Tag Archives: Saturn square Pluto

Sun in Virgo, Full Moon, and a galactic “super volcano”

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The Sun has moved into Virgo, shifting the energy from the creative fire of Leo to the grounded and practical Virgo.  When the Moon moves into Pisces tomorrow morning (EDT) the Sun and Moon will begin to align in the Full Moon opposition formation and we will begin to see the necessity to balance our inner world of dreams (Pisces) with the outer world of details (Virgo).

The movement of the Sun through the signs has a relatively minor effect on the way that we perceive the world, but it does cast an overarching filter of light across all of our experiences.  Right now, in the Virgo galaxy cluster, a “super-volcano” driven by a huge gas pocket is taking place in the M-87 galaxy that could create new stars except for the interference of a massive black hole.

Galactic Super-volcano

I can’t help but be struck by the symbolism of this event considering current planetary cycles:

  • The conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus, recently in Aries and now separating as Uranus retrogrades into Pisces.  Jupiter’s expansion and the explosive potential of Uranian surprise in the hot fire of Aries.
  • Saturn square Pluto – the two lords of darkness facing off in what could be called a “black hole” of despair and negativity with a subsequent transformation.
  • Saturn opposing Jupiter – Jupiter’s expansive potential to create millions of new stars hampered by the Saturnian restriction of darkness via the black hole.

more details on the Supervolcano here…

For us personally, though, the intensity of the summer’s planetary cycles is beginning to wane and we are now moving into the integration phase, something which will be helped along by the retrograde cycle of Mercury which helps us to assimilate and process information.

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Mercury retrograde August 2010

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Mercury retrograde August 2010Mercury will turn retrograde on Friday the 20th at 3:59 pm Eastern time, but as Mercury’s (apparent) motion continues to slow down in preparation for its change of direction we could begin to see the famous communication glitches.  These glitches are by no means universal, so there’s no reason to panic!  But I find it’s useful to know about the Mercury retrograde phenomenon so that we can (a) be prepared and (b) laugh when we run into problems.  It’s just Mercury retrograde!!

Mercury is in its own sign of Virgo right now, so it’s a little more adaptable and can find ways to maneuver around any quirky glitches that arise.  However, the final square in the challenging Saturn/Pluto cycle occurs just hours after Mercury turns retrograde and that event could highlight challenges and difficulties.  On the positive side, as I’ve been noting, this final square of Saturn to Pluto likely marks the end of the worst of the challenges of the Cardinal Drama as the intensity of the planetary interaction we’ve seen since May begins to subside.  But this week is likely to bring bad global news and bad financial news until we begin to turn the corner after the 21st.

Mercury will remain retrograde until September 12, but don’t put your life on hold.  If you have to take a new job, or sign a contract on a house, or get married, or have a baby, don’t enter into these arrangements with a lot of fear.  But do your homework: recognize that it’s important to be especially conscious during this time because the brain tends to operate on a more internalized level which is why these are great times for introspection and meditation.  Pay extra attention to details, and try to be sure that all negotiations and agreements are as clear as possible and preferably in writing.

For more information on what Mercury retrograde periods are good for, tune into the Musings on Astrology radio show on Sunday morning at 11 am.

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Stocks fall sharply as the Saturn/Pluto square approaches

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This is what I’ve been warning about as Saturn and Pluto create an atmosphere of doom and gloom:

Stocks and interest rates tumbled Wednesday as investors around the world took a bleaker view of the U.S. economy.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 265 points, its biggest drop in six weeks, and all the major indexes fell more than 2 percent. The yield on the Treasury’s 10-year note fell to its lowest level since March 2009 as investors worried about the economy and avoiding stocks sought the safety of government securities.

Companies across a wide range of industries dropped Wednesday. Only 442 stocks rose on the New York Stock Exchange, while 2,627 fell, a sign that investors expect all businesses to suffer if the economy continues to weaken.

Investors’ gloom deepened a day after the Federal Reserve said it would begin buying government bonds as a way to stimulate the economy. News of slower industrial growth in China and a disappointing economic indicator in Japan helped send stocks plunging first in Asia, then in Europe and the U.S.

