Jupiter Turns Direct Today!

October 13, 2009 By
Jupiter changes direction today, moving forward again after several months of retrograde travel.  When planets change direction they slow down to a crawl and their influence becomes more powerful than ever.
Jupiter’s influence is all about good luck and good fortune, as well as confidence and our potential for growth in all areas.  There is a tendency towards generosity but also of indulgence.  Jupiter is in Aquarius now, where it has been aligned with Chiron and Neptune since the early part of 2009.  In Aquarius, Jupiter is even more idealistic than usual, and this year Jupiter has been working overtime to promote ideals of fairness and social justice under the Aquarius banner.  That battle has brought up a lot of chinks in the social fabric, with the pressure of Chiron to resolve unhealed wounds, and the insistence of Neptune to go beyond that which is practical.
Jupiter will catch up to Chiron and Neptune in November and the three planets will travel tightly together again until the conjunction peaks once again in February.  These three turned retrograde within a day of each other at the end of May, causing us to look back and do the work of healing the past that has been required.  With Jupiter moving forward again we will be able to move forward once again and put the benefits of this work into action.
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The collision of Jupiter and the Triple Conjunction

July 23, 2009 By

Jupiter and Chiron reached their exact conjunction on Wednesday for their second time in this cycle, just as it was discovered that a huge body in space slammed into Jupiter, giving it a bruise “as big as the Pacific ocean.” Chiron of course is known as the “Wounded Healer,” and the synchronicity of the wound to Jupiter becoming known to us here on Earth as Jupiter conjoined Chiron is an interesting one.  Those two are within a degree of an exact conjunction to Neptune as well, and the Triple Conjunction is still very much in force.

In another striking coincidence, it was fifteen years ago to the day that the comet Shoemaker-Levy collided with Jupiter.  At the time, Uranus and Neptune were conjunct in the sky, combining the radical new ideas of Uranus with the spiritual inspiration of Neptune.  This was the best and the worst of times for the New Age movement – there were brilliant new insights flooding the airwaves, as well as the most stupid of deceptions and illusions.

Jupiter in astrological symbolism represents the field of unlimited possibilities, but it also has to do with our formulation of a sense of meaning in life.  If we look back to the 1994 collision of the comet with Jupiter, we can see that this time period created drastic changes in the way we constructed our belief of the meaning of reality.  Perhaps we are on the verge now of another big breakthrough of consciousness.  Or perhaps it was just another space collision.

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Total eclipse of the Sun, July 21-22 2009

July 18, 2009 By

The New Moon that occurs at 10:35 pm EDT on July 21 (2 am GMT July 22) is also a total solar eclipse, in which the Moon passes in front of the Sun from our perspective here on Planet Earth, obscuring the light of the Sun for a short time.

Solar eclipses always occur at the time of the New Moon, when the Sun and Moon are in the same degree of an astrological sign and said to be conjunct.  Because the conscious intention of the solar principle combines with the instinctive longings and reactions of the lunar principle at the New Moon, these are excellent times for new beginnings.  But in an eclipse, the solar principle is temporarily blocked and the lunar principle prevails.

Eclipses can only occur when the New or Full Moon occurs near the Lunar Nodes, the points at which the Moon crosses the ecliptic of the Sun.  In the astrological language, the Nodes of the Moon represent the evolutionary direction of the soul, with the South Node pointing to the direction from which we have come, and the North Node the direction of our future.  Therefore, the symbolism inherent in the eclipse is a powerful clue to the evolutionary potential in an eclipse event.  This upcoming eclipse is very tightly conjunct the Nodes – within one degree – which portends its importance for planetary evolution.

The ancient Chinese, Incas and Hindus viewed the nodes of the moon as the Dragon’s Head (North Node) and the Dragon’s Tail (South Node), and they perceived an eclipse as the Dragon eating the Sun or the Moon.  From the beginning of the use of astrology, somewhere over 2,000 years, eclipses have been used to time significant events.  In a typical year there are two pairs of eclipses, but this year there are an astonishing six, indicating that this is a significant year for change.

