A Water Grand Trine in Planetary Major

Image based on a photo of water impacting a water-surface

(photo credit: Marion Felippe, January 2008)

In our last episode (welcome to my celestial soap opera) the highly attractive Venus slid her hot planetary self into Leo. And yes, Venus is hot – but not that kind of hot! On the average, it’s something like 462 degrees Celsius on Venus’ surface.

(Talk about a Sun burn!)

But Venus fluffing into Leo ‘mane event’ sort of mode wasn’t the only astral event which was of note on June 26th. No sir, not at all! June 26th was also the date when Jupiter moved into Cancer.

You might say that as Venus began to roar, Jupiter got crabby. But we won’t go there. Instead we will turn to a fact of FAR greater astrological importance: namely, that in moving into Cancer, Jupiter was not only creating a triumvirate of major planets in water signs, but – because Saturn is at 4 Scorpio and Neptune is at 5 Pisces – Jupiter also came into that 5-degree standard orb which would energize a rather grand Grand Trine in the element of water.

And this is of importance WHY, you ask?

Well, this is of importance to all those on Earth who have feelings. Or even feelings about feelings, as water is the zodiacal sign of all things feeling…and all those things we feel the most about (family, sex, money, death, birth, war, home, homeland and so on).

So to have major planets in each of the zodiac’s water signs? That’s a big to-do. To have them in aspect to each other?

That’s a big giant deal.

And on top of that, two of the three planets in question here have ‘essential dignities’ in the signs they are transiting. What’s an ‘essential dignity’? That’s astrological shorthand for saying the effects seen during that planet’s transit of the given sign is stronger than one might expect.

Think of it as turning up the volume and you won’t be far from wrong.

So we have Saturn in Scorpio, representing our efforts to grow our ‘structural effectiveness’ and the various pro and con things which happen there (representing how stable we really are with ourselves and how adept we are with the whole realm and range of forming supportive alliances with others).

‘In the Shadow of Saturn’, one of spacecraft Cassini’s most startling and beautiful images shows planet

Saturn aligned between Cassini and the Sun, the light of which is diffused by Saturn’s

multitude of rings

(photo credit: NASA-JPL-Caltech)

Saturn has no particular dignity in Scorpio, it’s just a fabulous opportunity to move ahead in life or a long series of headaches, depending on how you handle things. (Or don’t, depending.)

Then we have Jupiter in Cancer. Why Jupiter is dignified in Cancer has never really crystallized in my brain. (My alleged brain, that is.) But Jupiter is dignified in Cancer, meaning that for the next year or so there is a whole shopping cart’s worth of subjects which could go well…or simply get out of hand, depending on a.) how well we deal with and from our native emotional nature and, b.) whether we’re on a right track with our life as a whole. Cancer being the sign of ‘populations’ (national, familial and otherwise), this is a positively propitious period if you want to do something to get your name on the map.

Of course if you look around and listen to the news, it’s pretty obvious that renown isn’t always a positive thing. There are those who get known for their very worst attributes, and there are those for whom public exposure becomes a personal hindrance. Even a disaster.

Jupiter’s tendency to ‘enlarge’ everything is highly likely to result in a spate of hearing people who dreamed big and made it big…and people who got carried away in a very bad direction. There are those who will now move up in the world, and those who will find themselves swallowed up as by the ground itself. 

Planet Jupiter as photographed by spacecraft Voyager
(photo credit: NASA-JPL)

While I’m thinking about it…though I’m not fully proficient in astrological meteorology, it doesn’t take an astro-genius to guess that a grand trine in water might very well herald some pretty large events of the Very Wet Kind. Think weather, tides, rivers, ice floes, water bourn illness, boats, underwater drilling, all things fishy and otherwise oceanic – the works.

But don’t just stop there. Water signs do ‘point’ to things which directly have to do with water, yes. But they also point to everything which provokes or evokes emotion. So people will be more emotional. And there will be things to be emotional about, whether that emotion is love, lust, greed, anger, sorrow, glee, awe or anything else.

Let’s also not forget that because a grand trine of any sort represents an ‘ongoing pattern’ which is very hard to break out of, this could refer to a continuing drought. Or continuing cruelty. Or an unremitting illness.

