Jupiter Stations at a Gemini Full Moon

The Circus (Le Cirque)

by Georges Seurat (1891, oil on canvas - currently housed at the Musee d'Orsay, Paris)

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The standard orb of conjunction is five degrees. And as of tomorrow (Friday, December 5, 2014) the south lunar Node will broach that five-degree orb of conjunction with regards to planet Uranus - which being already at 12 Aries (the degree Uranus will go direct at on December 21st, UT/+0) means the Nodes - which rotate backwards through the zodiac - will be entering 17 Aries on December 5th.

And why should we care about that? Well, with Jupiter about to station at 22 Leo on December 8th with Saturn (Jupiter’s astrological “partner” in all things building up or tearing down) currently at 27 Scorpio and about to move into 28 Scorpio as Jupiter goes retrograde, these two degrees - their metaphysical meanings, that is - are likely to intersect... and  overlap in somewhat different ways.

But first, a note on Saturn’s position. It matters here in particular because 28 Scorpio... a degree which concerns itself with ‘mastery’ (of self, of situations, of talents and/or inner conflicts) is the degree Saturn will go station/direct at during the earliest days of August 2015. And that metaphysically draws something a bit more substantial than a dotted line between this station/direct and August of 2015 in every and any area of life which has to do with structure or restructuring, building for the long term, social standing, achievement (that you have or that you want) and success as a functional form of self-stability in life.

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As for Lunar Nodes, any time we see either node involved in anything the keyword which should come to the fore is ‘relationship’ - which may be the human kind and may simply be the relationship between one thing and another. In our individual lives the nodes denote our relationship to our life, to that big world out there, to people (and other tangible entities) ... and to all those things we want or want to achieve in life.

You know, depending on what we relate to - and how we do or don’t go about doing that (nodal) relating thing.

So as our story begins on Friday (December 5th), Saturn is finishing its traverse of 27 Scorpio, a degree which is said to have subtle and often unnoticed effects on everyone in terms of what they do - but such qualities are readily noticed by others. With Saturn in this degree some will be working hard to do that which exudes such qualities, some will be clamping down on things and some will be exerting some effort to understand how and why this cause/effect works with an eye to utilizing said dynamic for purposeful effect.

To be noted: this is one of Scorpio’s degrees which has a reputation for marked karmic results. In other words, if you do something with a positive aim which satisfies the Scorpio requirement that it be positive for everyone...then results may be good. But for those who are on the defensive or only really trying to have things ‘their way,’ to those who are trying to manipulate something to their own benefit because it feels like ‘survival’ (not necessarily literal) is at stake...

...to them go the stale and woe begotten chips - you know, the ones which end up falling where they may.

As for that South Node we started out by mentioning, to have the South Node moving into 17 Aries awakens notes of high emotionalism... and at times some very short-sighted choices when/if what one might call ‘philosophical perspective’ isn’t adopted going in. Having a well-deserved reputation for taking the easy way through any issue, the South Node’s presence in 17 Aries may simply signal emotional self-indulgence. Then again, because this degree suggests perspective is key, some of us who are inclined (naturally or just at the moment) to take a breath and a step back before diving off cliffs (or into conversations, agreements or anything else) may find it easy to apply the Saturn brakes so that we are able to ‘take the temperature’ of the emotional waters around us - the ‘everyone involved here’ - and thus come up with a solution which does fix all in equal measure for everyone.

With Jupiter going retrograde and Saturn in direct motion until next March, there is a ‘parting’ of some ways implied here - and a shift, perhaps merely of priority. Saturn in direct motion is always about self-development at some level which is encountered through everyday life (as opposed to in our head). While Saturn remains in late Scorpio the issue is going to be about our internal vulnerabilities and fears and that which promotes or triggers, whether in real time or simple personal consideration. And no matter what happens, there are two sides to the situation - the coping with it in real time and the emotional underbelly of how it makes us feel.

And why.

Most important to us in this moment as Jupiter goes retrograde is some form of reflexive response to events, realities, information which tells us what is possible... and what isn’t - at least for now. There will be a response in the moment... and that which the response becomes over a period of days following Jupiter’s station, especially as (and after) Venus moves from Sagittarius into Capricorn.