Saturn was the planet of death before Pluto came along, and Saturn and Pluto are not the most joyful of planets.  Saturn is all about reality testing, and Pluto seeks to destroy anything that is corrupt and rotting, so when the two of them meet in an energetic square we can generally expect the mood to dim.

I don’t see this as a bad thing, because it’s important to face the reality (Saturn) of the current worldwide economic situation rather than have blind hope for a return to the unrealistic growth of the past twenty years.  For investors this might turn out to be a very good thing, as the exact square of Saturn to Pluto, which occurs August 21, will likely be the bottom of the trough of investor confidence and promises to offer some good deals on stocks.  (Please note:  This is NOT financial advice!!!)

On the personal level, this is the final phase of the cycle which is usually less stressful than the beginning of the cycle, when the energy coming in has not yet been assimilated.

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Astrological news July 28,2010: the second wave

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Cardinal T-squareThe big Cardinal alignment of the summer reaches another peak this week with Saturn already having moved into position and Mars and the Moon lining up as well.  (For more information about the meanings of these alignments catch up with this earlier article on the summer’s events.)

Yesterday’s Full Moon marked the final phase of the Saturn/Uranus cycle. You can read more about that cycle here and in many articles on my blog. Suffice it to say that this period, which has lasted for nearly two years, has been the source of a struggle between security and conventional thinking (Saturn) and new ideas and ways of living together as a society (Uranus) which will now come to a close.

This closing cycle of Saturn and Uranus is part of the Cardinal T-square that includes a square to Pluto, the great Transformer.  Jupiter is involved too, because it is still tightly conjunct Uranus.  The Jupiter/Uranus combination brings us in touch with a yearning for greater freedom and expansion in our lives, and this is blocked by Saturn’s determination that we confront that which is difficult but necessary.

Pluto’s involvement assures that something will be left behind.  What are we holding onto that holds us back?  With this powerful combination of planets at work there is an opportunity for total transformation at the personal level, but it may not come easily especially if our own chart is being directly affected.

Mars is at 29 degreew Virgo as I write this, within a whisper of a conjunction to Saturn in Libra at which point Mars will activate the other planets into action.  Mars is a fast-moving planet and its influence usually lasts for just a few days, but it acts to trigger other planetary dynamics into action.

The conjunction of Mars to Saturn can be very effective at focusing our attention and energy, but it can also suggest challenge and difficulty if we try to take too many steps in the wrong direction.  Mars opposing Jupiter and Uranus can be reckless and become frustrated with Saturn’s blockages, tempting us to break free before we’re ready to take that step.  And Mars in a square to Pluto takes us deep into areas of power and the lack of it, and suggests that conflicts with superiors could arise here.

The intensity of this alignment is likely to peak around the 31st of July, when the Moon enters Aries and sets off the other planets, adding an emotional component that makes it all deeply personal, perhaps even for just a day or two.  Mars, however, will remain in the picture throughout the first week of August so during this time it’s important that we remain very aware of where we are putting our energy.  This can be an exhilarating time where we become passionately involved in something, but any time we have Mars interacting with Jupiter and Uranus there is some danger for the flaring of tempers and potential for accidents caused by reckless behavior.

After this point the intensity of the planetary energy begins to subside other than the final square of Saturn to Pluto on August 21st.  This is a challenging aspect, but it’s the final phase of the cycle where it completes the work and moves on.

For daily planetary updates, visit my Facebook and Twitter pages.

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Jupiter meets Uranus and the countdown begins

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Jupiter Uranus conjunction(Please refrain from making scatalogical jokes!)  Well folks, we’re getting down to it – the planetary drama that has  been much discussed over the past few years is finally upon us.  Our challenge is to be alert and aware of the impending explosion into consciousness of  a new awareness and experience, without devolving into fear as change begins to spin our world around.

