies Hawaii, where the Chiron – Neptune conjunction of February 2010 will occur. So this Eclipse will continue the process of clearing the physical, energetic and emotional trauma within this grid region, left as a result of some of the harshest battles of WW II (Iwo Jima and Guam), so that the pure healing frequencies of the Chiron – Neptune conjunction can flow in unimpeded in February 2010. Remember that this Chiron-Neptune conjunction last occurred at the end of WW II in the Pacific, with the surrender of Japan, so this is the completion of a cycle of healing that has taken 64 years.

(We are currently setting things in motion, in order to convene a group to work with the Healing Energies of Chiron and Neptune on Maui, Hawaii, in February 2010 – email if you might be interested in joining us there).

At Maximum Eclipse, the Sun and Moon are at 29° 27’ Cancer – the Sabian symbol for this degree is “A Daughter of the American Revolution” – the interpretation of which is concerned with the process by which a Tradition that once was born of Revolution now extols law and order, and attempts to suppress any new forms of the same revolutionary spirit, which gave rise to that Tradition in the first place. In order for new life and new growth to take place, every so often we need a revolution in consciousness. That time is now.

This Eclipse is marking the final passing of the Old Paradigms from the Age of Pisces. It is releasing us from those aspects of “Tradition”, which have actually resulted in the suppression truth, love, tolerance, spontaneity, creativity and a direct connection with the Spirit.

Our old emotional “Comfort Zones”, signified by Sun and Moon in Cancer, are being challenged; the South Node in the first degree of Leo is calling us all (not just the politicians!) to let go of narrow self-interest, or feathering our own nests, if it is in any way at the expense of the Collective or Greater Whole. The North Node in the first degree of Aquarius is a challenge to truly embrace the Aquarian ideals of Brotherhood/Sisterhood and Collective Responsibility, and to turn them into a reality for everyone, not just the elite few, or those who are “in the know”, or awakening to the New Energies of “Ascension”. “Ascension” means that the whole planet is raising its frequencies to resonate with the more refined levels of Spirit. As this happens, everything which does not or cannot resonate with those frequencies, will become glaringly obvious to all around and act as a “millstone around the neck”, until it is released.

This is what is happening now on a Global scale, because it is plain for all the world to see that the Old World Order, and the institutions that sustain it are no longer working, despite the “best intentions” of even the most aware and conscious of world leaders, and largely because of the “intentions” of those world leaders who have not been not particularly aware or conscious.

The Sun and Moon are part of a “Learning Triangle” with Juno and Pluto, which suggests that this Eclipse is part of the on-going process for each of us to learn about becoming empowered from the level of the soul, and moving into Right Relationship with all that is. Pluto retrograde is about reclaiming our power from all the places, and people where we may have given it away in the past. Collectively, we are well on the way towards this, but there is still much to be learned as we have discovered in the UK with mind-boggling instances of how those “in power” have been systematically abusing their privileges for decades – hold on to your seats, I have a feeling that you ain’t seen nothin’ yet! When dinosaurs fall, they tend to create a very big bump.

Uranus is, for the moment, retrograde in the last few degrees of Pisces (26° 27’), reaping the harvest of the wisdom of the last 2000 years of the Age of Pisces. At the same time it brings the opportunity for a last letting go of all the patterns from that Age that are holding us back from our collective spiritual development and from awakening to the direct experience of the reality of Spirit.

Uranus is part of a “Sensitivity Rectangle” formed with the Jupiter, Chiron Neptune conjunction, with Ceres and with Pallas Athene. The Sensitivity rectangle always carries a message of Urgency – wake up, wake up, because if you don’t wake up, it will become really, really uncomfortable for you, and it will continue to get more and more uncomfortable until you decide to wake up…so there is only one way to deal with it – wake up!

Uranus remains retrograde until 1^st December 2009, and enters Aries on 28^th May 2010. It turns retrograde again on 5^th July 2010, returning to Pisces, just to deal with any remaining Piscean dregs, until 12^th March 2011, when it finally re-enters and remains in Aries. So, we all have until then to really Wake Up. One wonders just how much more it will take before we decide that enough is enough and we’d better all wake up….”Ooh, can’t we all stay in the old illusions just a little bit longer please, we’re not ready to wake up yet…” Well yes, we can keep returning to them until March 2011, then the New Reality will hit! You have been warned…but you may choose to continue to ignore this warning until March 2011, until life becomes so intolerable that you will one day decide “I think I’d better wake up.” So, what is required by this Eclipse, in order for us to wake up?

Uranus is in opposition to Ceres in Virgo, which suggests that we really need to wake up to the messages that we are receiving from the Earth, about learning to honour Her for her own sake, not just because of the ways that Climate Change is affecting us personally or nationally. Also in the pattern with Uranus are Chiron, Jupiter and Neptune, which we have already looked at as bringing the need for a new Vision for planetary change and healing, bearing in mind that a new Vision requires Visionaries, and not just the same, tired old political solutions, dressed up in new clothes.

These three (Chiron, Jupiter and Neptune) are also in opposition to Pallas Athene in Leo (24° 27’) – the Sabian symbol for this is “A Large Camel Is Seen Crossing A Vast And Forbidding Desert”. This suggests that we are in for a challenging journey, but we have the resources to deal with it, as long as we create clear boundaries, and curb the desires of the ego, for the good of the Greater Whole. Pallas is about being true to our inner knowing, facing facts, and creating the circumstances which enable us to move forward with integrity, intelligence and insight – at least we now have an American President who seems to embody these qualities.

One final thing about this Eclipse – Vesta in Cancer remains un-aspected by any other planets, suggesting that this is an opportunity to truly stand back from all that has been going on, listen to our hearts, and BE in our hearts – we can be assured that what we will feel and understand from this will be true, as Vesta is uninfluenced from the outside at this time. We will get a very clear reflection of what our heart’s state of being currently is. No matter what we feel and see, it is important to acknowledge the reality of this, because it will be a reflection of the true state of our Spirit at this time, without judgment, without expectation, but with a simple and loving acceptance (towards ourselves) of “this is how it is right now.” Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune can show us what might need to change in the future, but for now Vesta is there to connect us with gratitude, appreciation and acceptance of who we are in this moment.