Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse

Winter Solstice

21^st Dec 23:39 UT/GMT in UK

Click on chart to enlarge

Winter Solstice finds Mercury in Sagittarius conjunct the Sun with a large ‘stellium’ of planets in Capricorn – Pallas Athene, Moon’s North Node, Pluto and Mars.  All this, with a Total Lunar Eclipse earlier that morning at 08:13 UT/GMT and the Full Moon forming a Grand Cross for several hours, will make for a highly intense and focussed Solstice. 

A Lunar Eclipse Grand Cross

 Lunar Eclipse maximum at 08:13 UT/GMT

Click on chart to enlarge

The Grand Cross is formed by the South Node Lunar Eclipse in opposition to Mercury, Sun, Pallas Athene, Moon’s North Node and Pluto; on the other axis, Juno is in opposition to the Jupiter – Uranus conjunction.  The Grand Cross lasts from around 18:00 UT/GMT on 20th December, until around midday on 21st

The South Node Lunar Eclipse means that this is about letting go of our past mental (Moon in Gemini) and emotional attachments (S. Node is in Cancer), so that we can being to review the details of how we are going to move forward (Retrograde Mercury & Sun in Sagittarius), and then put them into action with clarity, purpose and resolve (Pallas, N. Node & Pluto in Capricorn).  Holding the balance in all this is the opposition from Juno to Jupiter and Uranus; we cannot put the plans for our new vision into action until we have healed and moved into Right Relationship with our past.  This is an essential part of the major healing process that was triggered last February by the Chiron – Neptune conjunction, and will be on-going until 2012 and beyond.

The Solstice

By the time that the Solstice occurs (23:39 UT), the Grand Cross will have disappeared, but the recently eclipsed Moon will continue with the process of emotional release of our old patterns, comfort zones and deeply held emotional attachments that are no longer serving our best interests.  The more we can let go, the more profound will be the rebirth, after the Winter Solstice.

The ‘stellium’ of planets with the Sun are bringing the combination of the rational and intuitive mind, combining with the personal and spiritual will in order to focus on our spiritual purpose, so that we may clearly, pragmatically  and uncompromisingly see our way forward, and act on it.

For 5 days around the Solstice, the (normally retrograde) Moon’s Nodes are ‘stationary’, so that everything will be held ‘poised in the balance’, before it can move again.  Now is our last chance to go deeply into the stillness of our inner being and see how we may let go of those attitudes and habits that have been preventing us from moving forwards and fulfilling our spiritual purpose.  When we do let go, then we will return fully to an appreciation of what it means to be in Right Relationship (Juno) with self and others, to fulfil our spiritual vision (Jupiter – Uranus) and to understand how to heal our past (Neptune – Chiron), as we move into a more loving, caring and nurturing relationship with our Mother Earth (Ceres).  In our quest for being in Right Relationship and finding our vision, we cannot afford to exclude being in Right Relationship with the Earth; this is not just about treating the ‘Environment’ with more care and respect, it is about truly honouring the Earth as our Mother, who sustains and nourishes us at all levels of our Being.

Stand By Me - Enjoy!

No matter who you are, no matter where you go,

I hope this song touches you!

Full Moon Equinox

A Full Moon Equinox

 Equinox on 23rd September

at 04.10 BST - 03.10 Universal Time (GMT)

calculated for Avebury, UK

Click on chart to enlarge

A Full Moon at the Autumn Equinox (23^rd September) finds the Sun in opposition to the Moon, Jupiter and Uranus, all forming a T-square with asteroid Ceres. The Sun is also quincunx (150°) to Chiron and Neptune. 

Ceres is in a pivotal role here - it lies less than 1° from exact alignment with the Galactic Centre (27° Sagittarius), as well as being involved in three learning triangles (with Moon-Jupiter-Uranus and Juno; with Juno and Pallas; and with Chiron-Neptune and Pallas). This all suggests that manifesting our long-term vision for the Earth becomes crucial during this Full Moon Equinox. Ceres becomes exactly conjunct the Galactic Centre on 27th September.

To help understand the full significance of Ceres’ position, I want to introduce you to the “Sabian Symbols”. These are 360 symbolic images for each degree of the zodiac, which were clairvoyantly received in 1925, in San Diego by Miss Elsie Wheeler and astrologer Dr. Marc Edmund Jones. They offer deep insights into the spiritual energies behind a planet’s position in a particular degree. Sometimes their meaning is obscure, but at others startlingly clear, which is the case with the most significant planets involved at this Equinox.