The countdown to the Cardinal Drama, as I like to call it, really began back in early 2008 when Pluto entered Capricorn.  The Cardinal signs are the signs of initiation and change: Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn.  They are the most active of the signs, and planets in these signs tend to dominate other planetary influences.  The movement of Pluto (death and rebirth) into Capricorn (structure, discipline, reality) created a wave of consolidation that forever altered the financial landscape.

The second event leading up to the Cardinal Drama was the opposition between Uranus (that which changes) and Saturn (that which remains the same), an opposition which is still underway through the summer.

Over the next few weeks we’ll see the intensity begin to increase as the pure energy of life continues to accelerate.  This might feel like a carnival ride – thrilling for many, but frightening for some.  The intensity of the consciousness change that is at work here can completely transform us as individuals and as communities.  Here’s what’s coming up for the summer of 2010.

May 28 – Uranus enters Aries, instigating a change in the electromagnetic frequency that surrounds the planet (Uranus rules electromagnetic energy which is a building block of consciousness).

Because the cardinal signs initiate new activity, when planets move from a mutable sign (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) to a cardinal sign there is a sense of having completed one phase and moving into another.

June 6 – Jupiter enters Aries, followed June 8 by the exact conjunction of Jupiter to Uranus, merging the principle of expansion and confidence, optimism and righteousness (Jupiter) with the iconoclastic rebel and seeker of justice and equality (Uranus).

The combination of Jupiter and Uranus opens the mind and the sense of possibilities so that we can more easily embrace change, and this is extremely beneficial in light of the upcoming stressors between Saturn and Pluto and then next year’s square between Uranus and Pluto.

At the Summer Solstice, the Sun enters Cancer at zero degrees and forms an exact square (challenging aspect) to Jupiter and Uranus.  Pluto is tied into this aspect as well as it opposes the Solstice Sun, signifying a period of great transformation.

Just a few days later, on June 26, there is a Full Moon partial eclipse in Capricorn which is exactly conjunct Pluto and in range of a square to Jupiter and Uranus.  This is a powerful lunar event that also ties Saturn and Mercury into the Cardinal Grand Cross.

I believe that this is the event that will set the wheels into motion.  The Grand Cross is a powerful alignment that creates resistance that erupts into conflict and, ultimately, resolution.  Our resistance to change will be revealed under these influences and we will have to let go in order to ride the wave into a new future.

Complicating matters is that Uranus is stationary at the zero degree point where it is at its most emphatic.  Uranus asks us to become more authentic – to seek perfection at its most ideal, and to let go of any ideas that hold us back from achieving greater harmony with our highest purpose – living a life of pure joy with compassion and cooperation.

Meanwhile, Jupiter moves just a few degrees and then slows down in an exact square to Pluto between July 25 and August 3, fomenting rebellion and resistance to authority.  Righteousness and self-righteousness peak under this influence, enhancing the possibility of social chaos which ties right into the final Saturn/Pluto event on August 21st.

The square of Saturn and Pluto can be somewhat dark, but this is the final phase so its lessons have likely already been assimilated.  Saturn and Pluto ask: Where are the limits to our endurance – where can we no longer make adjustments and THAT’s where adjustments are necessary.  Saturn and Pluto bring the hard work that follows the expansion of Jupiter and Uranus.

These planetary cycles will be felt most deeply by those of us whose natal planets are aspected by the planetary movements in the sky.  It’s important to remember that nature strives for balance, and the only change and transformation that will occur is in areas that are out of balance.  This is true in our personal lives, and also in the world at large.  Nations and individuals who respect others and have built their world on a solid foundation will simply experience an expansion of awareness and an embrace of a variety of ideas.  Those who are living in deception and futility could be faced with challenges that will force a transformation that will ultimately lead to greater balance.

So in a nutshell, that’s my take on the Summer of Transformation.  Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting the ideas of other experts as well.

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The astrology of the Iceland volcano

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astrology of iceland volcano

Plumes of volcanic ash

Beginning late in December, with Saturn and Pluto aligned in a tight challenging square formation,  seismic activity began to activate the Eyjafjallojokull volcano area.  The challenging square formation creates a buildup of energy that necessitates a release, often an explosion or crisis of some kind.  Obviously, the Saturn/Pluto square has not caused volcanic eruptions everywhere, but this is an interesting coincidence.