Jupiter Station-Retrograde (glyph chart)

December 8, 2014 - 20:42 (8:42 p.m.) UT/+0 - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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Jupiter Station-Retrograde (text chart)

December 8, 2014 - 20:42 (8:42 p.m.) UT/+0 - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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That date will be December 10th (UT/+0). From there things get more pragmatic - which can be a wonderful thing if you’re trying to get something done, if not so wonderful for those who would like to live in a world of holiday abandon.

But a lot can get done.

So back to that split... Jupiter and Saturn have both been in direct motion since late July, and now Jupiter (growth, expansion) is going retrograde. For some, this marks a ‘high water mark’ on growth or growing something for this season, this year - or maybe forever.

Imaged by Sabian 143, “In a circus the bareback rider displays her dangerous skill’ (hence the header on this post), that which Marc Edmund Jones refers to as ‘the audacity and perseverance required to control and play with the powerful energies of the vital realm in human existence’ is importantly described as being a “her” - which in metaphysical terms refers to something which is ‘contained,’ or responded to, often with a dash of previous experience or knowledge (right or wrong, current or not current) figuring in the choice - which here is to ‘display’ (reveal, show, demonstrate) something ‘dangerous.’

But dangerous to whom? Because 22 Leo falls in the last third of the sign we know this is not an ‘individualist’s’ degree. So it’s not ‘about’ us individually, though it may well pertain to something we have done, which we have ‘put out there’ (into public view) or which could simply affect us if it does or doesn’t happen...which in Leo could make us dread something which could go wrong in light of same, evoking a case of the ‘What if?’s.

This one-direct, one-retrograde which squares by signs but un-squares by degree once Saturn reaches 28 Scorpio (an event which occurs on December 6th as Jupiter is formally on station). And that suggests coming to some understanding out of a juxtaposition of (Saturn) that which we must yet do (and perhaps learn how to do). and that which we know we can’t go any further with - at least for the moment (Jupiter).

And there’s still more to see here. For instance, if you’re up on your ‘this month in astrology’ doings (and if not, you can link back to this month’s Dateblog post to catch up) you’ll know that Uranus is going to be going direct on December 21st. The operative question here being when will it go retrograde again, that answer will be-and-become that Uranus will go retrograde on July 26, 2015.

That’s a week or so before Saturn goes direct at 28 Scorpio on August 2nd and about two-and-a-half weeks after Jupiter exits the shadow (on July 6, 2015) its now beginning to retrograde back into.

That's three sets of major astrological 'loops' which connect our current December with July-into-August of the year which soon will dawn, which indicates a lot going on. Some major portion of same (the Saturn and Jupiter parts) speak to places in our life where we have operational choice (and let's please remember that not choosing or choosing not to do something is also a choice). Against this there are things which are totally Uranian and not under our control - nor are they predictable. The 'rule' of lore with Uranus is to accept that which we don't control (part one) and to flex or be flexible (literally or figuratively) as we marshal our Self to respond to life despite our misgivings, using the Uranian imperative to break with or break through some sort of personal limit that we have probably set for our Self.

Some of us (of course) will think we can 'escape' any need to try. That would be Uranian as well, and only you know whether your current choices represent a status quo or some sort of personal 'breakthrough’ or not.

Just remember - if you're not 'flexing' vis-a-vis where you have been, you're probably resisting, which with Uranus is that which tends to create the greatest 'breakage.' Of all the astrological symbols, Uranus, Eris and Mars may well be the three which make their negative effects most obvious when we're off-track or refusing to utilize the energetic.

Or to put it as master astrologer (and nice guy) Robert Hand has said: use the energy wisely, lest it use you unwisely.

With Uranus in Aries getting ready to go direct in a degree (20 Aries) which if nothing else images our standing at the edge of a great change which we can only join and not avoid, it is likely that those who fritter now will have some sort of 'news' unexpectedly ‘broken’ to them. With Uranus and Saturn the joint rulers of Aquarius and Mars now in Aquarius, such news will effect what we do, bring focus to the effect what we do has...and make it plain what needs doing.

