Thurs 16 Sept – Wed 29 September
Sun in Virgo, 23rd Libra; Mercury in Virgo; Venus in Scorpio; Mars in Scorpio; Jupiter in Pisces (Retro).
What happens when the CEO of Apollo and Son, along with his secretary Mercury arrive at a meeting in a mood of chaste Virgo, while next to them at the round table conference sits Mr and Ms Mars and Venus in sensual and secretive Scorpio? Well if his holiness Jupiter in Pisces were there, he could marry them off while Mr Apollo gave away the bride and Mercury acted as best man.
Particularly since Jupiter is retrograde for the next six weeks or so. He will inspire us to go back and rediscover old religious ways. Ah the good old days, when marriage still meant something. That union of opposites, that tying of the knot, that yoking of the two, that yoga of love. It’s been weeks now that Mars and Venus have been shadowing each other through the courting sign of Libra, never more than a few degree of separation between them. What a conjunction! At now it really gets serious as they take the relationship to the next level - in Scorpio. Hold on to your hats – you don’t want the kundalini blowing a hole through your crown chakra just yet. However, if any sign can reveal the depth, insight and thus illumination attainable when male and female come together like the twining serpents of Mercury’s caduseus, whether as a married couple or as the union of opposites between the eyebrows of the aspirant, then it is Scorpio. The attractive potency, and the desire nature will be simultaneously intensified. Kundalini energy will be stimulated and the magnetism between positive and negative polarities will intensify, whether externally or within the aspiring yogi. This conjunction of Mars and Venus in such a potent sign is highly conducive to fertilization, as the spark of inspiration flies from one to the other and creative expression in all its forms becomes so possible now. Rebirth, rejuvenation and resurrection of life from the fertile plains of the akash are dawning. Use this momentary window of opportunity to harness the merging of Mars and Venus energies in potent and fertile Scorpio to seed new creations, to act on your desire to actualize your highest expression of your self. Under no circumstances should you allow your intensified desire nature and creative urge to become contaminated by misdirected intention or attention during this time. This will merely waste a golden opportunity. The potentials are huge, but in the wrong hands the repercussions are dire if you allow the force or shakti to become misplaced. With Jupiter retrograde in Pisces we are able to go back and retrieve the secrets of the ancient mystery traditions and gain entire new levels of realization in the tantric arts, as we discover the attractive principle, and for a few even attain a glimpse of the all-attractive one, the reservoir of all pleasure, the one without a second.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Crippling strike
Thurs 9 September – Wed 22 September
If last edition’s Mercury retrograde phase left you feeling rather symphoric, i.e. clumsy and accident-prone, then you will be glad to know that the retro comes to and end by September 11. But what about the numerous learners at schools whose educations have been disrupted by the three weeks of strikes, particularly the aspiring matric writers, who may end up failing or not qualifying for tertiary education because of this delay and disruption in the education system? Who knows how many innocent youths have been affected by this wage strike by the public servants, just another symptom of the Mercury retrograde in the sign of Virgo. Not only schools but also hospitals and the health care industry have been affected, potentially affecting the ill and HIV infected who could not receive treatment. Virgo themes include health and education. At its best Virgo symbolizes health care, hygiene and orderliness, along with a skill for public service. With the Sun currently in Virgo, as well as Mercury retrograde in Virgo, these themes are in the spotlight, but in a disrupted manner. Let’s hope September 11 is not too late to address the delays caused in these departments. A teacher friend told me how kids were being so intimidated in their townships by strikers that they had to dress in plain clothes and pretend to be going elsewhere when coming to school. Some teachers were even meeting their learners in libraries as the schools themselves were barricaded by strikers. Virgo epitomizes the good doctor, nurse, teacher and librarian, amongst others, but the retrograde has turned all this on its head. In the ancient Vedic culture of India a teacher or brahmana was of such high moral character that he or she would not even receive a wage, but would be willing to provide the service to society, while society so respected them, that all their needs were met. And gone are the days when the doctor or nurse took the Hippocratic oath, vowing to save any life. Even our president, Jacob Zuma, God bless him, is quoted as saying, "The abandonment of patients, including babies in incubators, as well as schoolchildren, is difficult to comprehend and accept, no matter how sympathetic one is to the needs of workers." Mercury goes retrograde about three times every year, but not always in the sign of Virgo. This current phase has been synchronous with the strike season and the disruption has been a difficult one for the entire country, particularly the poor.