Or – yes – continued success. On the personal level it really all depends on how water signs operate in your chart…and to some degree, the ‘condition’ of your Moon – some portion of which can probably be told by your feelings…and your relationship to feelings in general. So maybe you’re someone who avoids feelings altogether. Or you shy away from anything negative. Maybe you’re known as insensitive. Or you’ve buried something shame, some guilt, some ‘inner knowing’ that you’re not doing what you should be doing under your mental rug.

(You know…it’s amazing what lurks under mental rugs – not to mention the emotional gunk we try to flush down the psychic drain!)

This photo of Saturn’s south pole reveals a really intriguing hexagonal  cloud formation.  Whatever the planetary mechanics may be which produce this, it does remind me of the classic concept of work and responsibility which are part of the ‘sixth phase’ in the metaphysics of astrological thinking.
(photo credit: NASA – JPL)

The dynamic of grand trines being ongoing and pretty much inescapable, the up-versus-down of what goes on now because LIFE is providing such ‘consistent’ support, provocation, opportunity or lack of same (depending on where we are with ourselves) is the underlying crux of a metaphysical process which starts ‘in orb’ state on June 26th, and which never ‘perfects,’ except at whatever level we accept life’s imperfections as perfectly normal.

And that may be part of the ‘learning process’ which comes with this period: feelings aren’t perfect, life is messy, we’re always going to be dealing with something.

But is that bad? Probably not, as lack of satisfaction is one of the primary motivators of change, action and acceptance of life as reality – not some ideal we’d like to think life is.

Maybe the point is about how once we accept the glitches, challenges and problems, then we start working to improve things where and how we can without feeling diminished or having to deny, ignore or indulge in false fronts?

Maybe. Meanwhile, here's a list of days and dates which apply to this water-trine-in-motion.

In many ways, this is emotional time is embraced - or if if you prefer, bracketed - by Mercury's retrograde passage. It all starts with Jupiter entering Cancer at Mercury station-retrograde. And that's sort of akin to a metaphysical pointer causing us - by whatever means - to focus on inner feelings. Maybe it's just what we feel. But then again, maybe it's about why we feel a given way. Or...given that Mercury is going retrograde late in Cancer (while Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune are all in early degrees) – maybe that's a tip-off about how we need to be conscious of what others say, think or do.

Or don't say, think or do.

Or how or why we don't agree with them...or how, why and where they don't agree with us.

Of course this would also make sense thought of as some life factor or incident which ‘enlarges’ (Jupiter) on something in our (Mercurial) mind. And maybe that causes us to focus on new goals. Maybe we're sick and tired of something. Maybe we've reached our breaking point.

Or maybe we've just had some sort of break through. Or we're breaking out of some shell - even one we may have loved and cherished for however long.

While I'm thinking about it, if you have points in early degrees of any water sign, they're going to get 'swept up' in this grand trine formulation. For instance, my Moon is at 7 Scorpio. So as soon as Jupiter reaches 2 Cancer, that draws my Moon into a grand trine effect.

Seeing as my personal Sun is at 4 Pisces (meaning there's a native water trine in my natal chart) I'm used to trine effects. And you may be too. But a grand trine "deepens" the effect, making it something which is virtually 'inescapable' for a while. 

In essence, whatever begins formulating will represent some form of reaching for a ‘new step in the process’ as Saturn reaches its station in early July at a Cancer New Moon. Or, seeing as this is Saturn we're talking about, something coming to be. Or something ending. The idea of Saturn as 'a structure' can be something we build our life on (or within) or something we wall something out with.

And since Cancer is a sign the Moon rules, this incoming Saturn station is going to be a time when feelings come to be more clarified - which isn't to say those feelings will be all good. They could be, of course - combinations of Saturn emphasis and lunar 'punctuation' are well known for delivering rewards or results. Or getting us to move on something we've been dithering on!

On the other hand, Saturn-Moon combinations sometimes have to do with fears. Even rejection. Yet strangely, even as they inhibit one thing, a New Moon-in-Cancer combining with Saturn-in-Scorpio may signal our turning away from the old in favor of doing it the way we know (deep down inside) we should be doing it.

Yes, we may just grow up. At least a little now!

