I can’t believe it’s nearly January 1st, but so it is and the January Skywatch is posted here. Here’s an introduction:

For quite a while now, the planetary placements have shown a lack of the earth element but as we enter January the shortage is now in the element of water with a predominance of earth. Water is the element of emotions – the presence of water in the astrological weather map provides a smooth conduit for the emotional realms to be expressed. Water seeks emotional connection and spiritual transcendence, and our experience tends to be dry without it. During the first few days of January we find a Grand Trine in the earth element, with Jupiter in Capricorn trine Saturn in Virgo and Ceres in Taurus. This provides a great deal of stability and a pragmatic approach to the issues of the day.

Late on January 1 Mars, traveling retrograde back through Cancer, re-enters Gemini where it prepares to oppose Pluto on January 2. This is the second phase of an opposition cycle that began in September 2007 and will conclude in March 2008. You can read more about that cycle here. The opposition of Mars to Pluto is a powerful clash of the individual ego (Mars) with the ultimate power structures (Pluto) and served to exacerbate simmering conflicts all over the world last year. Although the dynamic is exact on the 2nd, because Mars is moving so slowly now the influence of the opposition continues throughout the month of January. Watch for tension and anger, as well as literal fires that erupt when the energy spills into manifestation.

Venus rules the skies from the 6th through the 16th or so as it passes through a series of planetary interactions that bring beauty and sensitivity to many of our dealings with others. The Venus influence begins on January 6 when Venus (love and beauty) makes a square to Saturn (restriction and isolation), making the days between the 5th and the 7th difficult for relationships of any kind. This is usually not a great time for the stock market or investments since Venus is also associated with our possessions and wealth.

A trine from Jupiter to Saturn (exact on the 21st) is in effect for much of the month beginning around the 8th and continuing through the end of January. Jupiter is expansive and optimistic where Saturn can be repressive in its focus on discipline, but when these two are in harmony, such as in the trine aspect, they are tremendous aids for successful ventures.

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Sean and Robin Wright Penn have announced that they are divorcing.

I am a huge fan of Robin Wright Penn – her beauty is so tender and delicate yet she has such a hard edge as well. I recently watched the film The Pledge in which she stars with Jack Nicholson and which was directed by Sean Penn, and she was amazing in it.

Still, you had to wonder how anyone can live with Sean Penn for so long. No one knows what the lives of strangers are like behind closed doors, but if he is anywhere near as intense in private as he appears in public he is a pretty difficult guy. And looking back, it’s very rare to see a photo of Robin where she’s smiling. She is the one who filed divorce papers, citing “irreconcilable differences.”

Sean Penn’s birthchart shows a tight conjunction of the Sun and Uranus in Leo. Uranus is the planet of rebellion and radical behavior, and this clearly is the root of his notoriously unpredictable behavior. The past year can’t have been easy for Penn with transiting Saturn beginning a transit of the Sun/Uranus combination back in September of 2006 which continued through March of 2007, applying the restrictions and limitation and challenges of Saturn to Penn’s independent nature.

That independent nature was made even more rebellious and reckless since 2005 with a transit of Uranus over Venus in his chart, always a challenging period for relationships. Uranus creates in us a desire to break free of the status quo, and when it hits Venus in our chart it can threaten our relationships. In May of 2007, as this cycle completed, Sean Penn was filmed exiting a police station in New York at 4 am after visiting rapper Eve in jail following her DUI arrest. That can’t have been helpful to an already fragile marriage.

Robin Wright Penn has the Sun in Aries and it conjuncts Mars, showing that she possesses the qualities of a warrior (think Xena) and a desire to fulfill her own needs and follow her own destiny. However, this conflicts with her four planets in the sensitive and adaptive sign of Pisces which tends to seek the path of least resistance. This combination of the fiery warrior and the sensitive mystic can be very difficult to resolve and often results in an inner conflict that can lead to depression due to an inability to express one’s will which is often subjugated to that of others.

Robin has been going through her own challenging planetary cycles, including the famed “Uranus Opposition” that occurs for everyone at the age of 40-42 when transiting Uranus opposes Uranus in the birthchart. This is particularly powerful for her because like so many others born in the late 1960s, Uranus and Pluto are conjunct in her chart meaning that the Uranus opposition sets off this combination that denotes change and transformation. This cycle began for her back in April of 2007, and has likely created a tremendous need within her for more independence and autonomy in her life. The second phase of the cycle hit her in September of 2007, and will complete in January of 2008.