If last edition’s Mercury retrograde phase left you feeling rather symphoric, i.e. clumsy and accident-prone, then you will be glad to know that the retro comes to and end by September 11. But what about the numerous learners at schools whose educations have been disrupted by the three weeks of strikes, particularly the aspiring matric writers, who may end up failing or not qualifying for tertiary education because of this delay and disruption in the education system? Who knows how many innocent youths have been affected by this wage strike by the public servants, just another symptom of the Mercury retrograde in the sign of Virgo. Not only schools but also hospitals and the health care industry have been affected, potentially affecting the ill and HIV infected who could not receive treatment. Virgo themes include health and education. At its best Virgo symbolizes health care, hygiene and orderliness, along with a skill for public service. With the Sun currently in Virgo, as well as Mercury retrograde in Virgo, these themes are in the spotlight, but in a disrupted manner. Let’s hope September 11 is not too late to address the delays caused in these departments. A teacher friend told me how kids were being so intimidated in their townships by strikers that they had to dress in plain clothes and pretend to be going elsewhere when coming to school. Some teachers were even meeting their learners in libraries as the schools themselves were barricaded by strikers. Virgo epitomizes the good doctor, nurse, teacher and librarian, amongst others, but the retrograde has turned all this on its head. In the ancient Vedic culture of India a teacher or brahmana was of such high moral character that he or she would not even receive a wage, but would be willing to provide the service to society, while society so respected them, that all their needs were met. And gone are the days when the doctor or nurse took the Hippocratic oath, vowing to save any life. Even our president, Jacob Zuma, God bless him, is quoted as saying, "The abandonment of patients, including babies in incubators, as well as schoolchildren, is difficult to comprehend and accept, no matter how sympathetic one is to the needs of workers." Mercury goes retrograde about three times every year, but not always in the sign of Virgo. This current phase has been synchronous with the strike season and the disruption has been a difficult one for the entire country, particularly the poor.
Mercury's retro look
Thurs 26 Aug – Wed 8 Sept
About every four months Mercury, the winged messenger, first rock from Apollo the Sun, goes retrograde. August 20 until September 11 marks the current retrograde phase. A planet is described as retrograde when it appears to be moving backwards through the zodiac. According to modern science, this traditional concept arises in the illusory planetary motion created by the orbital rotation of the earth with relation to other planets in our solar system. Planets are never actually retrograde or stationary, they just seem that way due to this cosmic shadow-play.
A retrograde period is best seen as a cycle, beginning when a planet becomes stationary (Aug 20th this time), and ending when it returns to the point where it first paused (Sept 27th - although the actual visible backward movement ends on Sept 11th). However, during the cycle, a planet's energy is most powerful (and more likely to generate critical events) when the planet makes a station, appearing motionless in the sky. These stationary periods occur at the beginning of the cycle (Aug 20th), when the planet first halts as it prepares to move backwards, and midway through the cycle when the retrograde planet slows to a stop before moving forward again (Sept 12th). The direct station (when the planet halts before moving forward again on Sept 12th) is the most powerful and can be used for maximum benefit.
In general, Mercury rules thinking and perception, processing and disseminating information and all means of communication, commerce, education and transportation. By extension, Mercury rules people who work in these areas, especially those who work with their minds or their wits: writers and orators, commentators and critics, gossips, teachers, travelers, even tricksters and thieves. Thus astrologically Mercury retrograde gives rise to personal misunderstandings; flawed, disrupted, or delayed communications, negotiations and trade; glitches and breakdowns with phones, computers, cars, buses, and trains. And all of these problems usually arise because some crucial piece of information, or component, has gone astray or awry. It is not wise to make important decisions while Mercury is retrograde, since it is likely that such decisions will be clouded by misinformation, poor communication and careless thinking. Mercury is all about mental clarity and the power of the mind, so when Mercury is retrograde these intellectual characteristics tend to be less acute than usual. Check the small print!
