Uranus Direct, a Capricorn Solstice and the 0 Capricorn New Moon

A mosaic made from multiple copies of 'Optimal Motion' by Henrique Matos

(oil on canvas, housed in a private collection, no date given)

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The days prior to Uranus going direct are always a bit... quirky.... unusual... in a way which is singularly vital yet unpredictable. Uranian times call upon our adaptability and flexibility - generally when we least expect it, which would also be very Uranian.

In our current cosmic case of situation, Planet Uranus is going direct on December 21st at 22:46 (10:46 p.m.) UT/+0 time. And considering how that time is negligibly (certainly in celestial terms) prior to the Sun entering Capricorn at 23:04 (11:04 p.m.) on that very same day, for all intents and purposes these two events are generally unified.

So what might that mean in a metaphysical sense? Considering how the Sun’s Capricorn ingress is astrologically our moving into a zodiacal mode which focuses most of all on the world, our identity in that world and efforts being made to mold, change or re/create the terms and rewards for that standing, it seems a tiny bit odd that human society has apparently managed to schedule it’s largest annual slew of everybody-gets-a-holiday events throughout the first half of Capricorn - though that does of course reflect how our current calendar year was organized, and just who did the organizing.

In other words, we all tend to favor our own priorities. It’s natural. Not necessarily right for everyone, but yes - entirely human.

As for this next little period ahead, there are actually not two but three different astrological events happening in quick succession: Uranus goes direct at 10:46 p.m., the Sun enters Capricorn at 11:04 p.m. - and just about two-and-a-half hours later (which would now be December 22nd), we get a 0 Capricorn New Moon at 1:37 in the morning.

Taking these items one by one (at least to begin with) Uranus going station-direct is always a sign that the changes we have been undergoing on a personal, internal, intimate or psychological level will now be ‘turning outward,’ meaning two things. One: we will ‘bring out’ of our selves (or reveal) that which has changed about us over these past few months. And two: we will adapt and proceed with some sort of renewed focus (positive or negative) going forward, dealing with unpredicted external circumstances as we go.

So far, so good ... not exotically complicated. Even the idea that Uranian station periods (which here would minimally cover December 19th through the 23rd) ask us to be flexible about things isn’t hard to understand or deal with, though Uranus stations do on occasion manifest as ‘outbursts’ and ‘venting’ of various kinds - be that an explosion, that jolting cheer which produces utter shock when you walk through the door into a surprise party (hopefully for you) or some very lucky break which takes the pressure off of some system which would otherwise have ‘blown’... or someone who simply ‘blows you off’ in some unexpected, even erratic manner.

As for the degree of this station - 12 Aries - that has a very home/homey quality coupled to a rebellious, stand-alone quotient with any one of us preferring ‘the known.’ Wherever we see 12 Aries we tend to see people prioritizing those they think of as ‘their own,’ be that their family, a profession or professional organization or anything else, be it  members of your own culture, fellow citizens of a nation or those who believe any given religion. Given this, and given Uranus’ tendency to bring out that which is unique whether that uniqueness is good or bad this is a station which will bring out that which is wonderful and special, that which is quirky as well as that which is entirely dislikable or even despicable.

It’s just not predictable - and that’s the Uranian point. Uranus teaches us awareness through disrupting our status quo, through events which embody the old saying ‘the only thing which is a constant is change.’

This is an energetic about adaptation and about not getting into a rut. In fact, the more dedicated to some rut we tend to be, the more problematic Uranian periods become - which is probably why the person who introduced me to astrology (long, long ago) defined Uranus thusly: Uranus is everything which guarantees that if you live in a rut you will occasionally be forced (or inspired) to redecorate that rut.

In other words, even that which lasts a long time changes its methods... or its packaging from time to time.

As for Uranus in this 12 Aries mix, it pays to remember that Uranian energy can break some current momentum or emphasis and turn us towards whatever its position (in this case, 12 Aries) describes ... and then again, Uranus can break us out of whatever situation degree lore would describe.

Plus since this is Uranus, nothing about the actual dynamic (the energy which does the ‘changing’ of things) is predictable - hence why Uranus is equally associated with surprises and shocks.

Speaking of shocks, Uranus is often also associated with any and all things electrical from static electricity and light bulbs up to and including power grids, lightning storms, electro-magnetism and the internet ... inclusive of piracy and everything else which can be transmitted or done through internet or other electronic means. Uranus is associated with the formulation as well as the disruption of groups, income streams and associations, be they that seen in an alliance, partnership, marriage, government or corporations or situations like that Sony Pictures. The entire Sony fracas, from the hacks to the thefts to the spilling of information and everything else - all of that, especially in its broad-scale nature where everything ‘explodes’ from a single nexus - is typically Uranus, just as all the back and forth and need to ‘manage’ the problems caused by the Uranian hack is very much Juno, with Juno having just gone retrograde at 17 Leo earlier this week, its forward to retrograde motion in this (Sony) case at least the indicating a shift from a real world, real time actual ‘what’s happening, what’s happened, and is it still going on?’ phase into a more internal and internally reflective ‘what am I going to do about what has happened’ Juno retrograde mode with the intersection of same (what is management doing to manage this?) occurring during Juno’s station complete with legal communiqués going out as Juno went retrograde trying to ‘retrograde’ (read: mitigate) damage already done.

But even though they did that - and this is a classic lesson in astrological asteroid-versus-planet thinking, though the legal demands were made, as Juno’s station ended the story ... and the damage, disturbance and disruption ... remained (and remains) unsolved, continuing to ‘vibrate’ as it creates not just the kind of prickly insecurity Uranus - a planet whose symbolism always has something to do with something beyond our control - is uncomfortably famous for, but also the need for ‘updating,’ focus and modernization (adaptation to what the world is at this point) which Aquarius is all about ... and which Uranus and Uranian events tend to enforce.