The other “midlife crisis transit” that occurs for everyone in their early 40′s is the “Neptune Square,” the time when transiting Neptune makes a square to Neptune in the birthchart. This planetary cycle is well-known for creating confusion and eroding self-confidence, causing us to feel that what we thought was real has no basis in reality. This can be a time of tremendous self-discovery, but it is not always easy to keep the trappings of our mundane existence in order during these cycles.

It is difficult enough to go through these cycles in the privacy of a normal life, but to experience the chaos at midlife in the celebrity goldfish bowl can be extremely difficult. I hope that they can find the healing that they need to come out of this difficult time as more empowered individuals.

Thanks to Joe for the heads up on JM’s analysis of the situation in Pakistan. I have left her a comment to see where she obtained the data for the partition chart is midnight of August 15, 1947. The chart usually used (and the one I have used for my analyses) is for August 14, 1947 at 9:30 am when the republic of Pakistan was declared, and some astrologers use the 1956 birth of the Islamic Republic.

At any rate, JM as always has a very interesting take on the situation:

The departure of Benazir Bhutto is an auspicious event metaphysically. And she was fully prepared. It occurred with Mars retrograde in Cancer indicating that Pakistan cannot go back to the past and that the Islamic worldwide revolution can proceed. People think the religious struggle on the planet now is primarily among Christians, Jews, and Moslems, but this is not the case. The conflict among Moslems, Hindus, and Buddhists is a basic part of the situation and the separation of Pakistan from India is intrinsic to the story. The partition was a terrible event in Asia’s history and is still causing problems, symbolic of the global separations people are dealing with now as Pluto slowly leaves Sagittarius.

The partition of Pakistan and India along religious lines resulted in the largest migration in human history, with 17 million people fleeing across the borders in both directions to escape the accompanying sectarian violence.
Civil division has caused some of the worst difficulties known to humanity. If you want to see some amazing astrology take a look at this chart. The birth of Pakistan as a republic was later in 1956, but that’s not the important chart. The partition tells the tale, in terms of the Pluto exit and the ethnic wars.

The partition was officially put into motion at midnight, August 15, 1947. One of the most outstanding factors in the chart of the occasion is the beginning planet, Uranus, at 25 Gemini, near Pluto’s degree in Sagittarius yesterday in opposition. Brother against brother. Religious and ethnic differences. Bhutto’s Sun at 29 Gemini combines to show the world that this division doesn’t work. The Moon was in Cancer at the partition and Mars at 0 Cancer correlates with today’s Mars retrograde and Bhutto’s natal Mars as she returned to her homeland to die on her Mars return. Twice returned that is, stressing that tribal barrier is a large part of the story. Her own sectarian origins were kept hidden. Look at the Leo 4th house stellium in the ptn.chart and you can see the energy focused on excessive pride and claim to territory, very similar to the situation in Israel, whose creation was soon after this event. Substantial connection here.

Bhutto’s Pluto exactly conjuncts the Sun at 21 Leo in the ptn.chart and the Moon yesterday, one of the most important lessons being absorbed. The South node is in Leo after the transit of Saturn started diminishing the power of the omnipotent ego driven leaders of the world. The meeting of all the 21* Leo points is quite an event. She was one of them.

And this leads to the most fascinating part of the configuration. The midheaven of the ptn.chart almost exactly conjuncts Bhutto’s North Node in Aquarius. What is this saying? The brotherhood of man is the way people can free themselves from the religious separations and violence, in conjunction with the familial expansion of Cancer-Sagittarius. It looks very much like the partition of Pakistan and Bhutto’s death have paved the way for a recognition of this simple fact. Although many, many hardships are ahead for Pakistan, the transit of Aquarius, along with Neptune in Aquarius and Uranus in Pisces, as well as the upcoming Uranian transits, point to some resolution of the religious tribal violence, however small. Or at least an increased understanding. Her legacy might be just that. In order for mankind to progress, the influential Moslem religion must evolve and now is the moment. It couldn’t have happened with her return to power. It’s time to move on. . . .