About every four months Mercury, the winged messenger, first rock from Apollo the Sun, goes retrograde. August 20 until September 11 marks the current retrograde phase. A planet is described as retrograde when it appears to be moving backwards through the zodiac. According to modern science, this traditional concept arises in the illusory planetary motion created by the orbital rotation of the earth with relation to other planets in our solar system. Planets are never actually retrograde or stationary, they just seem that way due to this cosmic shadow-play.
A retrograde period is best seen as a cycle, beginning when a planet becomes stationary (Aug 20th this time), and ending when it returns to the point where it first paused (Sept 27th - although the actual visible backward movement ends on Sept 11th). However, during the cycle, a planet's energy is most powerful (and more likely to generate critical events) when the planet makes a station, appearing motionless in the sky. These stationary periods occur at the beginning of the cycle (Aug 20th), when the planet first halts as it prepares to move backwards, and midway through the cycle when the retrograde planet slows to a stop before moving forward again (Sept 12th). The direct station (when the planet halts before moving forward again on Sept 12th) is the most powerful and can be used for maximum benefit.
In general, Mercury rules thinking and perception, processing and disseminating information and all means of communication, commerce, education and transportation. By extension, Mercury rules people who work in these areas, especially those who work with their minds or their wits: writers and orators, commentators and critics, gossips, teachers, travelers, even tricksters and thieves. Thus astrologically Mercury retrograde gives rise to personal misunderstandings; flawed, disrupted, or delayed communications, negotiations and trade; glitches and breakdowns with phones, computers, cars, buses, and trains. And all of these problems usually arise because some crucial piece of information, or component, has gone astray or awry. It is not wise to make important decisions while Mercury is retrograde, since it is likely that such decisions will be clouded by misinformation, poor communication and careless thinking. Mercury is all about mental clarity and the power of the mind, so when Mercury is retrograde these intellectual characteristics tend to be less acute than usual. Check the small print!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Song of Awakening
The age of enlightenment slowly reached me,
It seemed the appropriate moment to see
The aspect, dispositor, midpoint 'n time;
The very distinctiveness felt so sublime.
Familiar as solstice to sun-seeking souls,
I glimpsed the profoundest of life's real goals,
The ultimate time to awake sleeping souls
Is now that you're here not as halves but as wholes.
"Just see..." introspective unending display
Of momentary lapses of reason as Hey-
Dark lover you call me to dance as you play
And time by its absence conspicuous lay.
It seemed the appropriate moment to see
The aspect, dispositor, midpoint 'n time;
The very distinctiveness felt so sublime.
Familiar as solstice to sun-seeking souls,
I glimpsed the profoundest of life's real goals,
The ultimate time to awake sleeping souls
Is now that you're here not as halves but as wholes.
"Just see..." introspective unending display
Of momentary lapses of reason as Hey-
Dark lover you call me to dance as you play
And time by its absence conspicuous lay.
