From the archives: The Ebb and Flow of the Cycles of Time

April 23, 2012 By

astrological transitsby Lynn Hayes, reposted from 2006.  Mandala by Paul Heussenstam.

As humans, we tend to think that happiness is better than sadness, that good luck is better than bad. We may avoid difficult confrontations and pursue more comfortable situations. When tragedy strikes our well-protected lives, we shout out to our god of choice: “How could you do this to me??” We believe that our birthright is the pursuit of happiness, and we spend our lives trying to protect ourselves from sorrow.

The soul, however, has a different journey. The soul travels an ancient evolutionary path that seeks wisdom and connection with the divine. Often in our desire to defend ourselves from discomfort, we erect barriers within ourselves. Often we become so effective in compartmentalizing our emotions we become cut off from our very selves, our soul and our spirit.

In astrological terms, the orbiting planets form geometric angles to each other as they travel through the solar system, and also to our birthchart planets. We call these movements “transits.” Each transiting planet has its own nature, its own personality and its own purpose—calling upon us as the ancient gods they represent to bring forth something in ourselves that has been lost. The inner planets move quickly: a transit of Venus will encourage relationships and creativity, a transit of Mars demands that we defend ourselves appropriately. Easy Jupiter transits can bring financial opportunity, or liberate us from difficult situations, whereas the challenging transits can cause reckless and risky behavior. The outer, or transpersonal planets, including Saturn which acts as the bridge between the personal planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter) and transpersonal (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto), take much longer to traverse the zodiac and therefore their effects are felt for a longer period of time.

Some periods are harmonious and bring opportunity, and some are difficult and bring challenges and pain. However, hidden in each cycle is a gift that can aid us in our evolutionary journey as individuals and as the human collective.

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December Skywatch is posted!

December 1, 2011 By

You can find it on my website here, or sign up for your own subscription with a translation into English.

Meanwhile here’s what you need to know about the first week in December, along with a synopsis of December’s major events.

OVERALL ASTROLOGICAL PICTURE

In December 2011 and January 2012 we will continue to see a relatively quiet planetary weather pattern. Jupiter and Uranus are highlighted now since they both change direction in December and they have both slowed down to a crawl in preparation of their direct turn. For most of December Uranus is at 0 degrees Aries and Jupiter at 0 degrees Taurus which puts them in an inconjunct aspect – a challenging aspect that creates friction without providing a release. In some ways this can be more difficult than a square aspect in which there is a resulting outer conflict that comes to a resolution, but it tends to be more of an irritation than a conflagration. Jupiter and Uranus both want change and neither tend to be satisfied with the status quo, so there is a great deal of pressure to shift now out of patterns that have become calcified and no longer fit.

During the first week of December Jupiter is approaching a harmonious sextile to Chiron which opens the door to healing and understanding that will help us to navigate through the challenges presented to us by the minor planets in early December. This is the second phase of a cycle that began in July, and because Jupiter is stationary right now and Chiron is also moving slowly having just changed direction in November, the two will be in a sextile formation until this cycle ends in February. Jupiter helps to facilitate the healing of wounds that Chiron inspires, opening opportunities and doorways for that healing to penetrate into the core of our being. This is a very positive aspect, but like all Jupiter events it will require that we pay attention so that we can use the opportunities that are provided to us.

Because most of December’s planetary interactions involve the fast-moving planets, these phases last only a few days at the most. The faster planetary cycles can provide needed stimulation and trigger us to move in and out of changes that may be occurring in our personal lives due to planetary interactions with our natal planets.

Mercury has been traveling retrograde since November 25th and will turn direct on December 13th.

DECEMBER DETAILS

December begins with an alignment from Venus to Pluto. Venus rules relationships, but also values and assets, and with Venus in the highly disciplined sign of Capricorn we are likely feeling very responsible to those around us. Pluto brings intensification and powerful experiences, so our relationships are likely to feel that force and power struggles can be the result. Pluto demands authenticity and truth, so for a day or two we will need to strip ourselves of any artifice that keeps us from engaging directly. Venus is also involved with finance, and as I write this on November 30 we are already seeing some rocking and rolling in the stock market that is likely to continue for the first few days of December.

