|
For the last six months, I've been looking at the movement of
Uranus and Saturn into water signs (Pisces and Cancer) as an
opportunity to celebrate our connections with each other rather
than focusing on our differences. Water, as an undifferentiated
mass, unites all things, gives life to all things, and absorbs
most things. Rituals and ceremonies use water to represent
birth, fertility, and cleansing, from baptism to rain dances
to alchemy. Morning dew, tears, and amniotic fluid illustrate
these properties of water.
From a Jungian perspective, water represents the feeling side
of life, where we are all connected through common human emotions.
September 11th united us through emotions of grief, compassion,
and outrage. Most of the world community felt elated when the
Berlin Wall came down in the late 1980's.
While I agree with other astrologers and writers who see Uranus
and Saturn in water signs emphasizing water quality, water rights,
floods, droughts, and tsunamis, I'm more interested in how we
will be affected, psychologically and spiritually, over the next
two to seven years. Is this a revolution in spiritual consciousness,
a wake-up call to nurture our creativity, or a baptism in transforming
old emotional insecurities that can separate us into feeling
at home within ourselves and more deeply connected to one another?
The answer, undoubtedly, is all of the above and more. And yet,
learning to love our questions and living our way into the answers
is part of the fluid, watery process we find ourselves in. Recent
and current planetary alignments point us in the right direction,
providing the map and describing the landscape we must navigate.
Here are some of the pieces of the map from where I stand.
Harmonic Convergence
In August, 1987, many of us celebrated the Harmonic Convergence
when time stood still and a window of opportunity opened. A grand
fire trine linking Jupiter in Aries and Uranus in Sagittarius
to a stellium of planets in Leo emphasized the importance of
open hearts, wisdom, courage, and creativity. It was an invitation
to the Pluto in Leo generation--the baby boomers-- to step up
to the plate and use their considerable talents wisely for the
benefit of all.
A yod to the Moon in Gemini from Pluto in Scorpio and Neptune
in Capricorn signified the need to open our minds, transform
old thoughts, and practice right speech and right mindfulness,
two aspects of Buddhism's eight-fold path.
May, 2000 Alignment
In early May, 2000, seven planets were positioned in Taurus.
An alignment of this magnitude is rare and reflects larger social
and cultural changes. Just as the alignment of seven planets
in Aquarius in February, 1962 ushered in a revolution of consciousness--the
civil rights movement, the end of colonialism in Africa, environmental
awareness, the women's movement-- the Taurus alignment represented
a revolution in values, the economy, the environment, and a time
to bring the beauty of spirit into form.
We've witnessed the Stock Market's roller coaster ride, the
WTO Demonstrations in Seattle, and the increasing tensions between
global economic policies, humanitarian rights, and environmental
protections. In order to manifest the beauty of spirit, we have
to ask ourselves: What do we value and what is important to us,
sharing this very small planet in the 21st century?
Mars' Perihelion and Perigee
Mars made the news in August, 2003 as it came closer to the
Earth and the Sun, simultaneously, for the first time in 60,000
years. Fires raged in the Cascades of Oregon, only 35 miles from
where I live. Guerrilla warfare in Iraq replaced the accepted
rules of combat. Friends, family, neighbors, and clients were
experiencing emotional conflict and inner turmoil.
In mythology, Mars, god of war, was accompanied into battle
by Phobos (fear) and Deimos (panic). And it is true, on a psychological
level, fear and panic are often masked by anger and aggression.
When we feel scared and backed into a corner, we often bare our
teeth and growl or even attack.
But Mars was also the god of agriculture for the Romans and
the word Mars means to shine. So, there's another level of interpretation
available that says this is a time to grow, to shine, and to
become who we really are. What does it mean, psychologically,
when Mars approaches our planet so closely? Certainly, we've
seen its' neurotic expression, seen in the examples above. And
in its' wisdom manifestation, is Mars in Pisces trying to remind
us that we are spiritual beings on a human path?
So, Mars energy is up and in our face from the end of July when
Mars went retrograde until November 8 when Mars returns to 10
degrees of Pisces, its' position when it went retrograde. And
that is the exact time of the upcoming Harmonic Concordance!
Harmonic Concordance
A lot is being written about the lunar eclipse and the configuration
of planets on November 8, 2003 called the Harmonic Concordance.
Here we have the template that brings the meaning of the 1987
Harmonic Convergence, the May 2000 alignment, Mars' perihelion
and perigee, and Uranus and Saturn in water signs into focus.
The alignment, made up of grand earth trine and a grand water
trine that form a six-pointed star, contained within a hexagon,
is breath-taking. The six-pointed star is a symbol common to
Judaism, Christianity and Islam, which seems to remind us again
of our connections rather than our differences. It is the union
of all opposites--masculine and feminine, light and shadow, conscious
and unconscious. The union of water and earth is creation and
nurtures all life.
The sextiles that link the planets within the star form a container
of opportunity to bring the beauty of spirit into manifestation.
This is the shape of the honeycomb, nature's perfect storehouse.
(We could learn a lot from bees right now, and if you haven't
read The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, get hold of a
copy). This alignment is the divine feminine: Quan Yin and Tara,
the Virgin of Guadalupe and White Buffalo Calf Woman, the Holy
Mother and Shakti.
It is the yin energy of connection. We are reminded that we
are spiritual beings on a human path and we each have a way to
bring the beauty of spirit into form. Some of us are teachers,
some of us are healers, some of us are artists and artisans.
Others are parents, volunteers, or community activists. Whatever
your gift is,seize the opportunity and midwife it into form,
using the energy of this extraordinary and beautiful alignment
on November 8.
|