Now what is it that causes two of the worst oil spills in world history, one off America and one off China, to occur within days of each other? Well the other day, a few editions back, I mentioned a total solar eclipse which fell on 11 July (on the day of the World Cup Final and Spain’s victory) and how it involved a tight T- square aspect between several planets, all focused on Pluto in Capricorn. Well the square aspect to Pluto has lasted for several months now, even though the solar eclipse only lasted a few minutes. In Greek mythology and astrological lore Pluto is Lord of the Underworld, affiliated with anything which is buried or hidden - the unconscious, hidden treasures and the earth’s hidden wealth. The archetypal shadow even, outwardly dark and negative, but potentially the source of our support and ultimate individuation when harnessed, according to Jung. Pluto literally means “the wealthy one”. Astrologically Pluto is also associated with mines and mining, (as well as plumbing curiously) and I couldn’t help but see the two oil drilling disasters as a synchronous ripple in the tide of the planet, playing itself out while the other planets echoed in the symphony of the solar system. The planets have been grouping up against each other at three points in the constellation belt around Earth for the past few months; some in square aspect (90 degrees) and others in opposition (180 degrees) to each other. And these are all the slowest moving planets; that’s why this multiple aspect is lasting so long, since April when the oil spill first occurred. A way of reading the oracle of the planets at the moment, simply by looking at a horoscope for the past few months, would be to see that all that pressure from Saturn and Uranus on Pluto has manifested as blowing the lid on our subterranean stores and sending all their black gold spewing uncontained.
Besides that, Pluto symbolizes hidden forces, of the depths where they gather and of their ruthless, irresistible or uncontrollable eruptions. Pluto was also in Capricorn in 536 AD, when the Mediterranean froze under a cloud of dust, due to a volcanic eruption in the Southern Hemisphere that brought a nuclear winter to the North. That makes the volcanic eruption in Iceland the other day look quite mild, but it does seem to suggest a pattern.
Then last week (early Aug) the faster planets of the solar system joined the T- square configuration for a few days. Venus, the goddess of love and good fortune, smiled on the situation and BP finally sealed their leak just as Venus joined Saturn. It’s not over yet though. I wonder what the horoscope of BP’s CEO who had to resign looks like?
If Pluto was prominent in his chart, or any of the first few degrees of the Cardinal signs were important (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn). That is where it’s all taking place in the zodiac now.
Besides that, Pluto symbolizes hidden forces, of the depths where they gather and of their ruthless, irresistible or uncontrollable eruptions. Pluto was also in Capricorn in 536 AD, when the Mediterranean froze under a cloud of dust, due to a volcanic eruption in the Southern Hemisphere that brought a nuclear winter to the North. That makes the volcanic eruption in Iceland the other day look quite mild, but it does seem to suggest a pattern.
Then last week (early Aug) the faster planets of the solar system joined the T- square configuration for a few days. Venus, the goddess of love and good fortune, smiled on the situation and BP finally sealed their leak just as Venus joined Saturn. It’s not over yet though. I wonder what the horoscope of BP’s CEO who had to resign looks like?
If Pluto was prominent in his chart, or any of the first few degrees of the Cardinal signs were important (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn). That is where it’s all taking place in the zodiac now.
Purity is the force
Thurs 2 Sept – Wed 15 September
Sun Virgo; Mercury Virgo (dir 12th); Venus Libra /Scorpio 9th; Mars Libra
With Mercury ending his retrograde movement, a one day window of opportunity arises on Sept 12, the day Mercury is stationery before going forward again. This day is considered very valuable by astrologers for achieving maximum effect in any undertaking. With both the Sun and Mercury still in earthy Virgo, maximum results can be achieved in the fields of health, hygiene, work, employees, duty and daily routine activities on the job. Throughout the entire month of Virgo, but particularly on this day, the process of ‘purification’ is available to us, so if ever you wanted to detox, clean out any clutter, old or outlived patterns and habits, or unwanted attitudes in your life and mind, then this is a good phase for that kind of spring cleaning. Being an earth sign, there is a practical, down to earth mood, where a conscientious, hardworking and organized attitude may be available, with attention to detail if required. Just be careful not to become too fussy, critical, overly analytical or exacting during this period. The urge for perfection may just stifle the spontaneity - or the romance - if we don’t keep an eye on the bigger picture.
Venus is still at her most romantic and aesthetically astute (until the 9th when she slides into sultry Scorpio). Use this opportunity to listen to and understand the feelings of others. These are the last few days to really capitalize on the valuable influence of Venus in Libra to strengthen your relationships or make peace with those who may have become estranged. I’m sure many will agree that interpersonal relationships are the most taxing and challenging, but also the most important department of our lives. With both Venus and Mars in Libra, the mood is to be a lover, not a fighter, and real pleasure will come from bringing pleasure to others. Creating harmony and restoring balance should come easily for a change. The fact that both John Lennon and Elvis Presley had Mars in Libra in their birth charts should indicate the potential currently available to you guys out there for sweet words and smooth, seductive winning ways over your potential beloved. Equality and compromise are certainly secrets to success at present.