And separate from that, what we need to do.
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As for who is going to be most affected by Jupiter’s ‘turnabout,’ we can start with a range of degrees: 17 through 27, that being five degrees to either side of Jupiter’s station at 22 degrees in Leo. If your Ascendant falls in this 17-27 Leo district, this station will affect what you do, how you go about doing it, or possibly your physicality. If your Ascendant falls between 17-27 Aquarius, that means your Descendant is in the focal Leo zone, emphasizing relationships with others beyond what we’ve already seen.

Either way, try not to overdo things. Jupiter going station on any natal point can be very, very good - and then again, very, very awful.

It’s just not subtle.

So we need to be - subtle, that is. Even if you’re a professional performer used to plying your craft on-stage, it’s easy to go overboard at a Jupiter station and easy to be seen as going overboard, which asks us to enjoy, but not at someone else’s expense.

As for the Midheaven and IC (or Nadir - the bottom most point in the horoscope), Jupiter stationing within orb of conjunction to the MC or Midheaven brings all into public view with particular references to societal standing, achievements and career path or something you’re striving for while Jupiter stationing at the base of the chart can mean a change of residence, changes within the family structure or some form of powerful movement.

Beyond that, here’s a chart... 

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If you are born between any of the date spans indicated, that planet is in aspect to Jupiter’s station in your natal chart, so you can expect to ‘feel’ this Jupiter station more acutely than others.

If you're in the 'Saturn group,' things may be difficult now for any of a million reasons, and you're likely to be feeling  challenged - as much by your own need to validate yourself in your own eyes as anything else. Those who persevere in an evenhanded manner in spite of challenges (learning as you go) will in time get somewhere with their efforts even if that ends up not being where you might expect to end up as you start out.

As for those in the Uranus, Neptune and Pluto groups... well, these are transpersonal planets, so by definition there's a quality of having to learn from (or react to) that which happens now and which may well need to happen going forward. Those in the Uranian group will face questions where flexibility and a willingness to see or do things differently require a delicate touch and a definite lack of haste (lest things be made worse), against which there will be a temptation to escape or evade responsibilities - which may seem a happy solution in the short run but which will likely seed long term instability. Meanwhile, those born during the noted Neptune years will simultaneously be coming to a far greater understanding of how life really works (never mind societal PR) while letting go of things, places and activities which are no longer worthwhile - a far cry from that which most of those with Pluto being affected are going to feel. This group is highly likely to be/have been in the midst of building or rebuilding (depending on your individual life path) when something different, challenging and transformational has come upon them. Since Pluto is in the latter third of Leo during the period indicated, questions generally center around effectiveness with others and in a world which having changed now requires that these people alter their perspectives and goals accordingly - and not all of them are liking it. With Pluto, cooler heads win and knowing all the facts (not just those you like) is the basis for creating workable and worthwhile solutions.

But no, they aren't always what this group of natives like.

Moreover, with all of this said, NONE of it is only about Jupiter's symbolism, as Jupiter is still involved in a ongoing grand trine.

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This trine has changed some since we last talked about it... asteroids do come and go. But at the Jupiter end of things, Jupiter and Niobe have been a standing pair of late... which considering Jupiter as a thematic ‘grow and accrue until enough becomes  too much’ and Niobe as she who was sufficiently overblown in the go department as to compare herself to the Olympian immortals (which is as bad a bet as you could make back in the good ol’ Greek mythic days) which got all her children (read: everything she had ever created) shot down by truth (Apollo) and wisdom born of reflection (Diana).

It’s just not a moment to lie - or even boast, one suspects. And for those who have...to others or themselves?

Things could get ouch-ish.

That the South Node is conjunct Pandora and Eris virtually guarantees a smattering of things which (Eris) unsettle the status quo and (Pandora) rattle hopes as we (Pholus-Ras Alhague-Ixion) try to pull away from, or otherwise separate ourselves from something that we have (Echo) been a part of (or dedicated to) but which because of our ‘slavishness’ to the ‘idea of the thing’ as opposed to what it means in reality and modern, everyday time has come back to haunt us.

Even if it’s only in guilty conscience, there’s something we regret, and (Sun-Mercury) its unlikely we have (or have had) sufficient perspective to see what we need to see. (Yet.)