A summer Solstice Sunrise over Stonehenge (photo credit: Andrew Dunn, June 2005)

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This even applies to an even more basic point: as more and more of our lives and our businesses (personal, national and international) become electronic, the more everyone should pay more attention to Uranus cycles ... And considering how we are now in the Aquarian Age (albeit still in the clarifying period of its increased dawning) ... Uranus is bound to be astrologically more important, seeing as it’s now the ‘outcome’ ruler of the Age.

And of course the other ruler (the baseline and foundational ruler) of Aquarius is Saturn - so all the issues of responsibility and rules and the debating going on about who has violated whose right to what is also very emblematic of so much which is goes on, far and wide ... and in our own lives.

All of this means that whenever we see Uranus ‘doing anything’ (astrologically, that is - let’s hope the actual planet doesn’t do anything odd) we should think Aquarian and think societal and think electronic, systemic and in terms of ‘whole’s versus factions and the energies of resistance against those for unification. Amidst this, stations and pattern junctions (such as Saturn moving into its 2015 shadow as Jupiter goes on station) are moments when things ‘take a turn’ and thus when sometimes things unseen come to light. So with Uranus now going direct, in particular because Uranus and Saturn energetics are linked in things societal, corporate, marketplace, income-oriented, mass market, systemic, universal and Aquarian ... we are going to see a continuance of odd - and sometimes tragic events.

It’s a balance, the good with the awful. But even more importantly, with the astrological subject being Uranus, it is that which we refuse to see which is at the crux of our problems collective and individual.

With Uranus in Aries, especially now with Uranus conjunct the lunar South Node, which at 16 Aries says it’s easy (and likely) that most of not many of us are neglecting our part in things (or in the cause of things) or some other internal and personal attribute which we don’t want to, or simply haven’t thought through. With Mars (ruler of Aries) sitting at 12 Aquarius as Uranus goes direct there’s an indication of friction and fractious-ness which is born of some inability to reconcile some idea with some action - be that wholly on our part or in terms of what someone else has already done.

Some will sit around and puzzle through their quandaries. Some will simply be distracted now. Others will act, motivated by what they think of as some shift or change which is their ‘opportunity.'

Then again, there are some who will simply cut and run. That grand trine in fire we have been talking about throughout the month is still with us...

...and in parallel with that ‘still with us’ comment is representing a continuing if somewhat painful ‘enlightenment’ (Eris) process which with the Jupiter (learning) process now pointing to what we have to learn - all of us (no exceptions) - is itself a highly Aquarian (and therefore Uranian) process.
We matter. But so do ‘they,’ ‘them,’ and ‘that’ (whoever or whatever ‘they, them or that’ are in your world). And we know that - plainly we all have some vision in our heads or souls as to what could or should be, and Ixion-Ras Alhague-Echo speaks to the conversations on that ... specifically conversations and ‘Echo’ed conversations meant to either (Ras Alhague) hurt or heal, depending on who we are and what we’re talking about, with Ixion providing us all with just that certain twang of gut-niggling as we wonder whether we’re fixing things, or screwing them up (again).

Eventually we will break out egocentric patterns. Uranus is part of that process. But it may not be now ... (read: the grand trine we keep discussing in its many and varied forms doesn’t dissolve until just before New Years) ... and we may not be ready to deal with the Self we would be if everything was open for above-the-table examination.

We will get there in time - even if that above-board examination we make is with our Self about our Self and how we have or haven’t been (Juno) doing things, (Saturn) earning the right responses and/or (Jupiter) thinking them through from all the perspectives we need to be considering.

But yes, it is a process - part of which involves this Uranus/Solstice connective.

As for the Solstice side of things, being that the Sun is changing signs mere minutes after Uranus goes direct there’s virtually no difference in the chart or aspects being cast within that horoscope. But the idea of solstice does add something of an ‘at extremes’ note to Uranus’ station seeing as that’s what the Solstice is - an ‘extreme’ of perspective on Earth (or earth-bound, mortal matters) as we ‘view’ them from our mind - you know, the Sun.

(About now, those of you who read my fiction work are beginning to go ‘oooooohhhhhh....’ and yes, life is about what’s in our Mind.)

But fictional and epic fantasies about getting to know your own Mind aside, Solstices are another form of ‘change of direction’ in that whether they’re the Solstice which in your hemisphere marks the shortest night and longest day, or that which marks the longest night and shortest day, we humans have, as a race learned to have faith that things will change once we move past this point in time. 

A 'yearly' diagram of the Earth's orbital tilt

(diagram credit: Tau'olunga)

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In the case of the Capricorn Solstice, this is the zodiac’s shift from the six signs which lie to the right of the “natural zodiac wheel” (Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius) to the six signs on the left: Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini - which is both a shift from a more collective interactive style to one which is ‘me ... world’ and on which asks that we think of things more in terms of who we are, what we stand for and what we are seen as, who we can be on our own and how the uniqueness which is that can be brought to bear on opportunities and problems...and what it takes to be the individual individual (yes, it’s back to that Aquarian collective/individual theme) and learning how to do (or choose to do) just that.

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So there is a note of ‘getting past’ some point or perspective involved here, though how that manifests is going to be highly individual - and because a Solstice is a truly ‘global’ function, in combination with Uranus going direct we should expect a lot of changes ... some of which we will initiate, some of which will be initiated for us (by circumstance, by realization, by any of a number of means) ... and any (or all) of which may come together as a change of our own (Sun) conception of who we are.

Or who we can be when all the shells are broken away from any ‘fixed’ identity we may have held on whatever level ... and why any of that matters at any ... if not every level. Gone will be the temptation to wile our whiles away on some notion we want to dither or tinker with: Capricorn is earth, Capricorn is pragmatism, Capricorn is all about consequences and results, the paying of the piper as well as the being crowned with accolades which goes with so many layers and doings and considerations within the intricate inter-weavings of our lives.