The Sagittarius Sun and Mercury are lining up to form a square to Mars in Virgo on December 2. This cycle lasts only few days but can bring ego issues to the forefront to be dealt with and can make communication more difficult. Challenging aspects involving Mars carry a huge amount of energy that we can channel physically to improve our ability to temper emotion with wisdom, but they also tap into areas where we may feel frustrated or powerless. Identifying these areas will go along way in helping us to gain empowerment under this transit. This period is not favorable for negotiations of any kind since tempers can be short under this influence.

Fortunately a trine from Venus to Mars on the 5th will smooth out the rough edges of the more challenging Mars period. Venus seeks connection with others and Mars desires satisfaction of our individual needs, so this harmonious aspect brings out the best of both planets, making it easier to balance our interactions without sacrificing our own needs. And the sextile from Jupiter to Chiron discussed at the beginning of this article culminates on the 6th, further facilitating the healing of our interpersonal relationships but also of our own soul wounds.

for daily planetary cycles visit my Facebook and Twitter pages.

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Top Planetary Events of the Week: Nov. 23-29

November 22, 2009 By
This is written for Eastern time zone, please adjust for your own locality.

  • Moon begins the week in Aquarius – emotional detachment prevails.
  • Lots of Venus this week!  Venus in Scorpio squares Jupiter on the 23rd creating a fertile climate for social events; however, there is a possibility of broken dates (Jupiter) and demand for retribution (Scorpio Venus).
  • Moon moves into Pisces on the 24th at 11:07 am bringing dreamlike wonder and mystery.
  • The Sun forms a harmonious sextile to Saturn on the morning of the 24th.  Focus and acuity are the gifts today!
  • Venus squares Chiron all day, peaking near midnight – watch for hurt feelings and the necessity to go deep where others are concerned.
  • Venus trines Uranus on the 25th – break out of your routine and look for the unexpected.
  • On the 26th (Thanksgiving in the US) Mercury trines Mars, limiting the number of arguments that are likely when families get together.
  • On the other hand, a square from Venus to Neptune suggests that unrealistic expectations may create some problems.
  • Moon enters Aries late on the 26th, and for a few days it’s all about ME and that’s a good thing.
  • Moon enters Taurus early on the 29th, bringing with it a need for luxury and delicious foods.
  • Mercury is sextile Chiron on the 29th culminating late in the evening bringing greater wisdom to our emotional world.
You can sign up for Lynn’s Skywatch: Planetary Illuminations, a monthly report of planetary activity from an astrological point of view, on my website.
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Musings on Planetary Transits and Ten Rules

October 28, 2009 By
Note: “transits” are the passing of planets in the sky to planets in our birthchart.  The geometric angles that planets make to either other describe the nature of their interaction.  There are harmonious transits, which bring ease and opportunities; there are also challenging aspects, which can bring discomfort but motivate us to change areas of our life that aren’t working.  For more information see this article on my website.
Everyone experiences planetary transits differently, and that’s why what we call “cookbook” interpretations, while helpful, can only go so far.  Depending on where we are in our life and in our soul’s evolution, we can experience planetary cycles on a physical or reactive level, on an emotional or instinctive level, or on a spiritual and integrative level.
When I was new in the astro biz, I had just completed my first Saturn return.  I have an extremely difficult chart, and any time a planet moved it bumped into something in my chart and created stress for me.  In the readings I did for others, I assumed that the challenging cycles would create similar stress for them.  That did not always occur, and I assumed it was my faulty prediction.   But I came to see that while some people do become rather stuck in a particular place, others more through challenges more easily and as we get older this difference can become more pronounced.
Some of my greatest teachers have been my elderly clients who, on a path of transformation their entire lives, have become more and more free as they integrated the difficulties in their chart.  And as I’ve matured myself I’ve come to see this in my own life; a Saturn transit does not now hold the same fear that it held for me twenty years ago.  Saturn is getting ready to hit my Mars after a two-year visit of Pluto on my Mars, and I’m ready to get down to business.  I often have clients call me who are getting ready to go through their second Saturn return and they are fearful because the first one was so difficult but the second Saturn return is nearly always easier than the first.
If we resist the lessons of the planets, though, and fail to integrate those energies into our life (for example, in the case of Saturn if we flee from responsibility and shirk our duties) these transits will be more difficult.  There is a certain amount of planetary alchemy that we can create through our own intention, but any lessons that need to be learned will still come about.
We can’t solve every planetary problem with planetary alchemy, though.  A couple of years ago Saturn was about to transit my Leo Moon/Pluto conjunction.  My relationship with my mother has always been treacherous, and though it has greatly improved since she moved to North Carolina about eight years ago I didn’t want to take any chances, so I told her that while Saturn was on my Moon I thought it was best if we didn’t see each other for a few weeks.  She agreed and I prepared to hunker down for my Saturn transit, journaling and working hard.  But then she found a tumor on her dog and I ended up having to take her to the Vet hospital and we ended up in a raging battle.  So Saturn got me after all, but we did work through it eventually and ended up in a better place.
Planetary cycles are not to be feared; each planet has its own job and its own lesson plan for us and will only create challenges where we are weak and need to develop inner strength and resilience.  Approaching a transit with trust and openness will help us to get the most out of the experience.
I visited a friend yesterday and on her computer she had this list of Ten Rules for being Human.  I love this list and it’s relevant to this discussion, so I share it with you:
by Cherie Carter-Scott
1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it’s yours to keep for the entire period.
2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, “life.”