And whatever this all pertains to, it ‘hinges’ on whatever we are most fixed on in terms of where we want to ‘grow’ our life... and whether that is in, or out of proportion - not in our eyes, but in terms of that which is ours to have by eternal Nature.

One more thing to think about here - that being how all of this happens just in the wake of December’s Gemini Full Moon, which like any Full Moon is a sign of emotional emphasis, whether that’s you feeling something specific (or feeling something about something specific) or a general social-societal ‘feeling’ which to one degree or another we get swept up in, or affected by.

December's Full Moon at 14 Gemini (glyph chart)

December 6 2014 - 12:28 p.m. (UT+0) - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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 December's Full Moon at 14 Gemini (text chart)

December 6 2014 - 12:28 p.m. (UT+0) - Aries Wheel (Location Not Specific)

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In fact, because that Full Moon occurs at 12:38 p.m. (UT/+0) on Saturday the 6th and because Saturday December 6th would be part of the ‘station allowance’ we give to celestial objects as they go in or out of retrograde, whatever the ‘rising tide’ of Full Moon feeling represents in your life (and that of others) will be part of what’s leading into your experience of this Jupiter ‘turn’... which in turn might lead us to wonder whether, considering how this is a Gemini Full Moon, whether a lot of us will be changing our mind about things about now. Or to put it in a way which might fit more easily with what we’ve been musing about with regards to Jupiter, Saturn and Uranian cycles, maybe it is something which occurs around the time of the Full Moon which brings us to understand (or ‘see,’ whether literally or figuratively) why it is that we need to put the growth-expansion portion of our program on hold in favor of doing something of a more (Saturn) ‘work/effort’ nature before we move on.

In all of this, the Full Moon’s position at 14 Gemini adds a curious note about deception and things which are dishonest and even dishonorable which are about ‘toying’ with others or being ‘toyed’ with - all of which is complicated by this degree’s tendency to embody or elicit fakery and the sorts of ‘false fronts’ which deflect attention away from the some thing far more important. Obviously this isn’t a problem in the chart of a stage magician whose work is to deceive the audience, but if or where people are simply using position or advantages they have to ‘toy’ with a situation or people’s feelings (remember, this is the Moon we’re talking about), things could be problematic - and yes, highly emotional all around.

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Given the t-square with Chiron at the ‘t,’ there is nothing anyone knows in this moment which is a proper or sure-fire choice. And since all t-squares describe lessons which require that we work “through” whatever is presented to us at the ‘t,’ we’re going to have to figure and understand and emotionally own that there is no known hard-and-fast “answer” to whatever is manifesting in loud (Jupiter) bas relief...and how that means we will have to learn as we go if we are ever to achieve that success which in this moment is being pictured by Aldebaran + Moon + Rigel... the sum of that success (Aldebaran) which can only be achieved through integrity and those choices which we (Rigel) learn to apply though (Moon) emotional integrity.

However... for the astrological record, let us also note that in this Full Moon figure, all that ‘success’ - the Gemini components of Moon, Aldebaran and Rigel - in being in Gemini is subject to the position of Gemini’s ruler...which would be Mercury.

At the moment of this Full Moon, Mercury stands at 13 Sagittarius, conjunct the Sun. And whenever we see Mercury conjunct the Sun, we know that our (Mercury) thinking is lacking in perspective - and that’s even without this pair being presented in Sagittarius, a sign about ‘seeking’ with earnest fervency, to say the least.

Plus this Sun/Mercury pair is conjunct royal fixed star Antares, a star which represents the oh-so human temptation to obsessions and obsessiveness in the ‘name’ of ‘right-ness’ which always fail if only because success in whatever that situation is requires perspective of a type which is incompatible with the obsessive fixation of our mortal passions.

With asteroid Child present, we may indeed act childish during these days. Or maybe we’ll come to learn more about what children are saying. Or what they mean to us - and the difference between what they mean to us and who those children may be as individuals. With Echo in this Sagittarian mix we cannot simply function on rote - we have to think, and think as an individual. Or maybe we’ll need to reconsider something and through that we’ll change our mind about something and stop ‘Echo-ing’ others because we discover our own voice, our own opinion, our own willingness to see something a different way or in a different light.