And thus with our individual consciousness set to ‘realistic’ as our world goes all earthy and bottom line we meet December’s 0 Capricorn New Moon.

The 0 Capricorn New Moon (text chart)

December 22, 2014 - 1:35:49 a.m. (UT+0) - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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The 0 Capricorn New Moon (glyph chart)

December 22, 2014 - 1:35:49 a.m. (UT+0) - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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The image for 0 Capricorn given by the Sabian symbols is ‘An Indian Chief claims power from the assembled tribe,’ which astrologer Marc Edmund Jones referred to as ‘the power and responsibility implied in any claim for leadership’ and which astro-philosopher Dane Rudhyar elaborates on by pointing out that the word ‘chief’ comes from the Latin ‘caput’ for “head,” and that from this flows a situational fate which we must all face in some way in our own lives - the taking on of responsibility over (or for) others, and how that is both a conversation within the Self as we govern our own use of whatever power is accorded us as well as an ‘ultimate’ form of test as to how we view our friends, our society, our world.

Which yes, does sound Aquarian, except for the fact that it is what we do and who we are under the auspices of Capricorn (and thus the lunar month delineated by the Capricorn New Moon) complete with our ability to regard our friends, our society and our world which is the ‘cause’ which creates the Aquarian ‘effect’ ... and since both signs are ruled by Saturn (Capricorn wholly, Aquarius as a foundational imperative) ... that means that what we feel we need to do or which our feelings drive us to do over the next ’ for power will contribute to what happens after that.

You know, when the Sun (life) moves on into Aquarius.

As for the horoscope for this New Moon, it too has an image of ‘standing apart’ as the Sun and Moon conjunction doesn’t aspect any of the other planets in the Ptolemaic sense (i.e., using standard aspects only).

And that rather suggests that the feelings which come upon us around the time of this month’s New Moon will be mostly those associated with the degree itself, which lore tells us will be centered in our most inner concept of who we are. Therefore, what with this being a Capricorn degree with Capricorn being all about the determination to ‘get it done,’ whatever ‘it’ may be, whether we are or aren’t supported, whether others do or don’t agree with us, many if not most of us are likely to remain structured by an inner notion which (at least at the moment) is colored by Capricorn’s ruler - Saturn - being at 29 degrees of Scorpio, a degree which ‘compiles’ and which tends to hold onto things until the very last moment - which may account for some of which we’re all going through right now as 29 Scorpio is also where (at the moment) we find fixed star Toliman.

Known alternately as ‘Bungula’ (which sounds a bit like a board game gone awry), Toliman is typified by Ebertin as having a ‘Jupiter-Venus’ nature, though whether this represents a very (very) good thing in a chart or something which is sufficiently unmotivated as to be or become overburdened (or ‘confronted by fortune’) seems to be highly individual and much the function of what house this star falls in and the planets (etcetera) which aspect it. Along with that of course, there is the question of the degree Toliman is currently resident in, which in this case is 29 Scorpio, a degree known for its powers of observation, investigation, research and insight (and the like), all of which are employed in the furthering of some personally attractive focus.

Toliman has been in 29 Scorpio since 1962, a fact both educational for those interested in generational differences and donated to this effort as a way to think through why those born prior to this time (the earliest of the Pluto in Virgo tribe plus everyone else born prior) are reacting to things now as they are (in present time) and why, as we seem to be hearing and seeing around the globe, attitudes seem to differ among those born since that time.

(And in case you’re wondering, Toliman will change degrees again in the 2043: set your calendars.)

As for Saturn being in conjunction with Toliman, that rather depends on whether you have come (in)to this time being someone who has been holding back (or not) and specifically how that relates to your aims. This combination will tend to add a certain 'coolness' to certain interactions - which can be fine despite what we tend to think about Scorpio.

Well, actually exactly because of it. The whole Scorpio mythos works best when it's applied thoughtfully in order to evoke useful emotion, not when we're reacting to it  - unless of course, we're just stirring others up in order to avoid facing some truth (read: emotional or emotion-provoking truth) about our Self ... in which case, monkeying with others is merely a way to set ourselves up for an apt case of karma. 

Any Moon - new or otherwise - in Capricorn does carry with it a message of assertiveness and some degree of tendency to de-prioritize some of the traits the Moon is best known for: tenderness, kindness, compassion ... all those things. It’s not that they don’t matter, and it’s not that someone isn’t capable of quality emotionality - it’s a matter of priorities. Lunar qualities seem to be a ‘best fit’ when the metaphysics of such energies surface as feelings which reflect what is going on. And because Capricorn tends to be a sign which is both (a.) visible and (b.) of the tendency to be of an ‘do first and reflect later’ ilk, that can make for a few challenging moments -  and moments of being challenged, whether by others or some factor not yet taken into account.

And when it comes to the ‘unaccounted’ of this New Moon moment - which may account for where we are and may point to what we need to do either separately or as pieces of a process - at the moment (of this New Moon) two things would seem to stand out, as imaged by two New Moon t-squares:

Ordinarily t-squares are shown in red - I used yellow on the second

just to make them easier to see.

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The more ‘obvious’ of these two t-squares is the one in red which begins with the North Node in Libra and moves ‘through’ a ‘t’ (the challenge) which is composed of Venus-Pluto at 12 and 13 degrees of Capricorn ... with the ‘object’ of our effort being Uranus-South Node in Aries (read: getting to where things are easier for us to accomplish).