Pluto is the god of destruction and regeneration, and as it travels through the earthy sign of Capricorn I have long predicted an upsurge in volcanic and earthquake activity along with other earth changes, particularly next year when Uranus and Pluto begin to square off in a challenging battle.

This seismic activity gave rise to a number of small earthquakes beneath the volcano, and by late February GPS readings showed the earth had begun to quickly displace.  Between the 3rd and the 5th of March, close to 3,000 earthquakes were measured at the epicenter of the volcano (source:  Wikipedia).

The current volcanic eruption is thought to have begun around 11 pm local time on March 20.  At the time the Sun had just entered Aries and was opposed by Saturn, setting off the Saturn/Pluto square.  At the time of the eruption, Neptune was sitting right on the IC of the chart for the local area, suggesting the presence of the water element and the presence of fog or mist.

Shortly after this initial eruption, a flow meter device recorded a sudden and unprecedented rise in water level and water temperature.

On April 14th, at the time of the New Moon in the early degrees of Aries (fire and initiation), the volcano resumed its eruptions, causing flooding and the release of a large cloud of volcanic ash that closed the airspace in Iceland and Norway.  By April 15th most of the United Kingdom was also closed to air travel, and the large cloud of volcanic ash quickly spread to other parts of Europe.

A look at the geodetics of the situation provides a clue to the location of this event.  Geodetic astrology is the fascinating application of astrology to the geodetic map, beginning with the zero degree Aries point at the Greenwich meridian.  Using this system, the Midheaven line of Reyjkavic in Iceland is located at about 9 degrees of Aries, in a close aspect to both the Saturn/Pluto square and the Aries New Moon.

The other area of the world closely affected by these planetary alignments is Los Angeles and San Diego, with the Midheaven in the early degrees of Capricorn and the Ascendant in the early degrees of Aries.  This area also experienced heightened seismic activity recently.

And unrelated to the geodetics of the situation but corresponding to the Aries New Moon, a fireball blazed in the sky throughout the midwest states of the US on Wednesday night as the fiery Aries New Moon squared off against Pluto.

Update:  Jamie Funk kindly linked to this article and added an interesting fixed star connection:  ”The fixed star Scheat is 29pis31. The day of the last New Moon, Saturn was exactly opposite at 29vir31. This is important because Scheat has long been associated with catastrophic events. The influence of Scheat is gaining strength as Uranus is applying within one degree of this star, soon to be followed in conjunction with Jupiter. Aviation has been effected before when planets conjunct Scheat, as discussed in Jupiter Conjunct Uranus – Scheat 2010.”

Dharmaruci adds: Iceland has natal Saturn (its physical structure) at 29.39 Gemini. Uranus will exactly square this Saturn in a few weeks, and Jupiter a few weeks after that, so it would not surprise me if the current volcanic activity coninues, or even intensifies, over the next 6 weeks, or even through to next March, when Jupiter and Uranus make their final squares to the Icelandic Saturn.

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New CIA warnings and the upcoming Cardinal Drama

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The new CIA warnings that Al Qaeda will attempt an attack on the United States in the next 3-6 months is not a surprise to those of us monitoring the stars.  The square of Saturn to Pluto that occurred on January 31st, just two days before the announcement, is an aspect of fear and challenge.  After all, the opposition of Saturn to Pluto, the last major cycle of these two planets, coincided with the attacks of September 11.

The final phase of the Saturn/Pluto square occurs August 21st and that would be a likely time for another attack.  Saturn is in Libra right now, with Pluto in Capricorn.  Both are “Cardinal” signs, meaning they are the signs that mark the turning of the seasons.  Cardinal signs are action-oriented and create a great deal of movement and initiation of new things.  Uranus will enter Aries in late May of this year, and at that point we will enter what Ray Merriman calls the “Cardinal Climax” and other writers have called this event the “Cardinal Crisis,” but I prefer to use the term “Cardinal Drama,” even if it means losing the alliteration of the double “Cs”.  There’s no guarantee that this will be a climax of any kind, or even a crisis.  But there will certainly be drama.