The Sabian Symbol for Ceres (27° Sagittarius) is “A sculptor’s vision taking form”. Ceres is the Great Mother, the creator of forms on Earth, whilst the Galactic Centre is the creative hub from where divine forms and archetypes come into manifestation - the “Divine Sculptor”. With Ceres aligned at the Galactic Centre at this time of balance between the spiritual and physical realms, this is a golden opportunity to bring our spiritual essence into form through the loving embrace of Mother Earth. Everything is primed for this: other Sabian Symbols for this pattern include a Prism (Jupiter and Uranus), a perfect rainbow forming, as light breaks through the clouds (Juno), an X-ray (Pallas Athene) and a fertile garden under the Full Moon (Moon): so, the Divine Sculptor’s vision manifests through a prism of light, creating a rainbow, bringing the vision down through the planes of existence, revealing everything with x-ray clarity, so that our individual garden of the soul may come to fruition – now that’s what I call a powerful Equinox!

These potentials are then held by a “Cradle” pattern which lasts until 9^th October; an opposition between Juno and Chiron-Neptune holds the potential for Unconditional Love, Healing and Right Relationship to be absorbed deep into the Heart of Mother Earth, by Vesta and Ceres, enabling those qualities to come safely to fruition in our hearts and minds. We need to understand the importance of holding, cherishing and nurturing these new potentials, so that they will emerge strong and clear in 2011.

Total Solar Eclipse

Total Solar Eclipse over South Pacific – July 11th
Maximum Eclipse at 19.34 UT/GMT (11.34 PST/Local Time)

click on image to enlarge

Over the last week, you may have been feeling the rather intense build-up to a powerful Total Solar Eclipse that occurs over the South Pacific Ocean on July 11^th, reaching maximum Eclipse at 19.34 Universal Time/GMT (11.34 PST/Local Time). The central path of the eclipse shadow begins at 18.20 UT (07.20 BET/Local Time) about 850 miles to the south of Western Samoa; then it passes within 95 miles to the south of Tahiti at 18.28 UT (08.28 AHST/Local Time), and directly over Easter Island/Rapa Nui at 20.12 UT (14.12 CST/Local Time), and ends at 20.50 UT (17.50 BZT2/Local Time), on the southern tip of South America, in Patagonia, Argentina. See below the Eclipse chart for what it all means.

Astro-cartography chart for the Total Solar Eclipse

Click on image to enlarge

The Sun and Moon are conjunct the Moon’s South Node in Cancer. South Node Eclipses are always concerned with releasing the patterns of the past. The Sun is also conjunct asteroid Juno, concerned with Right Relationship. Sun, Moon and Juno are in sextile (60°) aspect with asteroid Vesta and Mars in Virgo – indicating that it is our hearts and wills that need to be in right relationship. The South Node in Cancer indicates that in order for this to be so, we need to move out of our emotional “comfort zones”, and let go of any emotional attachments, which may be preventing us from coming in right, loving relationship with each other and the planet.

Sun, Moon and Juno are also in quincunx (150°) aspect with Ceres in Sagittarius, which indicates that, collectively and individually we need to move to a new level in our understanding of our relationship with the Earth. The North Node in Capricorn is challenging us to realise that it is the task of our hearts and wills to take responsibility for the planet in whatever ways we can, and not to feel that it is someone else’s responsibility, or that we are powerless to do anything on our own. When our heart and will are aligned, and we act from that place, then many things become possible, and our smallest actions can have wide-ranging effects as they ripple out into the hearts, minds and wills of others. However, this will not work if we are in denial of our power, nor if we are in denial of individual responsibility for our part in having contributed to the problems that the planet faces.

Currently, the most pressing environmental concern is the on-going oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico; whilst it is becoming clear that huge mistakes may have been made by BP, part of our individual responsibility is surely to acknowledge that, at some level we all have a responsibility here; it is our individual need to put petrol in our cars that is in part responsible for BP being there in the first place. None of us who use fossil fuels can claim to have no responsibility at all for this disaster – it is truly one of many wake-up calls from the current Jupiter-Uranus alignment which is calling us all to think and act, with an acknowledgment of the deeper and more intricate connections between ourselves and everyone on the planet.

This awareness of personal responsibility is beautifully expressed in Dr Masaru Emoto’s prayer for the waters of the Gulf of Mexico:

"I send the energy of love and gratitude to the waters and all living creatures

in the Gulf of Mexico and its surroundings.

To the whales, dolphins, pelicans, fish, shellfish, planktons,

corals, algae ... to all  living creatures ... I am sorry.

Please forgive me. Thank you.

I Love You."

The lesson of the Chiron – Neptune conjunction over Hawaii in February was for us to learn that global healing requires us to express our compassion towards all beings. Now that they are both retrograde, we will get to see just how deeply our willingness to heal extends, and where the limits of our compassion might lie. The Solar Eclipse can reveal to us all how our entrenched emotional patterns and attitudes limit our ability to freely express loving, compassionate forgiveness towards all beings, including ourselves.

