Short Term Global Transits and Eclipsing in Progress

Just like scientists of every discipline, astrologers are always learning. That's part of what defines astrology as something other than a 'belief system' - and why the word metaphysics references to the science of 'physics' as opposed to a religion or belief.

So like everyone else, I watched universal factors unfolding in the Middle East with dismay. Obviously I reacted by blogging about the situation Egypt, which has unfortunately only worsened (rapidly) since that post went up.

As I lay a-bed this morning (wishing I could ignore the exercises given me by my physical therapist) I thought about what else I could look at, explore and share with you here at Ye Olde Blog.

The first thing which came to mind was an eclipse map.

You say you didn't know eclipses have maps? Oh sure you know eclipses have maps...you just don't know that you know eclipses have maps!

I'll prove it to you. Every time there's an eclipse, some reporter in your local area spends a good three or four seconds telling us where the eclipse will be visible. That's taken from the eclipse path...a track of 'eclipse shadow' which is cast across the face of planet Earth.

Voila - an eclipse map! It's that section of Earth you know as 'where the eclipse is visible.'

So I went to pull up the eclipse map for the January 4, 2011. You know, the by-now famous Solar Eclipse at 13 Capricorn.

And up came this map...

 

That's a pretty good way of picturing an eclipse which sweeps 'across the Middle East.'

Whether a given country or regime-administration-reign indicated by such a map would be affected by any given eclipse, that we find out by using national and personal horoscopes - just like we did with regards to Mubarak and Egypt.

Also - I should post a disclaimer here: you will (or at least should) never hear any credentialed, ethics toting  astrologer prophesize death. It just isn't done.

With that now said, there's a lot going on. The eclipse has obviously centered it's 'shadowing' effect on Northern Africa. But the rest of us are going through things too. There's a lot of 'clearing the decks' and 'cleaning house' going on. People are sorting out what's important and wrestling with themselves and their own decisions (or ability, or willingness to make them) as much as anything else.

 Jacob Wrestling with the Angel by Leon Bonnat (1876)

 .

People are getting honest with themselves about what their standards are - what they want their world to include or be done with.

Wrestling with their better angels, one might say...

That's very much part of this time which as we may remember is all about the solar eclipse hitting atop Vega - a star all about charisma and symbolic charisma. 

(LINK to blog on January's Solar Eclipse)

Solar Eclipses tend to foreshadow their eventualities by provoking unrest before the eclipse hits, showing up the worst of the "tendency" in the couple of weeks right around when it hits. After that comes a 'blacking out,' an elimination of whatever has been eclipsed.

In this case, that would be the 'power of charisma' - the Vega Factor. So not only will despots fall, but we will be less able/willing to kid (aka charm) ourselves into the kind of complacency which will allow us to deal with anything less than our honest truth.

 'Fixed' star Vega, showing it's debris ring, as

photographed by the Spitzer telescope

photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

It may come out "against" us, it may be with regards to others. Or about what we've been doing to try and place nice, make nice or "pretend" that everything's okay.

Okay...so then what?

Considering we're still in the lunation (first month) after the eclipse, it would seem to be likely that many a 'rock' will be shook loose from its tenuous perch during that time.

That month is up on February 3rd. Which - interestingly - is the New Moon which marks the Chinese New Year.

From now until then, lunar astrology tells us that we have already passed the Last Quarter mark, the Moon's Last Quarter having occurred at 12:58pm (UT/+0) on the 26th - roughly when trouble broke out in Egypt.

The last lunar quarter is associate with making goals manifest and attempts at integration. Of course where goals are divergent and integration fails, then problems show up.

As the weekend ends, the Moon will move into the last of its eight monthly phases, that being the Balsamic phase, a time of releasing the old so that we can move on to the new. For some, this requires a period of purification. For others, there is a recognition of realities and a 'transformation' through the acceptance of what realities are, as opposed to whatever our dreams or expectations may have been.

The transiting Sun conjuncts Ceres at 0:54am (UT/+0)

on January 31, 2011

 

This rather coincides with the chart snippet shown above - the transiting sun (in blue) conjuncting Ceres (light blue) at 10 Aquarius.