This sounds like a short term goal, and that shouldn’t surprise us, seeing that this is a lunation cycle we’re talking about. Uranus will go direct now and be direct for months and the Capricorn Solstice is one of only two solstices Earth experiences every year. Against this, lunar cycles are multiple and many, representing our daily lives and the steps we take (forward or backwards) in our effort to solve larger puzzles and reach larger goals. They’re important as they represent our being ‘present’ in our own lives and thus focused on our own opportunities.

But in the end, lunar cycles will always have a quality of transience, the ‘fleeting’ of moments amidst all else which is life.

This month we’re apparently transfixed on something (which is probably represented by fixed star Vega at 15 Capricorn and very much part of this t-square) which we hold dear. With Saturn (ruler of Capricorn) at 29 Scorpio, we both want the cooperation of others and fear what we will think of ourselves if we don’t get that and thus aren’t able to proceed upon some path or with some aim - good or bad - which we are (Pluto-Venus) passionately embraced by.

The lesson of any t-square is to understand how what is important to you is also important to everyone else - and that means everyone.

There are no ‘sides’ in t-squares, in other words. If it isn’t important to ‘them’ or isn’t consistent with the viability of all involved, the t-square quandary isn’t yet solved.

One other thing about t-squares: they join objects in signs of disparate type. In this first New Moon t-square we’re looking at air, earth and fire, but no water.

That’s another thing to understand: no water means no emotionalism or ‘feeling nature,’ which may seem antithetical to a lunar cycle, but is really only a descriptor which suggests that getting past or through the given question (this Nodal-Venus-Pluto-Uranus reference on our aims) doesn’t involve or shouldn’t involve a lot of emotionalism. And Pluto is involved here ... though we tend to react passionately where we see Pluto involved, that’s seldom a productive choice. (Read: very seldom.)

As for the other t-square, that one starts with Sedna (retrograde) in Taurus and which is challenged to  move ‘through’ or ‘past’ Jupiter (retrograde) at the ‘t’ in order to reach Pallas in Scorpio - the meeting of the dispassionate perspective and emotionality which seeks a feeling of competence, belonging and approval of and (importantly) from others, though not for its own sake, but so we feel at home and comfortable with and within our Self.

This is a t-square with no air in it. So we will either not think about something we should be thinking about (or thinking through) and that’s the problem ... or we’re supposed to go with the vision without a ton of over-thinking.

And which one is which ...? Well, that’s about you. If you encounter problems, you now have a crib sheet to get you through your day(s), even though part of the challenge of something like Uranus-South Node (which is going to be with us for a wee bit, by the by) is that while there may be great leaps of ability and great accomplishments, there can also be a little jumping too soon and snarling before you find out that what you’re protesting is actually something you like and probably want.

With that said, have a nice Uranus station and enjoy your Solstice - may they bring you good news and surround you with the best of all things: those you care about and who care about you.

Just don’t be surprised if something surprising happens. It could.

Then again, you never know ... you just may be the person who surprises themselves about now.
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The Mayan Calendar Turneth Over

 Representation of differing forces or elements within man or woman

(Ade McO'Campbell, October 2009)

Though ‘calendars’ are by nature precise – like clocks – I’m not so sure the Mayan sub-cycles are meant to work that way. Or to reference things happening in our world which respond to a particular ‘date’ like we do to the blare of our alarm clock when it rousts us from sleep way to early in the morning.

The parallel I’d use as an astrologer is to the astrological ages. Yes, we can treat the whole of our daily and yearly life with clock-and-calendar precision because we’re working with fairly small chunks of finite time. But an astrological age? Probably not. The astrological ages are ‘clocked’ by a peculiar mechanism known as ‘precession’ which says that as the Earth rotates (and moves) forward through space, there is a slight ‘counter-spin of its axis, much like that we see with a gyroscope or a top.

But I defy anyone to go…wherever….and find a big line in the Earth (or the sky, for that matter) which says “start here.” So when we’re talking about these big shifts, we probably shouldn’t be thinking in terms of a ‘flick of a light switch,’ as it were.

We just don’t have much written by the Maya to go on with regards to this calendar cycle. But one thing we do know – that which ends this December is not “THE” Maya calendar. THE Maya calendar – the Long Count – doesn’t end until the year 4,772 (CE).

(Mark your date book – we’ll have lunch.)

The Maya envisioned the whole of the world as being cycles of ‘worlds,’ which is why people tend to think of this calendar turnover as ‘the end of the world.’ Yet there isn’t anything to really support that, and when I read of the fire and ‘quaking’ which allegedly is supposed to occur at the end of this ‘creation cycle’ (aka “world”) I tend to think more in terms of what those words or ideas would have meant back then – specifically by who would have been writing them.

This gets to be a whole touchy subject as people don’t seem to want to be bothered with facts when it comes to beliefs....or, for that matter, dramas they either like stirring up or like being stirred up by.

But it’s pretty much true that back in a time of no television, no radio, virtually no education and no books, there were only a few folks around (relatively speaking) and since nobody knew very much (certainly not about science or foreign cultures), those who were trying to teach anything to others had a limited “vocabulary” to work with.

So while the term “fire” may be literal, it also may be figurative – which is how we take it in metaphysics. If you’re an Aries or Leo or Sagittarius, you were born with the Sun in a fire sign. Does that mean your brain is literally on fire all the time? Of course not! It means your life is fired with ideas. That ideas ‘fire you up’ and maybe even that you need to get fired up to get anything done.

(It would be interesting to see a study on “degrees” of Type A personality people to see if they have more fire sign planets or emphasis in their natal charts.)

So when it comes to this end of the Mayan ‘world’ (which may better be phrased as ‘phase of growth on the part of mankind’) could it be that were will be getting all ‘fired up’ and ‘shaken’ by new ideas? Or by old ways of living or thinking falling away like so many brick buildings after a terrible earthquake?