One question worth meditating on now is “What is it that constitutes real beauty?” Naturally a pretty face and proportioned body are the traditional gifts of Venus, able to attract all who view them, but such fleeting blessings fade with time and if we over-identify with them, we may well be setting ourselves up for disappointment as we lament their gradual disappearance. With Virgo also prominent now, it is worth realizing that “purity” is an equally powerful attractive force, and one that needn’t fade but can actually grow with time. Not only the purity of the virgin or the infant, or of foodstuffs, water and air, but particularly the saintly soul who can inspire others to emulate that behaviour and rise to greater heights of physical, mental and ultimately spiritual expression… purity of thought, action and motive is a force more attractive and enduring that any shallow, temporary ego-based beauty that advertisers shamelessly flaunt, only confusing the youth and masses as to the real values and priorities in life. “Pure” can be associated with clean, and as it is said, cleanliness is next to godliness.
Sun Virgo; Mercury Virgo (dir 12th); Venus Libra /Scorpio 9th; Mars Libra
With Mercury ending his retrograde movement, a one day window of opportunity arises on Sept 12, the day Mercury is stationery before going forward again. This day is considered very valuable by astrologers for achieving maximum effect in any undertaking. With both the Sun and Mercury still in earthy Virgo, maximum results can be achieved in the fields of health, hygiene, work, employees, duty and daily routine activities on the job. Throughout the entire month of Virgo, but particularly on this day, the process of ‘purification’ is available to us, so if ever you wanted to detox, clean out any clutter, old or outlived patterns and habits, or unwanted attitudes in your life and mind, then this is a good phase for that kind of spring cleaning. Being an earth sign, there is a practical, down to earth mood, where a conscientious, hardworking and organized attitude may be available, with attention to detail if required. Just be careful not to become too fussy, critical, overly analytical or exacting during this period. The urge for perfection may just stifle the spontaneity - or the romance - if we don’t keep an eye on the bigger picture.
Venus is still at her most romantic and aesthetically astute (until the 9th when she slides into sultry Scorpio). Use this opportunity to listen to and understand the feelings of others. These are the last few days to really capitalize on the valuable influence of Venus in Libra to strengthen your relationships or make peace with those who may have become estranged. I’m sure many will agree that interpersonal relationships are the most taxing and challenging, but also the most important department of our lives. With both Venus and Mars in Libra, the mood is to be a lover, not a fighter, and real pleasure will come from bringing pleasure to others. Creating harmony and restoring balance should come easily for a change. The fact that both John Lennon and Elvis Presley had Mars in Libra in their birth charts should indicate the potential currently available to you guys out there for sweet words and smooth, seductive winning ways over your potential beloved. Equality and compromise are certainly secrets to success at present.
One question worth meditating on now is “What is it that constitutes real beauty?” Naturally a pretty face and proportioned body are the traditional gifts of Venus, able to attract all who view them, but such fleeting blessings fade with time and if we over-identify with them, we may well be setting ourselves up for disappointment as we lament their gradual disappearance. With Virgo also prominent now, it is worth realizing that “purity” is an equally powerful attractive force, and one that needn’t fade but can actually grow with time. Not only the purity of the virgin or the infant, or of foodstuffs, water and air, but particularly the saintly soul who can inspire others to emulate that behaviour and rise to greater heights of physical, mental and ultimately spiritual expression… purity of thought, action and motive is a force more attractive and enduring that any shallow, temporary ego-based beauty that advertisers shamelessly flaunt, only confusing the youth and masses as to the real values and priorities in life. “Pure” can be associated with clean, and as it is said, cleanliness is next to godliness.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)