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The “failed” experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately “work.”

4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.

5. Learning lessons does not end. There’s no part of life that doesn’t contain its lessons. If you’re alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.

6. “There” is no better a place than “here.” When your “there” has become a “here”, you will simply obtain another “there” that will again look better than “here.”

7. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.

8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life’s questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

10. You will forget all this at birth.
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Jupiter Direct! And Exactly Trine Saturn…

September 9, 2008 By

When a planet changes direction (as we see the planet from our vantage point on Planet Earth), it is particularly powerful. Today we have Jupiter turning direct after spending several days in conflict with Mars, Mercury and Venus.

Jupiter brings expansion and makes everything that it touches larger than life, and when it conflicts with other planets it can be a bit of a bully.  Jupiter in square aspect to Mars (drive and assertion) creates a lot of aggressive energy; in square to Mercury (communication) promotes arguments and a sense of righteousness.  We are certainly seeing all of these dynamics being played out in the political arena, where the rhetoric has been extremely heated over the past week since the Republican convention.

The trine (harmonious aspect) of Saturn to Jupiter over the past week has the potential to harness Jupiter’s positive power in a way that can effect real change, and Obama and McCain have agreed to appear together at Ground Zero to honor the anniversary of the September 11th attacks, and to refrain from campaigning on that day.  On September 11, Mars, Mercury and Venus will line up in Libra where tact and diplomacy rule.  Even Bill Clinton will get into the picture, with a reported meeting scheduled with Barack Obama to hopefully put away the hatchet once and for all. The Sun opposes Uranus (sudden change and reversals) the following day, so there may be some surprising news come out of either of these meetings.

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Full Moon! And Other Planetary News

April 19, 2008 By

I’m finishing a hectic week so I will quote from Skywatch. I should be back to my regular schedule by Monday so please bear with me over the weekend. I will try to find interesting things for you to read, though.

On the 18th Mercury trines both Pluto and Saturn, enhancing their influence on each other as they dance together but never aspect each other completely. The addition of Mercury to this combination increases our understanding of the process on a much more conscious level. This is a great time to make plans for the future, especially after a big Plutonic change.

The Sun enters Taurus on April 19, beginning the season of fertility that connects us to the Earth. Taurus is associated with all things associated with Gaia, the mother goddess of the Earth, and as the Sun moves through Taurus those delights are illuminated.

The Moon is Full on April 20th, when the Moon in Scorpio opposes the Sun in Taurus. Scorpio is of course the sign of emotional intensity, where we dive deep into the underworld of our subconscious and discover the nasty bits of greed, envy, jealousy and other dark emotions that lie beneath the surface. By uncovering these emotional treasures we become more authentically who we are, and that is the ultimate goal of the Scorpionic process.

This year we have not just one, but two Scorpio Full Moons!! (The next one is in mid-May. This first one, on April 20th, is an powerful lunation (moon event) – apart from the Scorpio influence, there is also a T-square involving Mars in Cancer opposing Jupiter in Capricorn, both square to Venus in Aries. The opposition between Venus and Mars is interesting, because Venus in Aries is more aggressive and self-centered than it usually is, and Mars in Cancer is far less aggressive and far more concerned with taking care of others. So there is a dual polarity here between self-initiation and nurturing/connection that will be highlighted during the Full Moon period (about three days before and after the actual event). Mercury conjoins the Sun and opposes the Moon, so there is an intellectual component here as well.