I tend to think yes. I also suspect this is a long-term process which began some time ago. Prod me a bit and I’ll come out with “I think this Mayan creation cycle is an echo of the passing of an astrological age and we are currently in the throes of moving from the Age of Pisces into the Age of Aquarius.’

The Age of Pisces would have been hugely emotional and very stratified. It has been an age of spiritual gurus and all the pluses and minuses of spirituality. Anything and everything which could test us on an emotional level – money, drugs, sex, power, education, disease, prisons, charity, care giving/health care, fossil fuels, art/artistry – however they have manifested and whether you were in the thick of it or gazing through a window at some situation, it would have all been part of a process all about whether we care only about ourselves or others. And when we didn’t care about others, it was because we couldn’t face ourselves – first and last at some very deep, very personal emotional level.

The Age of Aquarius is not emotional in the same way as the Age of Pisces was. Compassion, empathy, guilt, shame, love, idealism, sensuality, loss…those are Pisces words. Contrary to what people think, Aquarius does have an emotional component (let’s face it, where there are people, there are feelings!) but they’re less personal. The fervency with which you could get fired up about something? The idea is the fire sign part, but the excitement you feel when you realize that you know how to do something or ‘make it work?’ That’s Aquarian.

Aquarius is a sign of social systems and universality. It’s realm encompasses things economic and economies, it’s about power systems (and power grids) and specifically about electricity.

A prime signal that we’re moving from the Age of Pisces into the Age of Aquarius would be found exactly here: though we are currently living in a world which is powered by fossil fuels (oil, coal, etc.) the emphasis is becoming the power grid itself. And more and more of our world is moving towards things which run on electricity.

Aquarius is also the sign of information and computers. And wasn’t it back in the late 70’s or early 80’s that we started hearing the phrase ‘the information age’? That – to me, as a metaphysician – is a great ‘date marker’ for the shifting out of the Piscean Age into the Aquarian Age.

I’m betting the Maya would have agreed.

Does this mean that we shouldn’t hold any celebrations to mark this once-in-five-thousand-one-hundred-twenty-five-years-(plus) event? Heavens no! Celebrate! Dance! Have a party!

Okay...so maybe you won't be having this big a party. But it does look like a fun time was had by all!

Eiffel Tower with fireworks by Slumbering (2008)

As a matter of fact, the fine folks at NASA were so sure that the end of this Mayan cycle wouldn't be the end of the world that they issued a circular on December 14th linking to a post dated December 22nd the "day after," as it were.

Link to "NASA: WHY THE WORLD

DIDN'T END YESTERDAY"

(I thought that was so funny I just couldn't resist sharing!)

Chuckles aside...the Age of Aquarius – the incoming age – is all about universality and groups. So celebrating with others is a natural. The letting down of our barriers, the eliminating of the old Piscean ‘us/them’ walls – that’s what the Age of Aquarius is all about. Sure, we’re different. And absolutely, we like different things. But that doesn’t mean that one person is ‘good’ and the other person is ‘bad.’ We cheapen ourselves, we limit our lives when we cling to just what we know or ‘our kind of folks.’ Is it easier? Maybe. But life is all about what you put into it.

Did I mention that Aquarius is the sign of the rewards we get for the effort we put in? Often simply known as ‘income,’ at other levels this same idea manifests as friendship and loyalty. Aquarius says we have to work for what we get out of life and that includes our friendships. That which comes cheaply is probably just that – cheap. And it isn’t about them…it’s about our choosing not to work at/with/towards a higher caliber of discernment.

It’s easy to blame ‘them.’ It’s easy to say ‘us good, them bad’ and Aquarius often manifests as just that sort of ‘splitting’ and factionalizing – the sort of thing which ends up in anarchy, rebellion, elitism, marginalization, fanaticism and all that which detracts from life by over-defining it, by trying to create the ‘theoretical’ barrier now that the Piscean emotional barriers are breaking down.

It didn’t work then, it won’t work now. And that things are changing may well be the ‘fires’ which are burning away the walls which separate us in part from one another, but at a more important level from the recognition of the human being we can be.

The Maya weren’t saints. Far from it! As the Maya culture arose, its leaders fell into the same sort of bickering city-state wars which have felled every society since mankind first figured out how to organize way back when.

What we’re realizing now is how futile it is to follow that path. The quakes and fires going forward are more likely to be the realization of the damage we’re doing to ourselves, our families, our world, our planet…than anything else.

Fortunately for us, there is a solution. The less we clutch, the more we’ll have. Humans are far better off when they accept others and work with them, caring about how everybody does than when we segregate ourselves by social strata, nationality, education, gender, religion – or anything else you care to name.

Sure, this is just one person’s opinion. (Mine.) But there is a level at which we all know that it isn’t okay to write anyone else off. Not for any reason, not at any level.

So let’s not write others off – let’s celebrate being here and being alive. Let’s join with each other and share what we know and learn from what we share.

Let’s be the Maya the Maya talked about being in what of their spiritual writings we have and not a person or a people which undermines our reality for the sake of some idea.

And now…let’s get started again. As of the end of this week we’re “officially” starting on another 5,125 years of human development.

I wish us all our best!
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Neptune’s Coming to Power in a Subsiding Polarization of Grace

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Neptune's Rings

photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Discovered on September 23, 1846 when at 25 Aquarius 53, planet Neptune has recently finished its first (human-known) return to its discovery degree and now sits at 29 critically intense degrees of Aquarius, poised to enter Pisces.

In Pisces, Neptune rules the outcome of all things Piscean, which considering says a passel of things. First of all, with Neptune having completed its first known round of the zodiac, we are ‘leaving something behind’ (or letting it go) as we enter a new phase of growth – one which began back in the 1800’s. Back then, humans were still finding their way around Earth. Now we’re figuring out what to do with it – and not to it, because after all, this is where we live.