Unfortunately, I disagree with her conclusions that the Uranian transits will lead to resolution of Pakistan’s tribal conflicts. We’ve got transiting Pluto squaring and opposing the angles and then Mars and transiting Neptune opposing the Sun. I hope I’m wrong, but it looks to me like continued and increased conflict resulting over the next year (Pluto) and a continued erosion (Neptune) of the national identity (Sun).

Benazir Bhutto was killed yesterday in a suicide bombing widely attributed to the Taliban and Al Qaeda although some suspect the work of Pervez Musharraf while government officials report that no bullet or shrapnel was found in her body and that instead she was killed when she ducked trying to avoid being hit.

At any rate, the attack occurs when transiting Pluto is within seven minutes of the final exact square to the Virgo ascendant and opposition to the Gemini midheaven in the chart of Pakistan, changing the face of the image (Ascendant) as well as its public role (Midheaven) of that country forever. Transits of outer planets to the angles (Ascendant and Midheaven) demonstrate life-changing periods of crisis. Reactions by supporters to Bhutto’s assassination could help to continue to destabilize that already tenuous country which would have ramifications around the world if the hardline Islamists gain even more power there than they had already taken.

Pluto first opposed the Pakistan ascendant back in February through April of 2007, stationing right on the descendant point which governs the polarity between the effect of relationships on the national identity. At the same time, Pluto was exactly square the chart’s Midheaven which includes a conjunction of Mars and Uranus right on the Midheaven point. (see this earlier article for more on the Pakistan chart.) It is no mystery as to why this is such a volatile period in Pakistani history.

Wherever Pluto appears we are always dealing with issues of power as well as of death of an old order and the rebirth of a new one. In early March of 2007 when Pluto was within 10 minutes of an exact opposition to the ascendant, Musharraf suspended the chief justice and shut down the media, setting off a firestorm of opposition to Musharraf’s rule.

This article gives a comprehensive timeline for events in Pakistan during the first phase of this Pluto cycle, and you can see how the conflict built during the Pluto station on the Pakistan ascendant throughout March, April and May with Pluto within a degree of the cycle. By June the immediate power struggle had died down somewhat although there were continous protests against the government and the usual suicide bombings that have become a regular occurrence there.

Pluto will make another station in aspect to these point between July and October of 2008, and shortly thereafter will oppose the Cancer Mars in the Pakistan chart over the next couple of years. This is just the beginning of the crisis in Pakistan that is likely to begin a series of events that will lead us towards the Uranus/Pluto square of 2010-2013.

Note: a reader expressed frustration at the astrological language in this article so I have translated the above two paragraphs here: Pluto in the sky is exerting a difficult influence on the four angles of the chart, which are extremely important and sensitive points. This is the beginning of a three-phase cycle which has an effect of creating a crisis and ultimate transformation in the national identity. We are in the second phase of the cycle now which will complete between July and October of 2008.

Following this present cycle, Pluto in the sky will make a challenging aspect to Mars in the Pakistan chart. This heralds power conflicts and war that will last for the next several years. The struggles in Pakistan will have a ripple effect on the political landscape around the world which will culminate in the period from 2010 through 2013 when Uranus and Pluto square off in a challenging formation that is likely to create cultural revolution and change.

If you missed Parts I and II you can read the article in its entirety here.

Although Pluto will enter Capricorn for the first time in January, it will retrograde back into the late degrees in Sagittarius in June 2008 where it will make one final sweep through the Sagittarian issues of religion, philosophy, travel, ideology, journalism, optimism, and general expansion. Throughout 2008 it will be virtually stationary, traveling less than three degrees during this period, from 1 degree Capricorn back through 28 degrees Sagittarius. Because it will be stationary for so long, where its influence is the most powerful, I would expect a great deal of intensity and forced transformation during this period. This will be particularly intense for those of us who have planets in the late degrees of the mutable signs (Virgo, Pisces, Sagittarius, Gemini) or the early degrees of the cardinal signs (Capricorn, Cancer, Aries Libra).

Pluto causes endings and new beginnings – it forces us to surrender as it rebuilds us from the inside out. I suspect that throughout next year the intense optimism of Pluto in Sagittarius will battle with the necessity for realism of Pluto in Capricorn, and it will be a while before the economic problems really hit home. Mars will oppose Pluto in early March, which will create some fireworks of aggression and confrontation, and Saturn will make its second trine to Pluto in April which will ease the challenge of the new requirements of Capricorn Pluto which wants to tear down and rebuild the structures of our life and planet and intensify the power bases that govern society.