Echo and Narcissus by John William Waterhouse (1903, oil on canvas)

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On one hand this Full Moon figure stands on its own. So there will be levels of this which is simply about your home, your life, your family, your need to get those chores done or whatever else is boggling your brain at the moment. But there is also that part of this Full Moon energy which is very much part of a bigger picture - ‘our times,’ one might say. And at that level this Full Moon, with all its internal emotional quandaries is part of a greater Jupiter (and Jupiter-Saturn) pattern, a pattern which applies to how you want to live personally - and to what is going on in our world which makes that personal desire that much harder...or easier.

Considering that Saturn and Jupiter are astrologically thought of as ‘partners’ to the Sun in all our worldly and more or less intellectual or ‘matured’ aspects of life (against Venus and Mars as the ‘partners’ of the Moon in all things feeling and emotionally valued) there is going to be a strong emphasis on things which are ‘going on’ or which we feel are ‘going on’ - which may be a reality or merely something we’re feeling.

Whichever way that goes, it all comes back to why we (Moon) feel that way... and how much we (Jupiter) know, (Sun/Mercury) understand... and are (Saturn) willing to hold not others, but ourselves to that which we know should be right, (Juno) regardless and (Uranus) apart from how we personally feel.

How we deal with that will probably spell out one thing now, in the shortest of short runs... and something else in the light of a next year which comes to pass. Whether we are willing to understand not just our cause(s) but what it takes to create some desired effect(s) is the task of the Now and moving forward... and a lot of it, we control. We can build. Jupiter and Saturn always represent aspects of our Self that can be utilized as assets if we treat them as such, though in being planets which orbit beyond the asteroid belt we understand they involve things which are not just about our Self or what we want. We can study all we want in isolation, we can work all we want in isolation but ultimately, to satisfy Jupiter and Saturn - planets which together rule the zodiac’s four most worldly signs (with a little help from Uranus and Neptune). In saying that we also say that whatever Jupiter and Saturn represent comes to fruition and ultimate fulfillment through worldly ‘exposure’ of some sort. They require that we learn to navigate with others. With society. Through ‘the system,’ whatever that may be.

And what that means... and how we need to go about it?

That lies at the heart of things which happen now and which need to happen going forward, sometimes because of how we feel... and sometimes in spite of it.
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Uranus stationary/direct

 Uranus, its rings, and several of its moons

(photo credit: NASA, JPL, ESA)

Uranus symbolizes change. Anything which alters the status quo or your status quo is Uranian. Discoveries are Uranian. The effort to try and figure something out (anything from experimenting to puzzling to science) is Uranian.

The information which represents the changing of the status quo or which leads you to make a change, that’s Uranian too. As are the means by which changes are created. Information is Uranian (and Aquarian). Bombs are Uranian. And so is a paycheck, especially when it changes your life lifestyle.

The internet is Uranian because computers and anything computerized is a.) powered by electricity and b.) a source of new information, both of which are Uranian.

Revolutions and rebels are Uranian. Anarchy is Uranian. Getting arrested is free…but so is achieving freedom. Both are Uranian – as are elitism and universality.

It’s all about where you start with a status quo, and the energy which is symbolically Uranus can function mentally, physically or as the itchiness which drives you to action. Uranus is about change, the act of changing, the choice to change, the discovery which allows you to change or the circumstance which forces a change upon you.

Lightning, such as that we see striking the CN Tower in Toronto, is 'very Uranus' in astrological terms: not only is it electrical, but it's sudden and can change things in a moment - not to mention startle the tar out of you!

(photo credit: Raul Heinrich, July 2008)

Uranus will be at a station/direct moment on Thursday, December 13th at 12:04 p.m., UT/+0 time. And that it goes direct at 4 Aries is both interesting and a warning. 4 Aries is by definition a ‘me-and-what-I-do’ kind of degree. It’s reputation is one of huge energy and a sort of naïve idea of how to use that energy, which right away makes the whole of the Uranus station period sound sort of like a time either when self-indulgence leads to choices which are then later regretted…or when instinct or luck or whatever you want to call it leads us to a moment which changes everything for the good. Maybe even the very good!