The Summer Solstice Grand Cross 

From 17^th to 26^th June, the Sun takes up position in the Grand Cross pattern, which formed on 29^th May; the Sun is conjunct Juno and Mercury, and in opposition to Ceres and Pluto. At Summer Solstice (21^st June), the challenges and potentials embodied in the Grand Cross move from the soul to the personality level: 

In keeping with the flourishing energy of the solstice, this will be a time for clearly seeing what is required for us to move into a more empowered relationship with Mother Earth. As Ceres and Pluto are both retrograde, the brightness of the solstice Sun can reveal  to us the places where we are not in right relationship with the planet or with what truly nourishes and empowers us at the deepest levels.  

On the other axis of the Grand Cross, Saturn is in opposition with Jupiter and Uranus - we may  now be seeing where we need to get to, and even how to get there, but Saturn is apparently holding us back. In reality, it is telling us that there are still practical considerations and structures that need to be put in place before we can reach our goals; if we are having difficulties with manifesting those structures, then we need to look within and consider any ways that we may be dis-empowering or sabotaging ourselves by getting caught in fear, negative thinking or the perpetuation of old patterns of relationship that no longer serve us.

Now is the time to make whatever decisions and changes are necessary, so that we can move forward into a place of empowerment, and start to really manifest a new vision for our future, when Ceres turns direct in August, and Pluto in September. By the time they become conjunct in October, we should be able to see what we need to do, and how we need to achieve that.

Email delivery problems

Important notice:

There appear to be an ever-increasing amount of email bounce-backs, when the bulk email Blog-Update notifications are sent out to those on the mailing list. This is particularly a problem with the following email servers, which are identifying the email updates as spam, and rejecting them: hotmail (worst of all), tiscali, surfglobal, sbcglobal, earthlink, verizon, bigpond and alaska.net

If you wish to continue receiving the email Blog-Update notifications, please ensure that you add astrology@heavenandearth.org.uk to your address book / contacts list, and also to your "safe senders" list, which you will find in the "junk email options" tab on the "Tools" menu in your email page. Thank you

May - June Astrology Update

“Reality is merely an illusion,
albeit a very persistent one.”
Albert Einstein

A Jupiter-Uranus Wake-up Call

May to June is likely to become increasingly intense, as we start to feel the effects of the first of three Jupiter-Uranus conjunctions (in June, September 2010, and January 2011). These two magnificent planets become conjunct every 13 to 14 years. They always herald new discoveries and breakthroughs in scientific understanding; they can awaken us to new levels of psychological and spiritual awareness; they bring radical changes in political paradigms and systems, and provide plenty of personal "Aha Moments", insights and creative breakthroughs.

Following February’s rare healing alignment between Chiron and Neptune, Jupiter and Uranus can now enable us to see the bigger picture, and formulate the plans that will align with our deepest psychological and spiritual needs. As always with Uranus, this requires letting go of those things that no longer work in our lives; even when this may seem impossible, we need to remain open and receptive to unexpected opportunities that can enable us to make quantum leaps of consciousness.

This alignment will make us more conscious of our possibilities for healing and positive changes, heralded by the Chiron-Neptune conjunction in February. Quantum Physics tells us that "Matter does not exist, all that exists is Consciousness". This suggests that collective consciousness can influence the behaviour of matter. So, if enough people choose to express clarity, wisdom and compassion, then we will all live in a clearer, wiser and more loving world…simple! But first we will need to address…

Sensitivity Rectangle

(click on image to enlarge)

A Sensitivity Rectangle appears on 9th May, and continues until 9th June. On one axis of this rectangle, Vesta (then Mars) in Leo opposes Neptune and Chiron in Aquarius. On the other axis, Saturn in Virgo opposes Jupiter and Uranus, drawing ever closer to each other in Pisces. “Sensitivity” patterns put us on alert that something deep-rooted needs to be acknowledged, and then released; if not, it creates anxiety, irritation and disruption. In early May, Vesta awakens our heart’s inner knowing that something needs to change, so that we may heal our deepest patterns, following the Chiron-Neptune conjunction; such deep healing is essential if we are to manifest a new Heart-centred global paradigm.

Mars moves into Vesta’s position on 29th May, saying “now act on your knowing”. The resistance from Saturn, opposing Jupiter-Uranus, requires us to understand that we can only put plans into action, when they fully align with the ideals that truly nourish us, whilst respecting the ideals of others.