Once Pluto is firmly entrenched in Capricorn beginning in December 2008, we will begin to really see it at work. This of course will follow the US presidential election in November 2008. Pluto seeks to focus and intensify as well as break down and regenerate. The structures of our world keep societies in order and functioning: churches, governments, buildings – all of these are ruled by Capricorn. But so are bridges and tunnels, and the entire infrastructure upon which we live, particularly in urban areas, are likely to experience a severe breakdown while Pluto travels through Capricorn. Underground transportation, under the domain of the god of the underworld, could become a battleground as Pluto often brings warfare or death in the areas of the sign through which it passes (such as September 11th during Pluto in Sagittarius, where air travel became a conveyance of death and total world transformation).

During the passage of Pluto, we see extremes and compulsions in the area of life associated with the sign through which Pluto travels, and with the Capricornian association with governments and government buildings I would expect a worldwide attempt to solidify a global government and minimize individual liberties. Pluto deals with issues of power – on a personal level such as personal empowerment as well as with the power structures that govern all of humanity that fall under the rubric of the Capricorn theme. When Uranus enters Aries in 2010-2011, there will be a fervor as the pendulum swings back towards individual liberties. By the time Uranus forms a square to Pluto in Capricorn in 2012-2013 there will be tremendous cultural, social and political upheaval which will further transform governments and political structures.

Pluto’s reach will extend beyond governments, however. Capricorn also rules the elderly and end of life issues, and Pluto’s passage through Capricorn could transform the way we view the entire process of death and dying, including the disposal of the body after death.

Often Pluto’s passage through one sign is a reaction to Pluto’s passage through the previous sign, and in Capricorn there may be a reaction of the practical and materialistic Capricorn against the ideological idealism of Pluto’s travel through Sagittarius. An overdose of pragmatism could lead to the negativity and depression with which Capricorn is sometimes associated. Capricorn is associated with achievement and can be ruthless in its efforts to climb to the top, and we could see an increased obsession (Pluto) with climbing the ladder of success that leads to a breakdown in certain segments of society.

There is always a side to Pluto cycles, and in Capricorn we are likely to see an increase in stability and a more practical approach to economics and business than we saw under the Sagittarian influence. The inflated (Sag) bonuses for CEOs that we saw in recent years are likely a sign of the past as businesses and corporations become more concerned with Capricornian fundamentals than with Sagittarian appearance and image. Capricorn is essentially practical and prizes achievement above all else, which means achievement of real goals and objectives. Although Pluto in Capricorn will bring out secrets (Pluto) of governments and other political entities (Cap), there will be an increased focus on proficiency, skill, and a successful outcome rather than spin and propaganda of the Sagittarian era.

I don’t know about you, but all of that sounds to me like a great improvement and to which I am looking forward!

Despite the many questions as to the legitimacy of this holiday, there are words attributed to Jesus that still have deep meaning on an esoteric level; particularly those from the gnostic or Essene writings.

• “Be calm, be loving unto others, be gentle, be peaceful, be merciful, give tithes, help the poor and sick and distressed, be devoted to Deity, be righteous, be good that ye may receive the Mysteries of the Light and go on high into the Light Land.”

• “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you. “

• They said to Him: “Shall we then, being children, enter the Kingdom?” Jesus said to them: “When you make the two one, and when you make the inner as the outer and the outer as the inner and the above as the below, and when you make the male and the female into a single one, then you shall enter the kingdom.”

• “Even the least among you can do all that I have done, and greater things.”

• “Souls are poured from one into another of different kinds of bodies of the world.”

• “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.”

Image from Zeitgeist Movie. Christians believe that their symbolic image of the cross derives from the crucifixion, but in fact the symbol of the cross has been around for thousands of years. The Zeitgeist movie makes a case for the derivation of the cross symbol from the cardinal cross of the zodiacal chart which celebrates the solstices and equinoxes. In any event, the cross was the symbol for the ancient Babylonian Sun God and came down through the Egyptians in the form of the Ankh, the cross topped by a circle.