With Pisces being the sign which follows Aquarius (and Aquarius being the sign before Pisces), what we have between them is a semi-sextile. And semi-sextiles are typified by a grinding, ego bruising sort of struggle. We don’t want to not have things our way…and it may not be the ‘thing’ which is important to us – what we really don’t want to go through is dealing with our own feelings, whether that entails realizing we were wrong, that we created more of a problem instead of fixing it, that others don’t ‘like’ the way we think…etcetera.

If Neptune was discovered when in Aquarius (which it was), that also makes Pisces the ‘2^nd harmonic’ to Aquarius. That makes Pisces – and all things Piscean – and our ability to deal with all things Pisces (which includes everything from spirituality to charity to art/inspiration/innocence to mercy to communal/universal acceptance to rejection, abandonment, addiction and fears from A to Z) …those things become the ‘resources’ and source of self worth for Neptune as we think of it as having been discovered in Aquarius. 

From Pisces to Aquarius, we have a whole 12^th house vibe (harmonic), what with Aquarius being the sign right behind Pisces. To the Piscean world, that makes Aquarius the sign of universality – which commerce and society has been during the Piscean Age. Society itself has been the unifying factor for the past 2,000 years.

How very (sort of) egalitarian of us, right?

In the Age of Aquarius, which we are moving into, Capricorn holds that 12^th sign ‘commonality of emotion’ spot. Leadership, achievement, social status and commerce (the ‘business of business’) becomes a great calling card and glue in the incoming age.

Into all this comes Neptune, a planet which is all about our challenge to know ourselves – and in knowing ourselves come to understand others better from the point of view that we are all so very human.

This requires awareness, compassion and a willingness to feel not just your own feelings, but those of others. Dismissal of others or saying they ‘should’ feel a given way is our desire not to avoid, deny – not feel who someone else is, or what they’re feeling. It may even be our attempt not to feel our own feelings. Or deny everything about reality! 

Neptune is about the illusion. 

It also symbolizes our willingness to be vulnerable when we open ourselves to understanding others.

Often spoken of as spiritual awareness, Neptune represents our awareness of our own spirit – our ability and willingness to see, accept and abide by (and in) reality.

Yes, even though known as a symbol of illusions and fantasy and faith…yes, even though associated with loss and despair and addiction and abandonment, in the end Neptune is mostly about our ability to live with the reality of what is…or whether we will choose to distance ourselves from that, lie to ourselves (or others) about what reality (a reality or the reality) really is…or what we will do to escape, deny, avoid or obliterate some truth, some fact, some reality which may be sad, wonderful or simply what it is.

 Planet Neptune

photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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And whatever that is, we don’t want to face it…why? Because we don’t want to deal with how we will feel about the feelings whatever that is will evoke. Because we are so afraid of risking some loss of emotional equilibrium we believe we have, lack or need.

Neptune is the precept that we are tested, and how well we do with tests of Self.

And seeing that this is a planet all about rejection of ego, these tests often originate in, or with regards to others, asking us to extend our perception beyond ourselves to understand where they are ‘coming from’ and to allow for a different validity.

To allow them to be who they are is, in essence, validating our desire to be allowed to be who we are. Do we care about that? Do we dare not care about that? Can we get past our own feelings, fantasies and yearnings to deal with them and their concerns in light of who they are?

Neptune is dissolution. When we start with a fantastical fantasy, the Neptune effect is to 'dissolve the dream' and thus bring about a return to factual reality. If we start with thinking that hard core reality and facts are all there is, Neptune challenges with the inexplicable or inspirational, if merely to get us to loosen our death grip on reality and experience something beyond our previous imagining. When/where we invest (abandon ourselves) to too much faith, Neptune represents those forces which require that our over-idealization get tempered. If or when we are faithless or lacking in faith, Neptune transits and precepts (i.e., where it is in your chart) teaches that we don't know everything which exists, that some we need to allow ourselves to be taught (extending faith to others) and some we are simply stuck with having faith in.

The more you struggle with ideas, the more Neptunian non-force is brought to and enforced in your life. The Neptune ethos tends to prove that what we vest ourselves in by choosing to base our life or thinking on that particular reality…at some point that is tested because and to the degree that we vest ourselves - our ego - in the belief and not what may be a difficult or merely humdrum reality.

Like I said – Neptune is all about ego dissolution. And sure, that goes by many names. Some think of it as disappointment. Others call it dismay. Disillusionment. Loss of faith. We humans like clinging to our ideas of the good and workable – that’s the airy Aquarius concept of ‘systemic functionality.’ And that Neptune was discovered in Aquarius says that as it returns, a lot of ‘systems’ will be tested and some will dissolve away…right before Neptune enters the watery, globally emotionally sign of Pisces.

Pisces is the universality of emotionality. It's all we long for, all we fear. It's our yearning to surrender, the desire to be protected, the desire to be released into the abandonment of whatever it is we don’t want to have to deal with. Thus we get to the idea that Pisces is denial: reality as the ‘non-truth’ – another form of Neptune.

Those who deny are making a bet (vesting their ego) in their ability to get away with not having to deal with something.

It simply never works. Why? Because reality asks that we define our Self in realistic terms of simply who we are. We are not the ‘fantasy other.’ We are simply ourselves. We have good and bad, strengths and weaknesses, and whether we know it or not, so does everybody else.

But getting to that point? That takes acceptance – the great cornerstone of Neptune which we only arrive at once we relinquish our demand to live in and self-define ourselves by the mirror image of ego.

Ultimately, the lesson with Neptune is to let go. And why is that so hard? Because we would like to control things. We love fantasies and ideals because they’re in our imaginations – and we control that. But to live day to day life with all its perilous grunginess, imperfection and stubbed toes? That’s not nirvana and we have no control.