Three Mystic Rectangles and a Grand Cross

Whilst we address the challenges of the Sensitivity figure, three Mystic Rectangles and a Grand Cross appear, to help…or hinder our efforts. Mystic Rectangles are rare, so to find three within one month is significant:

Mystic Rectangle 1 (17 - 21 May)

(click on image to enlarge)

The first involves Venus in Gemini, opposing Ceres and Pluto in Capricorn; also Vesta in Leo, opposing Chiron, just into Pisces and Neptune, still in Aquarius. The oppositions challenge us to confront internal conflicts, so we can release new creative potentials through the trines and sextiles, forming the rectangle. This Mystic Rectangle requires us to be honest about present emotional needs (Venus), and let go of situations that may have nourished us in the past (Ceres retrograde), but no longer do so, even though we may still have much energy or power invested in maintaining them (Pluto retrograde).

Mystic Rectangle 2 (23 - 26 May)
(click on image to enlarge)

The second Mystic Rectangle also involves Venus, opposing Ceres-Pluto; the other opposition, between Pallas Athene in Scorpio and Mercury in Taurus, requires balancing our inner knowing of what is right, with pragmatic thinking and communicating our needs clearly. Then a third Mystic Rectangle appears, as the second one breaks up.

Mystic Rectangle 3 (29 May - 17 June)
(click on image to enlarge)

Whilst Juno and Ceres are keeping us in right relationship, Vesta and Mars oppose Chiron and Neptune, challenging us to align our heart and will, so that we may really begin to integrate the healing potentials of Chiron-Neptune.

On 29th May, a Grand Cross also kicks in, with two oppositions at its heart. It will last until a few days after the Solstice.

The Summer Solstice Grand Cross (as it appears on 21 June)
(it lasts from 29 May - 27 June)
(click on image to enlarge)

The opposition between Saturn and Uranus began in mid-March and continues until mid-September. When the Grand Cross forms, Jupiter also now opposes Saturn, as it approaches conjunction with Uranus. The other opposition is from Juno to the Moon and Ceres.

These oppositions will balance one another. Saturn in Virgo provides the necessary “reality-check” to Jupiter-Uranus’ insights and realisations. Juno and Ceres ensure that we remain in right relationship with those around us and with our environment, whilst we formulate our plans for change, over the coming months. This can be an intense, but highly constructive time, as we strive to bring what we truly desire into manifestation in the world - but it will be well worth all the effort that we have put into it.

All of these intricate patterns build and develop as they prepare us for the day of the first Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, when they finally crystallise to form a perfect 6-pointed star:

Jupiter-Uranus 6 pointed-star (8th June)

(click on image to enlarge)

On 8th June, Jupiter and Uranus become exactly conjunct in the first degree of Aries, signifying new beginnings at personal and planetary levels. This alignment last occurred in Aries in mid-July 1927; Richard Tarnas, in his excellent book, “Cosmos and Psyche” describes this year as “the climax of the quantum physics revolution that was marked by Bohr’s principle of complementarity, Heisenberg’s principle of indeterminacy, and the (Fifth) Solvay Congress of October 1927 (on protons and electrons)”. This was the same year that the first “talkie” (The Jazz Singer) appeared and the first television transmission was made between London and Glasgow, by John Logie Baird. It was also the year of Charles Lindberg’s first solo trans-Atlantic flight. We have already witnessed a major shift towards 3D Cinema this year, with the ground-breaking “Avatar” and other movies. It seems likely that we can now expect astounding leaps in technology and new discoveries in particle physics, now that the Large Hadron Collider is up and running again.

The 6-pointed star that forms (courtesy of the Moon) on the day of the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction “imprints” a perfect pattern into our emotional bodies, of how we might live from a place of balance between our inner heart (Vesta), our personal will (Mars), our intuitive knowing (Pallas Athene), an empowered relationship with the Earth (Pluto and Ceres), an understanding of what is needed to bring us back to wholeness (Neptune and Chiron) and into right relationship with “All Our Relations” (Juno in Cancer). This perfect pattern lasts for just one day, giving us all a glimpse of what is now becoming possible.

Jupiter-Uranus, in the Grand Cross is the “trigger” to awaken this vision and motivate us to enable these potentials to become a reality in our lives, as the Jupiter-Uranus alignment unfolds between now and January 2011. We will have to dig deep to release old patterns when both planets are retrograde from August to November, with the possibility the we can emerge into new levels of integration and wholeness by their final conjunction in January 2011.

For now, it is important to focus on the most positive possibilities we can imagine for our future, and let the Universe reveal to us exactly how these may become realities. At the Summer Solstice, the energy of the Grand Cross will give us to opportunity to begin to allow these amazing potentials to fully manifest and flourish in our world.