The upcoming New Moon is not only an eclipse but also the second New Moon in Cancer (a phenomenon also known as the “Secret Moon.”)   Because Cancer rules the Moon, it is particularly powerful in Cancer and because this is an eclipse of the Sun, the lunar influence is even more powerful.  The Moon presides over all issues of emotion, but also our emotional connections to each other and to our ancestral history.  Cancer is known for its concern with family matters but that sense of family extends beyond the nuclear family, and even the extended family, to the entire tribe of which we are a part.  Some of us have strong family ties; others of us create our own tribes that serve the family role.

Because of the intensity of the triple conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune which is still tighly in alignment, many of us are more sensitive and more highly reactive than usual. Under the eclipse the influence of the solar conscious mind is diminished, and the emotional power of the Moon stands raw and undiluted.  The Triple Conjunction is already stripping away the veneer that we have built to protect us from ourselves; the eclipse may accelerate the process of unmasking the vulnerability (Moon/Cancer) that reveals our true heart.

The first New Moon in Cancer occurred in June on the day following the Summer Solstice which added its own bit of drama. This New Moon is at the 29th degree of Cancer, within two degrees of the North Node. The 29th degree is sometimes called the “critical degree,” and there is a sense of something coming to a close, of needing completion. The New Moon, when the Sun and Moon conjunct, is typically a time of new beginnings; however, here we have something new beginning and closure occurring at the same time. The Sun is on the cusp of Leo, so the fresh new start is already in place – we have only to turn our view so that we are looking forward again and we will be in motion.

The New Moon is trined by Uranus, the planet of radical change and surprise, suggesting that the new wave of evolution will not be what we are expecting.  Uranus demands that we let go of any rigid ideas that we have and open up to the intuition of the higher mind.  A harmonious sextile of Mercury to Mars is embedded in the New Moon as well, helping to sharpen our focus and provide us with the mental energy we need to get through any difficulty we encounter in our day.

Relationships may be under some pressure with a square of Venus (relating and beauty) to Saturn (disappointment and restriction), and we may find that this is a time that the soul prefers solitude to companionship.  This is a time when we are pulled deep within ourselves and the presence of others in our lives may create pressure with the Saturn/Venus influence.  On the other hand, Saturn inspires us to greater loyalty and commitment so it is possible now through the hard work that is required of a Saturn square, a challenging aspect, to strengthen our relationships based on the Truth that is emerging from within.

The effect of the eclipse will be most powerful for those who are currently undergoing transits to their chart from the Triple Conjunction, or who have planets in the very last degrees of the Cardinal signs (Cancer, Capricorn, Aries and Libra).  The eclipse is also most powerful in the areas where it can be seen, which in this case includes central India including Mumbai and Bhopal; Nepal, Bhutan, Shanghai, and the islands south of Japan.


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An astrological look at elections in Iran

June 13, 2009 By

Iran electiosnMaybe holding elections in Iran on the day that Mercury (communication and information) was in a challenging square to the big Jupiter/Chiron/Neptune conjunction wasn’t the best idea. During the past few weeks the opposition candidate, Hussein Moussavi, had become wildly popular especially with women, many of whom crave liberation from the oppressive Islamist regime.  News reports claim that the turnout exceeded 82%, but the current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appeared to have been elected in a landslide.

The country erupted in riots today as the hopes of millions of voters were dashed and rumors of vote-rigging spread throughout the country.  The main telephone network in Tehran was blocked and access was cut off to numerous websites including Facebook and Youtube.

This is a challenging time in Iran, as transiting Uranus passes over the conjunction of Mars and Mercury in the chart of the Islamic Republic of Iran.  That Mercury/Mars conjunction points to the heated (Mars) rhetoric (Mercury) that has been a staple since the Islamic revolution in that country, and Uranus transiting over those points has elevated this to a new degree.  Uranus is the planet of revolution and change, and when it transits Mars there is generally an upheaval of some kind.  Because of this, I fully expected Moussavi to win this election. But Uranus is also the planet of surprise, and the planet that instigates reaction and it’s possible that the revolutionary fervor that accompanied the news of Ahmadinejad’s win could spark off a resistance in Iran that could eventually lead to long-lasting change.  Note this Newsweek article:

“I’ve never had so much fun in my life,” said Nazli Hosseini, a 19-year-old graphics student, who was dancing  with a group of boys and girls to the music of the Black Cats, an L.A.-based Iranian pop group. “A few years ago I couldn’t even dream of doing this on the street. But now, thanks to the collective hatred of Mr. Ahmadinejad, we can dance till 4 in the morning. This means that Mr. Ahmadinejad and the illiterate people who support him cannot stop us anymore.” Hosseini stopped, changed the music, and started again. “This one is in the honor of Mr. Mousavi,” Hosseini shouted as she continued to shake as if her life depended on it. …

Whatever the coming announcement is–a Mousavi victory, an Ahmadinejad resurgence, a second round of voting–something has changed in Iran over the course of this campaign. Iranians from unexpected quarters have started to express themselves, and the leaders of the Islamic Republic now face the uncomfortable reality that the people must be listened to.