Where religions are cults of personality and impose power over others, the ancient roots of spirituality empower the individual and encourage a personal knowledge of truth. As we celebrate the winter holidays, let us remember the words that open up the inner doorways and bring us into the light!

(This post will stay at the top until Christmas so see below for newer posts.)

I’m offering a special during January only: a 30-minute visioncrafting session for only $30. Changing our belief systems and creating a new vision for our life is so powerful, and I am so grateful to be able to participate in this process with clients.

These will be short sessions, but we’ll take a quick look at your chart to see where any blockages may lie and to see what planetary cycles are occurring over the next year. Then we’ll take the list of things that you want to change in your life (this will be your homework before our session), and I’ll help you to craft powerful statements to aid you in manifesting a new design for your life.

Yes, these are phone sessions and can be done from anywhere in the world. I pick up the cost of the call as long as it’s to a land phoneline.

Of course if you’d like a longer session and a more complete reading of the chart and forecasting I’ll be glad to do that too!

To sign up, send me an email or call me at the number on my website.

(reposted from last year)

This is really fascinating.

John Charles Webb Jr. left a comment with a link to his site which postulates that the “star” of Bethlehem was not an astronomical event but was in fact an astrological alignment that occurred on March 2, 5 BC (-4). If you run a HELIOCENTRIC (most Western astrologers use a geocentric system that comes down to us from the ancient Greeks) chart for this date you will see this formation of the Seal of Solomon, later called the Star of David. The story of Jesus is of course that he was of the lineage of the Hebrew King David.

This same configuration was present during the planetary alignment in 2003 that was called the “Harmonic Concordance”. This chart was a geocentric chart rather than heliocentric, but still it is a powerful symbol. The Seal of Solomon is known in the three Abrahamic religions, and is called the Star of David by the Jewish people. Astrologically the configuration includes:

• three oppositions
• a mystic rectangle
• two interlocking Grand Trines
• a hexagon of sextiles forming a Grand Sextile
• two “t-square” formations

Click image to enlarge this chart of the Harmonic Concordance.

Although conventional history teaches that the rotation of our planets around the sun didn’t gain acceptance until Copernicus, others believe that this knowledge was taught much earlier. The recently discovered “Antikythera-Mechanism” which is postulated to date from the first century b.c.e., may be based on a heliocentric model. (Scientists admit to being baffled by the age of the mechanism and unable to decipher its inscriptions. In addition, there are no other scientific innovations in Greek culture from that time period that comes even close to this instrument, making it likely that this “mechanism” comes from an ancient advanced society such as Atlantis or perhaps even another world.)

There is an organization called the “Magi Society” that uses the heliocentric model, and that connection interests me although I don’t have time to research it right now. If anyone has information about the Magi Society that you would like to share, please leave it in the comment section or email me!

Tomorrow’s Full Moon (December 23 at 8:17 pm EST) is tightly connected to the Winter Solstice since the Sun has only advanced one degree since the Solstice point. These cardinal points mark a seasonal shift, but because of the sign change there is also an astrological shift that takes place on a deeper level.

Solstices and equinoxes, as we said the other day, are defined by the entry of the Sun into a Cardinal sign. Cardinal signs are signs of action and leadership – they initiate new beginnings and a new focus. After moving through the cardinal sign the Sun moves into the following fixed sign, where there is a gathering and organization of resources and planning, and then through the mutable sign where it adapts its goals to the energies that are available before moving into the next shift at the next Solstice/Equinox event. The Sun is in the Cardinal sign of Capricorn now, next month it will move into the fixed sign of Aquarius and then, finally, through Pisces before reaching the Spring Equinox at Aries.

The presence of the Full Moon at the time of the cardinal shift shows the importance of this event. There is a movement forward; yet Mars is retrograde and Saturn squares it which creates a need to hold back and not complete the action quite yet. With the Moon in Cancer and the Sun in Capricorn, this Full Moon is highlighting the need to nourish one’s inner life (Cancer) while balancing the needs of our worldly obligations (Capricorn). A struggle is indicated during this Full Moon with the Moon conjunct Mars in Cancer which is in opposition to the Sun conjunct Jupiter in Capricorn. Mars is approaching an opposition to Jupiter which is exact on December 26, and the rebellious urge is growing in resistance to the Saturn/Capricorn pressure for contraction.