Then there's Saturn and Jupiter. Jupiter and Saturn having long been known as that combination which builds nations and brings down kings, Jupiter reaching its trine-point to Saturn on July 13th brings up where life is ‘going together,’ where things are ‘stuck’ or where they’re coming apart. Given the degrees involved, many of us will be facing ‘fateful confrontations’ which, though set off by circumstances, are really about our own willingness to take life on as an individual or on some individual basis. Like as not this is what we will all be dealing with as Neptune backs into 4 Pisces on July 15th (UT/+0 time), bringing this major planet grand trine to ‘perfected’ focus over the 15th, 16th and 17th…during which time Uranus just happens to be going retrograde.

Planet Neptune, as photographed by NASA

(As if such things happen coincidentally?)

Breakthroughs versus breakage versus being ‘broken down’ by is the Uranian note, one which as a contributor (so to speak) of the ongoing water trine suggests a shift, a realization, a recognition of our own part in the creating of our own dramas. That we think others don’t see about themselves, maybe we don’t see in ourselves. The cost of not expanding our (Uranus in Aries) scope of consideration may be exactly why we don’t get consideration (or considered) by others.

We can’t do what we say to others ‘don’t do’ and think the karma of that choice isn’t squarely on us.

And that, my friends, is one of the things this watery grand trine seems to scream over all: what we work to create defines what we earn...but how we go about doing it becomes our karma.

Even from a couple of weeks in advance of Uranus’ station (in other words, now) it would seem pretty darn likely that life will be enveloping us in circumstances which we don’t quite control, but which we also ignore to our own detriment - particularly in that oh-so karmic way. We can't shut out the uncomfortable, nor is what we want always what works best in the long run. Life will out. Life will always out! Life will find a way to prove to us that we don’t control experience, experiences control us. The integrity we live with, we need to live with because life – as Existence – is integrity in the sense that the All, the Everything is the integrity we call Existence. Our opting out of this or that for our own emotional comfort doesn’t disrupt life – it only stunts us.

And what is stunting? Isn’t it another way of saying ‘short-changing’?

It’s all so very interesting. Noodles to noodle over, maybe we should say. And noodle we will, whether that’s ramen, linguini or otherwise, in our mind, in our life, and yes – maybe even in our tummies.

When Jupiter moves to 5 Scorpio on the 18th, that marks the grand trine's intensity beginning to loosen. But let's not kid ourselves - it's not over yet! 

Not hardly. With Uranus going retrograde on the 17th and Mercury going direct on July 20th a day after Eris goes retrograde is a whole new ticket to adventure.

And let's be real here....when you put Uranus, Mercury and Eris together, 'adventure' is the nice word for it! So much energy is now coming to a head and for whatever reason the Aquarian Full Moon on July 22nd strikes me (even without analysis of its details) as a 'trigger point.' Will that mean something is touched off in real life...or in our psyches or feelings?

And still this water grand trine continues on. Considering the Uranus-Mercury-Eris relationship through all their stations we are going to be...or be put into position to respond to something. But what is that going to be? Will it be something delightful that we've set up and which like some fairy tale is now coming true? Or is it some emotion-laden cost for ‘unspent’ capital held too close for our ultimate purpose?

Whatever happens, it's going to be a noisy time. Emotionally noisy, if nothing else.

Jupiter's Rings (in False Color) as photographed by Voyager 2
(photo credit: NASA-JPL)

But as this grand trine ends come August 10th (a few days after Mercury exits its retrograde shadow) maybe we will have come to realize the difference between recognizing the need to take responsibility for our own feelings (whether they be heartwarming or challenging)…or not.

By that time, Venus will be in Virgo, a clue which suggests that where we came into this time imagining we knew what was good, maybe ‘good’ isn’t about the fun and pretty stuff. Do we use emotionality as an escape? Or is it a symptom which at some level simply expresses our desire to have everything be as we imagine it as a defense against fear of the unknown?

That leads me to one of my pet questions: isn’t ‘the unknown’ another name for what we have yet to learn and be enriched by?

What’s so scary about that? Isn’t learning more and becoming more ‘emotionally solvent’ in our own souls how we come to feel better about life itself?
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