Sabine/Panacea: Making Peace with Limitations

From the Peter Paul Rubens workshop, "Rapto de las Sabinas"

(or) The Rape of the Sabine Women (17th century)

In the world of blog titles, that’s a very carefully worded one. After all, you can read it as making peace with (implied: your) limitations, or making peace….with limitations. 

And why am I not being specific? Because both apply.

Sabine being a symbol of ‘capture,’ or ‘rape,’ or  ‘forcible imprisonment,’ with this asteroid moving into Gemini at 4:01am (UT/+0) on April 13th, that tells us that ‘all things Gemini’ are …at least for a while… going to be, become, or need to be limited.

Astrological symbols being what they are, this can mean you’re being forced to limit such things, or are realizing there’s an important reason to limit things – whether that applies to you or others.

Or yes, both you and others – sometimes one, sometimes the other, sometime both.

So what kind of things are Gemini in nature? Well, thinking of this in global terms, options is probably the biggie. Transportation and things which are ‘transported’ or which need to be ‘conveyed’ is the next big group, and this would include cars, mail, information, freight and everything which involves those processes, from airports, roads, ports and train stations to postal workers, telephone and internet systems and such mundane objects as shoes.

Even – yes – socks.

At a whole other level, Sabine in Gemini would be all about not being able to speak out or needing to hold one’s tongue (not literally, one hopes). Feeling bereft of ideas would fit here – as would no one volunteering to speak up or help out…which doesn’t sound particularly helpful in a world which can use help.

Gemini also refers to transacting and keeping records. And parts. Gemini is about conceiving of a schedule and keeping on schedule. It’s about making sure you hit the mark and get things done.

Put all together, does this indicate a shortage of parts somewhere in some transportation system? Or circumstantial problems which get in the way of keeping things moving and on schedule?

That seems likely. And it’s highly likely that all sorts of people are going to feel like they’re not able to speak their mind – or maybe just be heard.

How long is this going to go on?

Well, a while - until July 20th, to be specific.

And that means (among other things) that Sabine will be in Gemini when the 11 Gemini Solar Eclipse comes upon us at the beginning of June.

As a matter of fact…when that eclipse rolls around, Sabine is going to be involved. But turning that around, that also means that the concept of eclipsing Sabine situations is going to be a major giant deal from now until late July.

Remembering that all solar eclipses begin with a breakdown period (think: problematic, filled with struggling, confusion, disruptions, etc.) this would apply to all situations where ‘Sabine dynamics’ are active…and more! We would all think of situations like the protesting and rebellions in the Middle East and North Africa – that’s all about Sabine dynamics. But less obvious would be where someone has duped us, leaving us ‘captive’ to a lie. Or where the power of political, monetary, sexual, religious or other kind of “influence” has left us ‘captive.’ It may be even more subject: someone may have said or done something….or even taken an emotional stance which makes us feel limited.

In other words, in some ways or places we will encounter Sabine limitations. In others we will realize we have been limited.

You may even be struggling with what to do with yourself or your life now that some limitation has finally been vanquished or vamoosed. We tend to think that once shackles come off we can fly away free as the proverbial bird. But that’s not always true. Rebuilding your life takes time. And what if you never had a life – what pieces are there to pick up?

This is something which got talked about when the people of Egypt were rebelling against Mubarak – the fact that the adult Egyptian community has big, valid dreams but no practical experience with putting those dreams into national motion.

A lion cub with its mother in the Serengeti (Tanzania)

by David Dennis (2007)

A whole other version of this same issue is told in a wonderful real-life story of Elsa the lion (“Born Free”) who grew up in captivity and had to be patiently taught how to survive on her own in the bush.

When people lose their jobs, their homes, their professions, when divorces happen, when soldiers overly used to war come home…when children grow up out of abuse, when people pass away or have accidents or illnesses and their whole life suddenly changes…

…there are a lot of ways to end up not knowing how.

You could even say that what the whole world is facing now – a great shift in social dynamics – is leaving many without a clue how to live.

Sabine is about what we have been forced into, or what we have forced ourselves to do. It’s about realizing there’s something else even when we don’t know what that something else is.

It’s not a big asteroid, but it represents a pretty substantial concept – and because Sabine will be in Gemini, sign of thought, these issues will be on our mind during these next few months.

And as the eclipse takes hold we can all expect the Sabine concepts to hit some highly visual – and probably visceral – moments. Last January's solar eclipse in Capricorn, the sign of (among other things) government, those who govern and the rule of force has certainly timed a lot of governmental and world-structural breakdowns.

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A solar eclipse over Hawaii (recolorized)

Now we're heading towards a solar eclipse in Gemini. An eclipse in which Sabine is involved. That's a big deal.

That's also yet to come.

Today is just Sabine entering Gemini. It’s the idea of the thing, like as not. And maybe for you, just reading this blog and reflecting on these thoughts will utilize and use today’s Sabine energy. If the rule is that we use the energy or the energy uses us (and yes, that’s the rule!) then finding some way to use today’s energy – like every day’s energy – is always useful. If you use it to the good, even by just giving your life, your family’s life, your world a little thought…then there’s less of this energy to come back and possibly do the nasty dance giving you problems which would be really-o, truly-o limiting.

And since Panacea (making peace) goes retrograde on the 15th, that means its station effects begin today. So it’s a really good day to make peace with our limitations, or that we allow…even like being limited. Or maybe you need to make peace with the fact you need to rein yourself in. Or maybe by making peace with someone you can lift some limitation.

A period of opportunity has dawned. What you do (or don’t do) with it?

That’s your choice.