Under the Full Moon, the solar light illuminates the lunar instincts, and the subconscious gains more power as it is exposed to the light. Here, the Moon is in the sign of Cancer of which it is the ruler, intensifying the Cancerian need for home, family, and emotional security. With all this Saturn/Capricorn pressure to live in the real world, buckle down to the hard work, focus on our goals and achieve success, a large part of us is longing for the simplicity of a good meal with our loved ones and connection to our family, whether our family of origin or our spiritual family. It is probably no accident that families gather during this time every year in December during the Cancer Full Moon to celebrate the holidays. Retreat into the comfort of the company of loved ones is an essential phase in the cycle of life.

Fortunately, a trine of Mercury in Capricorn to Saturn on the 25th will provide an opportunity to reconcile our inner goals (Saturn/Capricorn) with this need for comfort and connection in a way that can link our inner lives more successfully to our goals and our intentions.

The strong Mars influence that dominates the Full Moon can conflict with the Saturn/Capricorn restrictions and need to keep our noses to the grindstone, creating the potential for an inner rebellion and dissatisfaction which can lead to reckless behavior. But Mars and Saturn, when yoked together, provide the key to success as the energy of Mars is harnessed to the discipline and vision of Saturn. When Mars retrogrades back into Gemini on the 31st, the power of the mind (Mercury) is brought into the picture just in time for setting our intention for the New Year!

photo from NASA
The charts for the four cardinal points (solstices and equinoxes) when the Sun moves into the four cardinal signs (Aries at the spring equinox, Libra at the fall equinox, Capricorn at the winter solstice and Cancer at the summer solstice) are often used to predict the energies that will be available over the next three months until the next cardinal point occurs.

Astrodatabank has posted the Solstice chart (also called Capricorn Ingress chart) and Ken over at the Weather Alternative explains about using the solstice chart for weather predictions:

The ancients had a different understanding. An astrological chart set for the beginning of each season at the corresponding solstice or equinox afforded them more than just a broad-spectrum look at the season in question. From the planetary positions and aspects contained in the chart they extracted a more detailed look at the quality of that particular spring, summer, fall, or winter. Would it be a dry season or a windy one? Would it be a mild or a harsh winter? When would certain weather phenomena take place?

These seasonal charts are set for the moment the Sun enters each of the cardinal signs of the zodiac. The Sun’s entrance into Aries marks the beginning of spring. Similarly, the Sun’s entrance into Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn denotes the beginning of summer, fall, and winter respectively. These Cardinal Solar Ingress charts are valid for the entire season they represent.

Read the rest of his weather forecasts here.

The notable thing about this chart is the four planets in a tight conjunction in Sagittarius/Capricorn including Pluto at nearly 29 Sag conjunct Sun and Jupiter at 0 Cap and Mercury at 2 Cap, all opposed by Mars at 3 Cancer. This is a powerful formation that fuses these planetary energies to the Sun at the time of the cardinal shift. I confess that I have not watched solstice and equinox charts to see how well they reflect the astrological climate, but this seems to me to be a pretty powerful planetary alliance that signifies important events. The combination of Jupiter and Pluto signify a desire for elevated and expanded power by the rulers, something we have certainly seen a lot of lately. The involvement of Mercury denotes a great deal of change and movement, and the opposition from Mars shows a fair amount of conflict in getting things done.

However, Saturn makes a trine to this planetary formation and a sextile to Mars, adding its competence and skill to efficiently assist in working through issues that arise. A square of Saturn in Virgo to the Gemini Moon, which craves understanding and a connection through language, shows that feelings will be hurt in the process. The square from Saturn describes blockages and frustration (Saturn) and difficulty in expression and communication (Gemini).

I did run the Solstice chart for Baghdad and found Venus right on the Midheaven. This is a good omen for peace and understanding (Venus) in that area.

I like what Robert Wilkinson says about the Solstice chart:

So despite the polarizations and oppositions to come, there will be unique gifts, realizations, and interactive blessings to be captured if we can find a new inspiration and figure out how to manifest it in a form that serves some collective need or emptiness. I have no doubt there will be more than one radical “karmic confrontation” coming these next 90 days, with those who are immature or inexperienced having a lot to learn from those who are wiser from their experience.