And yet, inspiration is a good and precious thing. Inspiration tells us what reality could be.

But it’s only ever going to be that if we accept the reality which is and work to do something to change or improve it. And given that, it is to be guessed that sometimes we define things sometimes in order to explore our understanding, and sometimes because the idea of not knowing and not understanding terrifies us…but then again, it is by understanding the difference between the reality and the ideal which allows us to think about what it would take to make a better world.

And what may make that hard.

Being the symbol of super-anti-ego, Neptune is all time, and no time. Neptune is everything and nothing. Neptune symbolizes infinity, inclusiveness, acceptance and ultimate unity and a melding which defines the loss of identity.

With Neptune, we allow...or we are denied. And we deny at dire peril to our sense of ultimate fulfillment.

Neptune is the fantasy and the illusion. It's the symbol of all which can inspire the delight of anticipation but which will disappoint us if we try to turn that undefined joy of anticipation into a defined and locked-in expectation.

Allowing ourselves not to know…that is the ultimate Neptune lesson. Emotionally, we call that acceptance. Practically, we need only to know the difference between reality and fantasy to deal with Neptune well. We can long for that nirvana in our head, we can use our ideas and ideals as inspiration – but to expect any fantasy to be in reality what it is in our heads…? That’s asking for trouble. That’s asking for disappointment and often, a loss of faith.

Yes, we yearn. Yes we long. But reality is what it is (Saturn) and fantasy is what it is (Neptune). And never the twain shall meet.

(And if they do, our solar system is in a lot of trouble!)

As Neptune came back to its return point in 2008/2009, our sense of involvement in our world and our world being ‘connected’ to our conception(s) of what is and should be came under heavy challenge. That was about the time the world came down with a serious case of economic flu, if you remember…and that’s apt. Money, per se, isn’t real. We assign value to money – but the paper money is written on is not actually “worth” any more than paper and ink.

The ‘worth’ is what we ascribe to money as a ‘placeholder’ for a standard we all agree to as a medium of exchange. In fact, more and more – as money overwhelmingly becomes a series of debits and credits in an electronic data bank – paper money and coinage is itself is slowly edging towards becoming obsolete.

Once it’s gone we’ll talk about ‘credits’ and that too will be highly Neptunian by nature.

Neptune is the outcome ruler of Pisces. And Pisces is our confrontation with and struggle with our own emotions in the whole of the life we inhabit. Do we do ourselves credit? Do we give ourselves credit?

And ultimately, what is real ‘worth’? Is it money? As has been proven a zillion times, money can’t buy happiness.

The answer lies in understanding the fixed house process. That begins with the ‘what we start out with’ as human beings – our self worth and talents, abilities and aptitudes.

That’s the horoscope’s 2nd house. Typically thought of as Taurean, in the incoming Age this will be where Pisces resides.

Through the fixed house process we take those 2nd house attributes and develop them (5th house). Then we put them through a test-and-revamp process with others to see how our ideas, products or offerings ‘fly’ (8th house). From that they go out into the world and produce results – be that income, success, a ‘brand name’ …all the things which are natively 11th house and thus Aquarian. 

Note to Self: The incoming Age supports branding. 

Oh! We already know that? Fine!

My point here is that when this cycle concludes, like all good cycles it comes back to where it started – in this case, the 2nd house. And when we ‘do’ the fixed house cycle well, what results?

Answer: security and personal satisfaction… the ‘matriculated’ (validated) forms of self worth and abilities.

So let’s hope we figure out that the credit we extend to ourselves or invest in ourselves (2nd house) is what we build with. And how in the Aquarian Age, this means the biggest bestest satisfactions (and securities, which surely will amount to “money” however we come to see that)…involves doing something which is of worth to others. 

But to get there, we have to be able to understand that others exist. And that other people have values and needs which while sort of like ours, differ. 

Those differences, far from being the thing which divides (which goodness knows they can be!) will do best when they are that which unites. Computers work (and the inventors of their operating systems have become wildly wealthy) because the product (the computer) offers uses to everyone.

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 In the Age of Aquarius, Pisces appears on the 2nd house

of values, self worth and resources for the whole of the

Age (look for the house color-coded to the frame)

 

To put this one more time in a form I rather love, the common ‘old style’ definition of the 2nd house is ‘money in the bank.’ But the 2nd house ‘my money’ only happens when we successfully tap into and/or manage the polarity house to the 2nd – the 8th house.

And this brings us to something Donald Trump said which I think is rather brilliant. Said The Donald: money is just a scorecard. It measures how well we’re doing whatever it is we do in this life. 

That’s the 2nd/8th house polarity in a nutshell. We all want the gold but the process of acquiring gold – which in the end is not the coin by the security and satisfaction is more like ‘turning straw into gold’ (to borrow from an old folk tale!).

As the Pisces Age promoted one ‘up’ fish and one ‘down’ fish – the producer and the consumer, the boss and the employee, the leader and the follower, the provider and the cared for – the Aquarian Age asks that we all play on the same playing field. We can provide for ourselves by pooling our interests, and if you look at social networking as a ‘power force’ of late you’ll get a good idea of what lies ahead. Social networks are not the end of any process – heck no! They’re barely a teething ring for the incoming Age.

But they do teach us a valuable lesson which is going forward: connectivity counts. You don’t have to know everybody, but you can’t ignore anybody either. The greater the mainstream, the more stable the mainstream and the less radicalized the extremes of good and bad get. 

The pendulum now seems a bit radical – there are proselytizers of every ilk on every side. (I try hard not to fall into this group, though if I do for thinking we should all think about what things mean, I guess I can go with that...!) With Sagittarius on the social/societal/systemic 11th house of the Aquarian Age, that’s to be expected though. Sagittarius is the realm of the proselytizer, as we’re seeing that in action in pretty much every quadrant.