The median age in Iran is about 26 years, with 70% of the population under age 30.  Iranian youth are suffering under high unemployment and runaway inflation, and 20% of Iran’s youth population is unemployed.  The young people want greater freedom and chafe under the restrictions of the mullahs.  This is a fertile breeding ground for revolution.

In February of 2008 the Sun in the progressed chart of Iran chart transited progressed Chiron, signaling a healing crisis in the nation, and in May of this year the progressed Sun crossed the Midheaven of Iran’s natal chart.  The Midheaven in the chart of a nation signifies its government but also the way that nation is perceived in the world, and the transit of the progressed Sun over that point signals a new importance for Iran in the global picture.

You can read my original profile of Ahmadinejad here, Uranus in the sky is in an opposition cycle right now to the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in his chart that will be creating some radical change (Uranus) in his fortune (Venus) and the way that people see him (Jupiter).  However, transiting Pluto is making a harmonious trine to natal Pluto in a cycle that concludes this summer and fall which is typically a time when we are able to become fully empowered.  This could bode well for his political future.

The Uranian changes in Iran right now will necessitate that become more flexible as he adapts to the growing voice of his people (Venus).  Most reports assert that the Iranian people are not as anti-American as Ahmadinejad’s government, but it is likely that with the Iranian progressed Sun crossing its Midheaven the nation as a whole is heading for a position of greater power on the international stage.

Update:  Thanks to Jill for this link to an article outlining fraudulent acts in Friday’s election.

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Mercury squares the Big Three today

June 9, 2009 By

Mercury is moving quickly through Taurus and today it forms a challenging square to the triple conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron and Aquarius. Mercury is the processor of our experiences; it digests the stuff of our daily existence and converts it into usable data that can be run through the softwareof our mind.

The square is a challenging 90 degree formation and today it may be difficult to process the emotions that are springing forth as a result of the triple conjunction.  But as with any challenging aspect, the discomfort of the challenge forces us to find a way to mediate it and come up with a solution.

For the next couple of days don’t be alarmed if you are feeling somewhat distressed and unable to make sense of the way you feel.  Try to relax and listen to the voices of the mind and the heart, and see if there is a way to negotiate a compromise.

While Mercury is squaring off against the Big Three, it is also in a harmonious alignment (sextile) to Uranus, the planet of innovation and fresh ideas.  Mercury and Uranus are great allies and the presence of Uranus here adds more mental agility.  Listen to the intuition that comes at a moment’s notice, and follow its advice.

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Full Moon in Scorpio on Friday!

May 7, 2009 By

Scorpio full moonImages from La Chambre Magique. The Scorpio Full Moon technically doesn’t occur until 12:01 am on Saturday (May 9) EDT (how appropriate for the Scorpio lunation!!), but the energy will be building all day as the Moon gets closer to its opposition with the Sun.

Full Moons are intense because of this oppositional pull between the Sun and the Moon that forces us to balance the polarity of the opposite signs.  In this particular case we are working with the intensity of Scorpio’s emotional need for drama and depth with the Taurus desire for peace and serenity.  Scorpio tends to strip away at the veneer of social niceties that Taurus creates in its pursuit of stability, and emotions are raw now and intensified.

The Full Moon is at 18 Scorpio includes the challenging square to the alignment of Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune in Aquarius.  Expect an intensification and possible release of the darker emotions that we hide in the darkness, along with a powerful yearning for an experience of Spirit to cleanse the darkness and bring in new light. A harmonious aspect from both the Sun and Moon to Saturn helps to stabilize our intention and give us the patience and focus to do the work that must be done.

The doorways are open now, and the potential for magic awaits!

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