Adding balance and stability to the Full Moon event is a Grand Trine between Saturn, Pluto and the Sun/Mercury conjunction, all in Earth signs. This is actually a Kite formation, with the Moon forming the apex of the Kite. The Kite is a more dynamic aspect than the Grand Trine, which is easy and flowing but not at all energetic.

After the influence of the Full Moon has subsided, Mars and Venus continue their dance of influence. On April 22 Mars (energy) forms a trine (harmonious aspect) to Uranus (innovative thinking) and Venus is sextile Chiron, making this an excellent time for collaborative ventures that involve brainstorming or coming up with new ideas. However, Venus is approaching a square to Mars and to Jupiter that will bring up once again the issue of our own individual needs relative to those of others. These aspects culminate on the 23rd and will throw a few ripples into the calm waters of the past couple of days, and the opposition between Mars (individual needs) and Jupiter (expansion) will exacerbate these problems for a day or two.

The energy is shifting, and I know many of you are feeling it. This is part of a larger shift that I believe is the shift between the ages, from Pisces to Aquarius. The more we can work WITH the energy shifts, the easier the changes are. Resistance is what causes pain, not change.

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War and Change

March 18, 2006 By

Art Gianfermo has a great article about Jupiter/Neptune and the Iraq war:

As we move close to the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, even experienced military experts like Lt. Gen. William E. Odom are calling it “the greatest strategic disaster in American history.” With a new $92 billion war funding bill destined to breeze thru the House, the financial cost of the Iraq war to over $400 billion. The cost in human life is incalculable and with the planet of death and massive transformation, Pluto in exact Square to the Sun (vitality and purpose) tomorrow realization will finally began to set in deeply.

Today, 3-16 was the second pass of a Jupiter in waning square to Neptune @ 18*39′ of Scorpio and Aquarius. Not only does this aspect correlate to large amounts of rainfall and floods in different parts of the world but also signifies an irrational enthusiasm – a false optimism. Neptune has been called the planet of hysteria just as Jupiter links to euphoria and expansion. In the sign Scorpio dealing with annihilation and transformation, Jupiter has increased the debt load for the US. Today we find out that the Senate voted Thursday to let the federal government add another $781 billion in debt to the nation’s balance sheet. Borrowing limit is now close to $9 trillion.

Astrology is the study of cycles of change, and in our personal lives as well as on the global stage we sometimes find ourselves careening to extremes of experience before true understanding and wisdom can occur. Looking back in our personal lives, we often see that a devastating experience leads to healing and a deeper understanding. There is a rhythm and a dance to the effect of the planets on our earthly experience. Understanding the nature of the cycles helps us to listen a little more closely to the music that moves the dance, and helps us to see its effects on a little wider screen where we gain a better perspective.

Saturn is “stationary direct” right now – its motion has slowed to a crawl as it completes its retrograde pass and prepares to turn direct in early April. Saturn always puts pressure on us to face reality, and when combined with the influence of the Jupiter/Neptune square AND Mercury retrograde, there’s a lot of confusion right now over where the reality really is. I am looking hard at the eclipse at the New Moon on March 29, which will be followed shortly by Saturn’s direct turn. At this point many situations, including the Iraq war, will become more clear and work can begin to clean up the various messes that have been made over the past few years. I am looking for change in the Iraq war situation, clarity over the Iran nuclear standoff, and increased attention to other areas in the world such as Afghanistan and Sudan where demons still lurk.

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Planetary Conflicts Reflect the News

November 20, 2005 By

The movement of the planets and the angles that they form to each other produces an energetic effect that influences humans and nations. At the moment there are some challenging formations that are creating pressure for change both in our personal worlds and the global arena.

The planet Uranus is concerned with breaking up old patterns and creating new dynamics. In retrograde motion since June (appearing to travel backwards from earth’s perspective), there has been a slow building of tension as structures that are no longer working begin to fracture. Uranus turned direct on November 18, and suddenly issues of smoldering concern have erupted into the public view.

Mars is the god of war, ruling aggression and the setting of boundaries, and it has just made a square (challenging aspect) to Saturn, which rules social structure and stabilities. Monday 11/21, Mercury (communication), which is retrograde (internalized) will square Uranus (radical change) and the fires of conflict are likely to be stoked. Examples of this in recent news include the chaos that took place in the House on Friday over an incendiary vote over withdrawal from Iraq, and the violent protests on Friday outside the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Busan.

In times like this, discomfort in our personal lives may come from holding fast to the status quo when clearly change is needed. Learning to let go and see things in a different light will be very useful for the next week!

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