This Cardinal Drama is a major event lasting for the next three or four years, in which Uranus in Aries will face off first against Saturn in Libra, and then enter into a square to Capricorn Pluto which will continue from 2010 to 2013.  (For more on this subject please see the radio show/podcast on the Astrology of 2010.)  Uranus in Aries will bring about violence (Aries) by individuals (Uranus) rather than nation against nation, especially as Uranus gets involved in a challenging square to Pluto’s repression in Capricorn.

Leon Panetta, CIA director, is more afraid of individual extremists acting alone:  ”It’s the lone-wolf strategy that I think we have to pay attention to as the main threat to this country.”  The planets agree with this assessment.  In addition, cybersecurity is a concern with Uranus involved since Uranus rules technology of all kinds, and in Aries, the sign of aggression and warfare, suggests that cyberbattles are a very real threat.

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Mr. Obama Goes to China

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Much has been said about the fact that President Obama has not pressed China on human rights during this trip, and that China has not released any dissidents as they have in the past during previous visits from US Presidents.  Human rights advocates, of which I like to think I am one, are calling for the US to take a stronger role in applying pressure on China to improve its human rights record, to free Tibet, to buy more American goods, to expand democracy within its borders.
The problem is, the US has lost its power where China is concerned and Obama is well aware of the lack of leverage he has to assert the usual demands.  China has very quietly over the past few years been buying up the US debt in the form of treasury securities, and currently owns nearly a quarter of the US debt.  That is more than any other nation.
In 1988, foreign interests owned only 13% of the debt; by 2007 that figure had climbed to 25%.  At that time, Japan topped the list of foreign holders of US debt with $644 billion compared to China’s $350 billion.  China now leads the way with $800 billion which generates about $50 billion a year in interest for that nation.
The US has clearly lost its bargaining chips in the face of these facts.  If China loses interest in its investment in US bonds and tries to dump its holdings, it could collapse our economy.  Such a move would also mean a collapse in China’s investment, which is a no-win for everyone.  But there’s no doubt that the balance of power has shifted as the ownership of the United States has moved to the East.
The current cycle involving Saturn (challenge and limitation) and Pluto (endings and transformation) is tightly aspecting the Midheaven in the chart of the United States.  The Midheaven in a national chart describes its government and its standing in the world, as well as the President of the country.  Pluto began to square the Midheaven back in 2008 as the nation floundered under economic pressures, and Saturn is crossing the Midheaven right now as Obama attempts to bring the American message of democracy, human rights and spending to the Chinese.
I think we will look back on this period over the next few months as Saturn moves back and forth over the US Midheaven, and realize that this was the time that global power shifted to the East.  I wrote about this last month when George Soros indicated that China needed to be included in any global discussions.
China is certainly behaving as if they understand that the balance of power has shifted.  Hopefully the folks that run things in Washington will wake up to that before it’s too late.
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The Astrology of the Charter for Compassion

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The combination of Jupiter and Neptune aligns religious philosophy and thought (Jupiter) with the spirituality of the experience of compassion (Neptune).  Jupiter and Neptune conjoined between May and July of this summer as part of the larger planetary cycle that includes Chiron, the planet of wounding and healing.  The alignment between Chiron and Neptune began in February of 2009.
Last year Karen Amstrong, winner of the TED prize in 2008 and a former nun, requested of the TED community:

“I wish that you would help with the creation, launch and propagation of a Charter for Compassion, crafted by a group of leading inspirational thinkers from the three Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and based on the fundamental principles of universal justice and respect.”