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Sagittarius will be on the 11th house of the incoming Aquarian

Age (look for the house which matches the color of the frame).

This speaks to internationalization of society(societies) and the

necessity to preserve the whole by integrating the whole. The

solution is not 'having them think like me' (or look like me or sound

like me, etc.) but in recognizing not just the validity of differences

but the powerful potentials to spark innovation and grow the

whole which only comes from differences.

Ah, baby Ages! They’re so demanding!

Another Sagittarius on the 11th to contemplate: international commerce. Anyone who thinks the old days of total national self-sufficiency and ‘retreat’ from the global market/world is kidding themselves. 

But they’re out there. And when you hear them, I suggest you ask yourself when was that person born? The younger they are, the more ‘Aquarian Age’ by nature they are. That a good many people still ‘in power’ were born in the first half of the 1900’s is why we still hear so much resistance – to a whole lot of things!

Having Pisces on the 2nd house of the Age is certainly helpful for those who want to foster a ‘I can have it all!’ mentality. But in doing that, they may be doing us all a huge disservice. After all, what happens if you’ve been told you can ‘have it all’ and then you’re not so good at doing so? Or maybe you don’t even want ‘it all’? There is a level of shame and dis-affectation being bred throughout the world not by consumerism per se but by this concept that discretionary emphasis is either a bad thing or unnecessary.

In other words, ‘having it all’…or maybe more precisely, wanting it all may be a blessing or a curse. Even a blessing and a curse!

It’s all about how well we deal with the moderation of our own emotions.

And that’s Pisces, the outcome of which is symbolically ruled by Neptune. 

This all really interests me (hence this blog – duh!) because Neptune is coming into its sign of power (Pisces) just as its going ‘out of style’ as ruler of an astrological age.

What should we expect? Well, not that Pisces is the easiest sign for anyone to handle (all you fish…let’s hear a big splashy ‘amen!’)…and seeing that Pisces is all about emotional confrontation and trials…

…I mean, who wouldn’t expect a lot of trouble and turmoil at this time? 

And we’re getting it in all the very Piscean areas: oil, health care, pensions, support of the needy, pharmaceuticals, problems with toxicity, not wanting to face truths….

And the financial emphasis on everything which is going on? That would be Pisces shifting to the 2nd house of the incoming Age.

I’d like to give with a big ‘ta-dah!’ here, but this isn’t really anything to ‘ta-dah’ about. History suggests that the periodic changing of the astrological ages is never a peaceful time, and Neptune’s moving into Pisces tells us the emotional and financial factors are going to be tested on every side. Insecurity versus compassion versus indignation versus selfishness versus rejection versus delusion versus preference versus intimidation versus idealism versus…

…We’re going to get it all. Expect every side of every argument to sound selfish and ‘in denial.’ That’s a symptom of the time. And we can expect this split to be exacerbated in the weeks, months - and years ahead.

A wonderful photograph of a magnetic storm

as seen from Denali, Alaska

photo credit: Daryl Pederson (April 2010)

And let’s not forget – as the Age of Pisces ends, so does the ‘nobility of service’ vibe which goes with Pisces. We’re seeing that everywhere – particularly in the corporate world (corporations being ruled by Aquarius, herald-sign of the incoming Age) and to a great extent in leadership.

Are these problems really any worse than they’ve ever been? Well, with politics and leaders, probably not. Look at history and you’ll see that leadership, rulers, politicians have all had a problem with that old slogan absolute power corrupts absolutely. 

But corporations? First of all, the idea of ‘corporate entities’ is pretty new – and entirely Aquarian! Next, modern technology has empowered corporations and global transacting in ways and at a level which a hundred years ago (never mind a thousand years ago!) would simply not have been possible.

Technology is also Aquarian. So both of these ideas: the corporate entity and the technology which has empowered those entities so (and the rest of us, yes) are signs of the incoming Age.

Those thinking about how to survive and thrive should take note of this. The corporate ‘shield’ is probably on its way out – by definition that would be rather Age of Pisces. But the corporate entity? That’s so coming into fashion!

In time, that too will probably get scaled back, but seeing that Ages last over 2,000 years, I wouldn’t be holding my breath about it. Astrological Ages seem to have ‘pendulum-like’ swings. In the Age of Pisces, nothing was bigger than spirituality (for some, religion, for some ‘their beliefs’ whatever those may be). And here at the end of the Piscean Age we are seeing yet another big upsurge of this oh-so Piscean test.

At it’s base, spirituality (or beliefs, however you care to frame that) are all about whether we are able to deal with our existence…and our mortality.

And for those who have no 'belief system,' you’re not off the hook. Not questioning or confronting the feelings which are natural to experience when the subject of mortality comes up is no better than being immersed in same.

But to have these issues so polarized? That’s Pisces.

With Pisces moving to the 2^nd house of the Aquarian Age one would expect that philanthropy of various types will actually become a resource and tool: those who feel it or participate in it or understand why helping others ends up helping everyone (and therefore yourself) will have something to work with.

But as for the sheer ‘money aspect’ of things, what we are seeing now is merely the tip of an iceberg which is going to rear up as Neptune moving into Pisces. The ‘I’m entitled to be rich’ (or – shockingly, poor) is going to be very much more evident going forward. Both (read: BOTH) are going to be a cause - count on it! Pisces on the 2^nd house of the incoming Age is a ‘radicalization of self’ which will – moving forward, cause us to question ourselves. Relative values and valuations are going to get more questionable.

Hopefully it will become a discussion. Like as not, knowing people, it will become another reason to disconnect, which is not the high side of either Aquarius (the Age) or Pisces, as home sign to Neptune.

We would all like to think these fractious times are going to soon be over.

Truth is, they’re probably just beginning.