Polyhymnia Direct

When I first saw this image it occurred to me what sculptors mean when they talk about
'liberating a form from a stone' ...the above being a photograph of August Rodan's 1901 work,
'La Pensee' (The Thinker), currently housed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
(photographer unknown)

In addition to waving a flag of reminder that Mercury will be leaving Scorpio (by retrograde) and re-entering Libra on the 11th at 5:28 in the afternoon (UT/+0 time), there’s also a little matter of asteroid Polyhymnia going direct.

When is it going direct? On October 11th (UT/+0) at 6:05 in the evening...which means its station 'allowance' began on the 9th and extends through October 13th.

As one of the Greek Muses, you might be thinking that Polyhymnia would be all sweetness, giggles and light. But if you were thinking that, you’d be wrong. Though attributed with all the standard 'muse-type' qualities of being poetic and creative, Polyhymnia is also always described as rather serious...even pensive. And these are qualities we see reflected in Polyhymnia in the natal chart and by transit, where it's combination of 'creativity' and 'serious nature' points to matters which we are taking seriously (or which we need to take seriously) which require something more of us than some boiler plate or stock-pat-well-rehearsed knee jerk answer.

This is not a moment for glossing over anything. Nor is it a time for being flip as Polyhymnia being on station is going to cause others to take you (or what you're putting out there) rather seriously even if you're only having a bit of fun.

Moreover, in going direct at 13 Pisces, Polyhymnia is going to be doing its ‘turnabout’ in a perfect conjunction with Chiron, symbolizing a theme concerning something we need to be or which we will be/become [Polyhymnia] creative with or about - be that by our own choice, or because something or someone has inspired us.

However... (you knew there was a catch, right?)... whatever it is we need to contend with is something we don’t know how to do - or at least that’s our feeling on the subject.

That’s the Chiron part of the thing. Chiron always tests our ability (and willingness) to ‘govern’ our Self instead of letting passions rule our attitude, choices and actions - and Chiron subjects are particularly ironic as they’re rather classically of the ‘do as I say, not as I do’ variety. Not out of lack of caring or some sort of arrogance, mind you, but because Chiron points to something we understand in someone else’s hands, but haven’t clue one about when left on our own with exactly the same challenge.

Chiron acts a bit like a mental blind spot. And yet we aren’t really blind in that department, we just don’t know how to do ‘it.’ And the strange thing about this is that the thing we lack - the knowing how to do - is exactly the point of any Chirotic exercise as the ‘solution’ to Chiron problems is found in the doing.

You know... doing that thing you don’t know how to do.

Now there is some chance that Polyhymnia going direct in absolute conjunction with Chiron will signal some serious reflection and from there, some tackling or taking on of worthwhile efforts. Given 13 Pisces is the ‘lens’ through which events/actions will tend/need to function, we are not alone in our efforts, either - which is not saying there’s any ‘partner’ or anything like that, though there may be. But more than that, there’s an aura of interactivity here which which it could refer to our dealing with some choice or consequence rooted in the past is probably far more importantly connected to something in present-day events and times.

Sholem Aleichem crater on Planet Mercury

(photo credit: NASA, Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics lab,

Carnegie Institute of Washington, January 2008)

Already in retrograde, Mercury will have re-entered Libra about a day in advance of Polyhymnia's station, which makes the first part of the station period more Scorpionic, emotional and reflective of joined or joint values, which the naming of this year's Nobel Peace Prize winners certainly reflects as the award symbolizes what people jointly value in what others have done (which is essential Scorpio energy in action). And yes, the reasons why the award was given to the people it was given to also fits the Scorpio description, with the point being that once Mercury does retrograde back into Libra (on October 10th at 5:28 in the evening, UT/+0 time) whatever happens, whatever is reflected on in world/worldly affairs around us or in our life will be more Libran.

Libra reflects what we think of others, what others think of us, what thoughts, choices, actions and representations work or don't work. Libra is an air sign. Scorpio, being a water sign is about how we feel as we interact with deal with others and issues in our world. And what's interesting about these two signs is how interwoven they really are. This may be your Polyhymnia thought for the day (or not), but one of the premier tricks of the trade (astrological trade, that would be) with Libra and Scorpio is to remember how their 'solutions' are most easily found through using the attribute of the other.

In other words, wherever interactions promote or provoke Scorpio emotionality, its exactly the kind of coolly rational thinking Libra is so known for which assists in making all those important choices. And in Libra - the rational air sign that it is - thinking emotionally and thinking about emotionality on both (or all sides) of any situation is essential and the more 'equal' you can be about it, the better.

Mind you, Libra's 'equal' does not mean 'identical.' With any of the signs from the 3rd quadrant (Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius) assuming that values or notions or aims or needs-desires-longings are identical nearly always brings about a defeat or other kind of setback or delay. So just as Libra stands for the appreciation or outrage we associate with whether someone else thinks about our feelings and aims (etc.) is natural - and generally classed by us as necessary - so too do we have to think about others in any and all Libra situations.

Apart from Mercury's retrograding back into Libra as a force for considering, reconsidering, investigating and negotiating, two other things will be happening as Polyhymnia makes its turn. The first concerns the Sun, which at 19 Libra is conjuncting the lunar North Node, spelling a day of weighing  options which in the end (either on this date or down the line) lead to the sorts of choices which necessarily come with a 'price tag' of effort and dedication of a particularly focused type. Plus, since the North Node always stresses a 'needed or necessary relationship,' these days are unlikely to be unaffected by others.

The other transit-of-the-moment concerns Venus (in Libra) and Uranus (in Aries) coming into opposition in respective signs. Often simply regarded as an indicator of fancy, fad, flings and frivolousness, we don't often think of anything permanent coming from a combination like this, though certainly the effects of Uranian 'break through' energies and the Venus drive to create/bring things into being which provide benefit (with the selfishness/selflessness of such aim/s being defined by sign-placement-aspect of natal Venus) may play out over some time to come.

Venus/Uranus tends towards sudden, impulsive actions. Sometimes that can open a door, though with Mercury in retrograde any door which opens will benefit from thorough understanding and a healthy side helping of patience with an eye to dealing with problems, challenges and efforts creatively.

Against that however, are we even capable of patient perseverance at this time? Is there some valid need to (Venus/Uranus) raise a flag, pitch a fit or otherwise abandon normalcy in the name of who we are or aren't to others and thus (Libra) who they are or aren't to us? Reflecting on just this much may well be worthwhile providing we are willing to be creative with our thinking and how we approach the Polyhymnia-Chiron challenge to stop 'knowing' what's wrong with someone else (and how they go about doing/not doing things) in favor of dealing with a highly similar (Chirotic) challenge in our own life.

The solar eclipse of March 29, 2006 (at 8 Aries) as photographed from near Manavgat, Turkey

(photo credit: Michael Zapf, 2006)

Are we willing to move beyond our own comfort zone? Considering the proximity of this Chiron/Polyhymnia station to the October 23rd Scorpio solar eclipse in a moment when Chiron/Polyhymnia is in sextile with Scorpio's 'outcome ruler' (Pluto, which is in this moment positioned at 11 Capricorn)... we are in a position from which we can see...or sense at least part of our future.

The problem is we don't like it very much. Some of us don't like that future because it will take so much effort to get there. Some of us won't like that future (even though we've had a hunch on just this topic for some time now) because it requires letting go of or 'updating' some facet, factor or operational standard from the past.

Either way, is that any reason to not create the inevitable with a trace of our input in the mix?
.
.
.