Pelion Direct: Peaking Ahead

Pakistan's K2 is the second highest peak in the world, after Mount Everest

(photo credit: Maria Ly, August 2010)

Depending on whether your chart reacts to 14 Aries, my telling you that asteroid Pelion is going direct at 14 Aries on the day after the Sun enters Capricorn may get a big shrug…or a gasp.

Let’s put it this way. If you have a planet, node or axis (vertical or horizontal) point between 9 and 19 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn (speaking of Capricorn)…OR between 12 and 16 degrees of Scorpio, Virgo, Pisces or Taurus, the days between December 20th and 24th may be a bit of a headache.

Those in the Aries or Libra bucket are likely to feel put upon or challenged. (I say growl early, avoid the crowds.) Those of you with positions triggered in either Cancer or Capricorn will do well to bear in mind what you’re doing, why you’re doing it and that the higher the quality, the more secure the result and eventually, the better the reward.

Pisces and Taurus people are likely to get all the put-upon-ness of the Aries and Libra group with a sprinkle of feeling personally offended on top. And for those in Pelion’s Virgo or Scorpio station sights, undoubtedly you didn’t need things to be more complicated, any harder or in general, so trying.

The reason for all this is the fact that asteroid Pelion is going direct on December 22nd at 14 Aries (which you may have already figured out). Pelion represents all the challenge, all the feelings of possibility and yet all the understanding that there’s a ‘hard road ahead’ which we might feel if we saw a great mountain in the distance and knew we were going to have to climb it.

Are there no ‘easy ways out’ here? Well, there might be. It’s to be supposed that if you have a natal Pelion conjunct a well placed, well graced Saturn, you’re good at mammoth tasks. Or maybe you have Pelion natively conjunct a favorably placed Mars in Aries or Capricorn. In that case, we’d pick you out to be someone who thinks those who quail at the thought of climbing Everest with no practice, no climbing gear, no oxygen and no Sherpas are just Class A wimps.

Or maybe you’re the person who has already conquered their challenges? That’s possible too. Pelion changing direction appears to be a marker. It tells us we’re facing up to something, taking it on, or recognizing we’ve ‘done it’ and can now move on.

The actual date of the station/direct moment being December 22nd, this also comes a day after the Sun’s Capricorn ingress – which we talked about in the previous post. It’s a whole interesting moment of time, which you may be able to better understand with one of my handy-dandy little diagrams…

The idea which seems most important to this moment is that the Sun’s Capricorn ingress falls before Pelion goes direct. Astrological logic suggests this means there’s a greater chance that the “Pelion effect” (the challenge, whatever that may be) lies ahead. And since the indicator is not just the Sun but the Sun AND Agamemnon going retrograde…there would seem to be a likelihood that what lies ahead either needs you to ‘steel yourself’ to doing something, or that you are going to have to deal with some “pre-determined idea” (Agamemnon) that you have had, or some sort of resolve you need to develop going forward – or in order to go forward.

For some of us, this will just be ‘getting through the holidays’ and all the usual heaving of the sigh as we strap on our mental snowshoes and trot over hill, over dale to grandma’s house while toting buckets of goodies, edible and otherwise.

For others, this is a time, a season, a period when you are realizing that what was, was…and that you really need to turn over a new leaf or tackle that huge challenge (problem? task?) which needs to get done, dealt with, sorted through or otherwise made (Capricorn) enduringly functional.

Or at least more functional.

Any other year I’d vote for this just being a seasonal ‘in with the new, out with the old’ sort of thing, whether it applies to the holidays, to relationships, to your career or cleaning out the garage. But this year being the year of the Mayan calendar renewal, what with that chiming a reminder that the Ages they are a’changing (can you imagine what Bob Dylan singing astrology would sound like?)…never mind my glibness, but this does seem to be a time when a lot of ‘old’ thoughts, old stances, old habits, old whatevers are going by the wayside. I know people who are changing entire careers. I know people who are leaving marriages.

I’ll bet you know of such situations as well.

We all know of countries which are struggling with the changing of not just regimes, but entire ways of living, being, thinking of their national identities. And sometimes those ‘worldly’ images are the best to focus on because they give us the “macro” picture which we’re each living out on a “micro” level in our own way.

If you’re traveling during this time (which considering the holidays, is likely) Pelion going direct sounds at least like it’s a “big deal” – which could mean any number of things.

But all is not yet over. In fact, looking ahead at next week’s astro-doings, without getting into that too much (what, and spoil all the end-of-December fun?) this seems to be a period which asks us to do what we do well because it will set a tone and a pace for us to roll ahead into 2013 with.

