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Friday, March 4, 2011

Child, Charybdis, Arachne and Polyhymnia on station: Moments of Thinking





 

With the Lunar Nodes just having shifted into a Sagittarian/Gemini axis of need to make our choice and follow it through (regardless of bumps along the way), Polyhymnia goes on station.

To be exact here, Polyhymnia will go direct on March 6 at 9:42am (UT/+0). And given the two days before/two days after station affect ‘window,’ that means the question of reflecting on what’s happened before making a choice or choosing to move ahead starts on the morning of March 4th and ends on the morning of March 8th.

As a muse, Polyhymnia doesn’t quite fit the normal concept we have of Muses as glorious figures which inspire us so that off we go, la-dee-dah’ing merrily off along the garden path, singing as we cavort.

Nice try, but apparently not all muses dance to that particular tune. The very name Poly-hymnia gives us the clue: polymeaning ‘many’ and ‘hymnia’ meaning either the song or the ode or the thought being expressed in the song or ode…this is an interesting celestial commentary all by itself and doubly interesting seeing that Polyhymnia is going direct pretty much right after the Nodes shift into a sign polarity where it’s easy to talk and talk but do nothing…and just as easy to insist you know what’s right without fixing or improving anything – never mind taking a substantial step forward.

One of the many main belt asteroids, the astronomical Polyhymnia cycles from a ‘far point’ (aphelion) from the Sun where it keeps relative company with servants to/of divine will and necessity which include the dutiful servant Echo (who failed to recognize who was boss), fateful Klotho (who sometimes can’t see what she’s doing), sacred server Hebe and Charybdis, the daughter so loyal to dad Poseidon (aka Neptune) that she didn’t heed the instructions of Uncle Zeus, aka King of Olympus and as we know him astrologically - Jupiter (knowledge/knowingness).

And what did Zeus/Jupiter do? For Charybdis continuing to just go along and go along and go along every time Neptune wanted to swamp this seaside town and overwhelm that ship, Jupiter transformed Charybdis into a monster which creates whirlpools in order to swallow ships (and humans) whole.






So at one end of Polyhymnia’s cycle, the question is will you serve, serve well – and as you serve, what priorities function as your safeguards? And at the other, Polyhymnia asks us to reflect on a couple of our our strongest human instincts…one being to ‘leap before you look’ (Icarus) and the other being all about following our passions (Eros).

This would seem to be all about a question of proportion, priority and retaining a sense of self, lest we take a fatal (Icarus) fall or otherwise be transformed into something we never intended to become (Echo and Charybdis).

So there’s the backdrop against which we start into this station period with asteroid Child entering Capricorn at 11:04 am (UT/+0) on March 4th. This could be our efforts to ‘grow ourselves in the world’ or it could be the desire to create something new or grow ‘something’ in a worldly setting.

Whatever Child is in your life, as it makes this Capricorn ingress in advance of Polyhymnia’s turn to direct motion implies there are ‘reflections’ yet to come. And considering this is Capricorn we are talking about Child entering into, pragmatism and realism like as not does apply…which seems apt, considering Polyhymnia’s “boundaries.” It may even be that there will not be a ‘turn of events’ in the fuller sense until Saturn (ruler of Capricorn) goes direct in mid-June – this probably going double (or particularly) for those who are working on something which had an ‘inward’ (development-redevelopment-structural) turn when Saturn went retrograde late this past January.

A day passes. Then on March 5th at 1:27pm (UT/+0) Charybdis enters Pisces. Shades of Polyhymnia!

In charts, Charybdis seems to underscore the need to keep at it, yes. Wherever we see Charybdis, we can’t just sit back – when we do, those (or that) which would “bite us” takes over. But we can’t just do what we do ‘on faith’ – that would be following the Poseidon/Neptune route, and the lesson here is to follow with what we know. And with knowledge.

Which may imply the need to keep learning, yes – especially since Child’s contribution to the totality of this overall picture implies there may be some measure of ‘direct childishness’ (immaturity) in the mix which needs a little information or learning more about, even learning better. Ultimately, that Jupiter  rules not just Sagittarius and as foundational ruler of Pisces suggests knowing is a gateway to a process. Through applied experiences (Sagittarius), real world reflection and restructuring (Capricorn) and seeing what really does and doesn’t work in ‘big world’ terms (Aquarius)…thus is the idea, the ‘knowing how’ or what can be done arrives at the Piscean wisdom as to whether it should be done. 

Charybdis entering Pisces tells us that some things will come back to haunt us now, and going forward until May 23rd when Charybdis enters Aries.

Actually, they’ll still haunt us then, it’s just then they’ll haunt us in ‘I should/shouldn’t do this (action oriented) terms’ where right now the should’s and shouldn’t’s are emotional. You know...is it (or) was it wise of me to do that? 

Come March 6th, Polyhymnia actually goes direct, and barely will it have done so but Arachne entering Gemini at 8:05pm (UT/+0) suggests things will get more complicated. Arachne, classically is an entanglement, though it can be just being ‘caught up’ (as in a moment or something you’re doing)...to better or worse effect!






Another aspect of Arachne is patient – spiders are one of the most patient hunters around. They are also willing to build and build again. In Gemini, this may call for revisions of thoughts, ideas or plans – and of course this whole ‘revising’ vibe does go with the overarching Polyhymnia theme during these days!

The last ‘commentary’ on this Polyhymnia list concerns Sappho, which come March 7th will also move into Pisces at 5:59am (UT/+0).






Sappho also has several sides. Some astrologers see the poetic side of Sappho. Some associate Sappho with ‘universal thinking’ or the need to be gracious and poetic. Still others associate Sappho with female homosexuality – which with Sappho moving into Pisces certainly might be seen more ‘universally’ as the woman’s movement, rights for women, equality between women and for women…all such.

That at the core of this entire conversation we have Polyhymnia going direct at 10 Cancer tells us the matters being dealt with feel basic and test our personal orientation to our own ‘world.’ Some of us will think of this in terms of what the world has been, and what it’s “turning into” (Polyhymnia going direct implies externalization). Some of us will look at life and see what we want to turn our world into.

There is no right or wrong here, only realization. If things happen now which prompt you to realize, then one thing to think about is why you have perhaps been reticent. What are your priorities? They may be what you like, but do they serve you, your life, and those you need to respond to well?

So much to think about before we can strike any chord and go dancing away.

At least we should think…and maybe that’s the point?



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