This degree is an interesting one in that it refers to 'where we come from' in life - and the relative effect this has on one's life and thus, our relationship to our society and world.

There is a quality of being able to seize on the idealistic 'right' here which in an interesting not-quite-offset to Scheherazade-Nessus-Amphitrite being all in conjunction at 19 Aquarius, a degree all about the ability to go through 'hell' and like the Phoenix, rise from the fire.

 

 'Scheherazade Went on with Her Story....'

by Virginia Frances Sterreff (1928)

In this degree we have Scheherazade, a point all about how dire threat can in actuality, bring the best out of us, teaching us what we are truly capable of being and doing. Nessus being 'poisonous jealousy' and Amphitrite the ability to adapt and become happy once we accept our assigned 'tasks' the question thus becomes whether we are using that Nessus poison or reacting to having been on the receiving end of poisonous jealousy, doing good or being productive in spite of all.
 
This sounds very esoteric, doesn't it? Okay, then lets try it in a simpler, more down to earth tone: can you make the best of a bad situation? Are you willing to hold yourself to your best qualities even when the going gets beyond tough?

Some now will. Others won't. And some...some will realize they didn't and correct their internal course, rising 'like the Phoenix' at this point and to the necessary...(dare I say it?)...degree.

All this Aquarian energy is ruled first by Saturn (which we remember has just gone retrograde, right?) and then by Uranus, which is fused with Scheat at the moment at the end of Pisces.

And let us remember that Scheat is always popular  rejection. With Uranus shuddering the status quo, it's the very status quo which is being shuddered, producing the spectacular awful results in the Middle East, but also some quaking in each of our minds and lives.

 Uranus showing its rings in the company of several of its Moons

photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

In short, the Aquarian rule is that if you do the Saturn work, you get lasting and glorious results. Where you have cut corners, foregone standards or being an arrogant so-and-so, the results are as we see in the Middle East: rebellion, insurrection, collapses of various kinds.

Now...let's be real. You probably aren't going to have a private revolt in your back yard. (If you do, be sure to post it on youtube!) But the idea of the point remains true: those who have tried to 'get by' or not play 'by the book' and observe the rules - particularly our own rules - are likely to have problems surfacing now. They may come totally out of left field. And yet somehow, somehow they will zero in and trip you up exactly where you broke with your own standards.

The New Moon of February 3rd is going to have it's own post. That I know because it's already scheduled. But in following this period through it's worth noting that on February 4th at 3:16pm (UT/+0) the Sun will conjunct Mars, doing so at 15 Aquarius.

 The transiting Sun (in blue) conjuncts Mars (in red) at

15 Aquarius 27 on February 4th at 3:16pm (UT/+0)

There are two things to be particularly aware of here. The first is that Sun/Mars is a potentially highly rational...or highly explosive combination. It can even be both, cutting through the prattle with astonishing, often unexpected swiftness.

Given how Aquarius is a fixed sign - which is to say a sign which holds back and plans or hesitates - until the moment comes when it springs into action, this may well be the moment when something gives in your life. And yes, in the world.

Look for unanticipated developments.

Fifteen Aquarius, as a degree is highly fervent. Whatever is done is generally done 'across the board.' And that fits the other side of fifteen Aquarius - namely its position in the zodiac as one of four 'cross-quarter' degrees.

 The zodiac's cross-quarter points

At 15 degrees of each fixed sign is a 'cross-quarter' point - as above. In lunar astrology, by bisecting the four natural quarters of the horoscope wheel, we come up with the eight phases of the Moon.

February 4th is after the end of the Solar Eclipse's "personal" lunation. But figuratively...this is when the Sun reaches the Balsamic 'release point' which would trigger the letting go of the old year and the starting of the new process which (as celestial happenstance would have it) is marked by the February 3rd Chinese New Year New Moon.

More to the point in a greater sense however, this would be a moment of 'release' and 'letting go.' For some of us this will be a situation. Or a feeling. Or a certainty. Or an uncertainty.

On the global scale, one can only hope this causes deadlocks to release without great damage or loss of life.

For all of us, on many levels, this is a chance to learn. Let's hope we do! And that we think of something productive and constructive to do in the coming months as we deal with the letting go of the old and the taking on the challenge of the new, through which we will each be renewed.