The first phase of the project was the writing of the Charter in the fall of 2008, and in February of 2009, as Chiron (healing) and Neptune (compassion and spirituality) conjoined in the sky, the Charter was given to the Council of Conscience, a group of spiritual teachers from a variety of nations and faiths, for finalization.
The Charter for Compassion was released on November 14, hours before Saturn (structure and rules) formed an exact square to Pluto (transformation, endings and new beginnings).  There are several major planetary cycles at work right now:
  • the triple conjunction of Jupiter, Chiron and Neptune which has encouraged us to face the wounds of the past so that they can be healed (Chiron) and the ego transcended through spiritual experience and universal compassion (Neptune);
  • the opposition between Saturn (the status quo, conventional rules of behavior) and Uranus (radical new ideas and revolutionary thought forms);
  • the square from Saturn to Pluto, completing the breakdown (Pluto) of social and governmental structures (Saturn) that are no longer working.
  • Saturn having just entered Libra, the sign of collaboration, bringing a structured approach (Saturn) to interpersonal relationships (Libra).

Under these three big cycles, major change and transformation can occur.  Perhaps accomplishing this really could be as simple as a call for compassion in the world’s religions.  As Armstrong herself wrote:

That is why we are launching the Charter for Compassion tomorrow. Compassion does not mean pity; it means to “experience with” the other. The golden rule, of always treating all others as you would wish to be treated yourself, lies at the heart of all morality. It requires a principled, ethical and imaginative effort to put self-interest to one side and stand in somebody else’s shoes.

The golden rule does not advocate naive bonhomie but impels us to examine our presuppositions, change our minds if necessary, and submit our assessment of a dilemma to stringent criticism. One cannot act for the true benefit of the greatest number of people if not fully apprised of the intricacy of a particular situation; this calls for an intellectual effort, an impartial investigation of the history of a problem, and an honest attempt to look into an opposing viewpoint – instead of simply relying on discussion that happens to chime with our own opinions.

Compassion demands that we dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world. It has been central to the religious quest as well as to the Socratic tradition of philosophical rationalism. We have failed to live up to this ideal. Altruism may have been an important survival mechanism for our ancestors at a particular stage of their evolution; it may also be key to our survival today.

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Saturn Square Pluto: Reshaping the World We Live In

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Part II.
As we begin the final square of the current cycle in the dance between Saturn and Pluto, what can we expect? The opening salvo in this square occurs on November 15, and Saturn and Pluto will be in a tight aspect through the second phase of the cycle in January of 2010. The Saturn/Pluto cycle operates on a global level, but also on a personal level. What will we need to let go of personally (Pluto) in order to achieve a firmer footing (Saturn) in our lives? Where do we need to face the hard truth (Saturn) and break through barriers for change (Pluto)?

The fact that Pluto is traveling through Saturn’s sign of Capricorn is significant, as it provides a double emphasis on the need to build a strong foundation (Saturn/Capricorn) from which we can derive real power and transformation (Pluto). Anywhere we have been deluded or swayed by mass hypnosis into unconsciousness, we will have an awakening that can be exhilarating or rude in accordance with our ability to understand the process.

The impact of this Saturn/Pluto square will be particularly powerful in the United States because it is affecting the Midheaven of the US chart, the point of the government and its standing in the world. Events that were set in place during the opening square and the opposition will come to fruition now, for better or for worse.

The conflict between Saturn and Pluto often generates a great deal of fear, particularly in the face of intense events that occur around us. Any time we encounter Pluto in its guise as the Lord of Death we can become fearful in the face of the certainty of endings and change. But Saturn requires that we face our obligations and work diligently to overcome them, regardless of the obstacles that are placed in our path. In doing so we become stronger and more powerful; better able to navigate any rough waters that we encounter.

If this planetary combination affects your own chart, you are being called to find the delicate edge between control (Saturn) and surrender (Pluto). This is a creative balancing act that is taught in many yoga classes, where we become aware of the edge of our ability to control our lives and our experience, and then we surrender as we release that control to go beyond those limits.

In the square aspect, such as we see here with Saturn and Pluto, there is the potential to integrate the power of the two planets in an experience of powerful transformation. But first we must embrace the darkness and dive into the unknown with perfect love and trust.

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