Capricorn is always about ‘the quality of the thing.’ Pelion going direct in Aries tells us that greater effort or quality or use of our qualities (conscious attention) is upon us…and ahead of us. Any symbol going direct means we can ‘do’ the thing or have life (ahem!) “prompt” us with situational interactions which require that attribute – in this case, the willingness to do what’s required.

Pelion in Aries is a very personal form of challenge. It is about who we are and whether we are willing to take on being all that we are with an understanding that what we are and what we do (Aries is an action-oriented sign) has consequences. It has implications. It affects other people, and those other people can have an effect on us.

But it’s all part of a dawning, growing process. Those who think of the end of the “Mayan Calendar” (which is actually just a cycle within the greater whole of the Mayan Long Count) as cataclysmic are likely to be disappointed. But that’s part of the challenge when looking at ancient texts. Their use of the word ‘world’ often doesn’t mean what it’s come to mean in modern times. Back when scriptures far and wide were being written, humans didn’t even know Earth was a planet zooming through space. The term ‘world’ to them, was still greatly about understanding what it meant to be a human being and dealing with survival.

Tibet's Mount Kailash is one of the sacred mountains of Hinduism, a religion which (like Buddhism) dates back to 5,000 BCE (plus), giving us a serious perspective on where spiritual thoughts come from, how long mankind has been struggling to understand life and existence, and how important it well may be to know when and how our eternal quests are colored by the old and when they should be seen through the lens of modern life.

(photo credit: Heringf, February 2006)

Just as unfortunately, there are many among us who still deal with survival in this day as well. So the term ‘world’ can mean many things to us. It can be something which is global, even militaristic.

And it can also be about that world we exist in personally. It can be about who we are and what we conceive of ourselves in our own head, or as one person living among others.

What we don't do any more is think of life in as limited terms as the Maya did. While its entirely possible that their metaphysical grasp on time and existence surpassed ours, their ability - the tools, the knowledge, the technology we take for granted have totally transformed the sense of the word 'world' since the day of the Maya.

And still...when you get right down to it, the more we learn about the universe and what it means to exist, the more life is brought into focus as a matter of perspective. 

Sometimes just gaining that perspective can be the greatest challenge of all. So whatever your challenges are, expect them to evolve now...and here's to having the confidence and the courage to be the person who tackles and carries through on whatever your challenges may be!
.
.
.

Deucalion, Rigel and Agamemnon: Reassessing Our Guides, Guidance & Guidelines

 The Flood (or) Deucalion Holding Aloft his Wife by Paul Merwait (1855-1902)

People think someone who would sit down to write this kind of blog must know everything before they start.

Yes, you should know what you’re doing pretty much before you set out to do something as technical as online astrology chat…but the truth is I’ve learned an incredible amount by writing this blog.

I’d say it was a humbling process if I was just a bit more conscious of it. That’s the way a lot of learning functions in our life. There’s the work, the effort, the typing or reading or thinking about it….then there comes a moment when you realize you just understand what you know. 

That’s the object of Rigel, a fixed star currently positioned at 16 Gemini, which sounds a bit contradictory…and which is a bit contradictory. The term ‘fixed star’ refers to a point which is more or less fixed. Fixed stars all move…just very, very slowly. And in the case of Rigel, that’s pretty darn fixed. Let’s put it this way…I’m heading towards sixty and it hasn’t moved a full degree since the day I was born. It’s about to…yes.

And that’s a big deal. But it hasn’t gotten there yet.

The lore about Rigel is that of ‘sitting at the foot of the teacher.’ And while we often take that to indicate a point in the chart which is about learning, its also about what and how we teach. It’s about the medium and the venue in which we teach.

It’s about how we learn.

At 6:37pm (UT/+0) on February 9th, Agamemnon goes direct at 16 Gemini – the current degree of Rigel. Agamemnon being about strength and determination (and sometimes stubbornness!) the shift from retrograde to direct in part talks to us about how we should take what we know or have learned (the Rigel part) and go do something with it in the world.

Direct is worldly, pro-active and/or external…retrograde is personal, reflective and internal.

Lest you think that this doesn’t apply to you – it does. And that it applies at 16 Gemini also tells us that this is a choice. Specifically, an emotional choice, which means it can be an emotionally driven choice, a choice about how to harness/use your emotional drives, or a choice which is about moving towards something which (perhaps in time) will affect the emotions of others.

You decide which one is better, okay?

Like as not, Agamemnon’s presence in this moment will for most speak to something they really believe in – making this time about emotional convictions. But with Chiron having moved into Pisces scarcely twenty-four hours ago, there is also the definite possibility that situations of the moment are very Chirotic (yes, that’s the term) in that they are asking (forcing?) you to go beyond your comfort zone.

Seeing as we just had a grand and specific chat about Chiron in Pisces in our last post, that seems enough to say. Except of course, that there is something of a Chiron note being sounded by the fact that at 5:05am (UT/0+) – also on February 9th – TNO Deucalion goes retrograde.

Still one of the lesser discussed celestial objects, Deucalion hasn’t seemed to make a ‘big splash’ astrologically – maybe because the myth of Deucalion isn’t what one would call particularly “juicy.” While it’s interesting and very much applicable to the astronomical object in astrological terms, the theme is about being a good person – finding the moral path. And frankly, most folks don’t find that terribly exciting. Risk gets people going. Doing the right thing, even when we know that in the end that’s what’s going to get us where we want to go…that’s somewhere between not so exciting and one giant yawn.

But of note here perhaps is the idea that this maybe unexciting Trans Neptunian Object, Deucalion, is a Cubewano. A lot of the TNOs we tend to talk about are Plutinos – objects which orbit under the control (aka magnetic resonance) of Neptune. Neptune is sexy. Neptune is about idealism and fantasies, dreams and despair. Neptune is an astrological patron planet of artists and sensualists alike, carrying with it all the bizarreness, the wonder, the awe, ecstasy and despair we associate with seers, gurus, martyrs, and the human artist.

Deucalion is none of that. Deucalion orbits on its own, from which we take the concept that we must find the solution to this human quandary on our own. Orbiting beyond Neptune, this is not a quotient we can ever fully define – it’s just something that we know, especially in those ‘Deucalion moments’ when finding the ‘right way’ comes to be a matter of consideration. Or discussion. Or relief. Or regret.

With an orbit 295.54 years in length (for comparison, Neptune’s orbit is 164.79 years long, Pluto’s is 248 years long) humans don’t live – at least at this point in time – through an entire Deucalion orbit. As with such points, the implication is that we can’t know everything – nor should we assume we do know everything. Or even that we can!

So Deucalion is going retrograde. It’s going retrograde at 10 Scorpio, a curious degree which embodies deception – but deception rather of a non-malicious terms, such as we might ascribe to the actor playing a part. Given this is Scorpio we are talking about, there is an interactive emotionality being referred to here, suggesting it’s hard to pin anyone down now. Or that we should accept what people say, knowing they’re ‘playing a part.’ Given that this is Deucalion we are talking about, there’s a definite theme about keeping one’s word, and with Deucalion now on station going direct, considering what that means is of the moment.

It’s also to contemplate going forward.

Given all this, what do we really know? What do we have yet to learn. Have we jumped at assuming we understand the fullness of why someone is saying or doing something…or why they said or did it?

Maybe yes, maybe no. Certainly with Chiron having just moved into Pisces there are emotional considerations on the table. And which will continue being raised until we get that feelings are truly universal – and that though its hard enough to deal with our own, one of the reason why that’s so hard is that we tend to be pretty good students and not as often good teachers.

Teachers, after all, have to put up with ignorance and bad behavior born of immaturity and not knowing any better. If we are our own teachers – which surely we are once we learn how to learn – doesn’t that mean we should always be on the lookout for better answers?

And if we won’t look…? Maybe I should mention that February 9th also features the Moon conjunct Eris, both in third decanate Aries position. With all 3rd decan positions being about how life ‘votes’ on what we are or how we’ve done, that says we’re all in for a dose of feedback. Maybe on who we are, maybe on how well our world is doing, maybe all of the above and much, much more.

What we do with it…? That remains to be seen. But with Deucalion retrograde until July, this is a season all about deciding what we believe in, who we allow to decide for us and what kinds of guidelines we think suitable to follow.

And no, that’s no yellow brick road – think again!

Oh...and one more thing. That this is all happening as Drakonia goes on station? That adds a whole dash of 'are you kidding?' to the mix.

The 'kid' reference can be the 'joshing, fooling' in a fun sense, but then again, what one person thinks of as fun may not be funny at all in your world!

Because this is Drakonia going into retrograde, these couple of days before the actual moment of station would tend to be about things which have as yet not 'played out.' But will they? Or are we being played?

That would be the question. 

 For a full length article on Deucalion (posted at Daykeeper Journal): click here