Celestial stations are normally given a two-days-before, two-days- after “station allowance.” With Uranus, just because this is Uranus, we might have to push that another day or so. But let’s safely say that this station starts on the 11th and extends to the 15th, with a little room for fudgery. (That’s fudging said with a flip of the mental tongue!)

But there’s more here to meet the mind than just that! 4 Aries is the same degree that Uranus went retrograde at back in July 2011. That means we should draw a line from here back to then. What was going on in your life?

And if you want to get really cyclic-exotic about it, Pluto hit a station/direct point at 4 Capricorn (the square to 4 Aries) in September 2011 and Saturn hit a station/retrograde point at 4 Libra back in January 2010. Saturn being the ‘extent of what we can do’ (or control) this means that something was at that extreme or moving beyond our control back in early 2010 which tested us rather crunchingly in 2011 which is now coming up as a ‘changing circumstance’ or change of circumstance.

 Saturn (and a couple of its moons) are here photographed in false color by Voyager 2

(photo credit: NASA-JPL)

By going on station in Square to Capricorn’s Pluto/Facies, in trine to Mercury (in Sagittarius) in a semi-sextile to Chiron and Fomalhaut in Pisces, in opposition to Hera, Edisonia, Sappho and Diadem in Libra and in conjunction with Child and Echo in Aries…this Uranian moment would seem to be at least in part about our relationship to the sorts of questions about ‘perfection’ which ask whether we are too hard on ourselves (and why we have some to be that way) or whether we have not held ourselves (or what we choose to put up with) to decent standards. The Hera-Edisonia-Diadem Libra cluster here seems something like a mirror all about what we want to be, what others have taught us to be, what we want to be seen as, and whether we have any real idea of what we’re doing – most off all to ourselves. When combined with Uranus on station in Aries (with Child and Echo in attendance) we would seem to be in prime position to do something C/childish because we have been (Echo) told that’s ‘the way things are’ (or should be) which ‘breaks’ with something else.

Then again, since Child and Echo are but asteroids and Uranus is a big icy planet, maybe we’re making a break with what we’ve been told we should be (or look like, or whatever) because we instinctively (4 Aries) know that we need to be our own person.

Learning to disagree and how to have disagreements is one of life’s biggest lessons. Other people get to be who they are and have their opinions and positions, but that may not be who you are. Or what you believe in or want to be. That difference does not intrinsically define one person as ‘right’ and the other as ‘wrong.’ 

Can we live with that? In this moment, whatever is at stake or on the table is a (Pluto/Facies) complicated matter. And by (Uranian) definition, this would be a time when we would figure on seeing some (Uranus) explosive behavior.

But we can also expect some changes, too – most of all from ourselves, or in what we choose to do or be or put up with because we don’t see the status quo as one which is working for us. Or workable in the long run. Or anything we really want to (or can) build on.

Uranus in Aries asks that we make changes to things big and little in our lives so that we are not kept from being the people we should be…so that we’re not so bound by decisions, fears and unworkable obligations that we don’t get to doing the things in life we really know we want to do (hang everybody else’s opinions!).

As Uranus starts into its station period, Mercury is making its shift from Scorpio into Sagittarius. Since we covered that in the last post, thinking (the Mercury thing!) in those terms will point you to what’s first up for you in the Uranus district.

Unless, of course, you’re one of those avoidance people. If you’ve been avoiding some cucaracha which has been crawling around in your life, expect it to crawl out again now and do maybe a bit more than wiggle its antenna at you!

There are a few more things worth note about this Uranus station. One is that Uranus will ‘change directions’ (indicating a change in our perspective on things because of what occurs) on December 13th and December 13th is ALSO the date of a New Moon. So there’s a positive in the direction of ‘starting new things’ although as fast as you start something (fast being perhaps a problematic factor here…) you will run across things you hadn’t yet thought about.

Sometimes the only way to learn is by trying. Then again, going off half-cocked isn’t a great idea.

There’s also the fact that December 13th is the date when Kassandra (a symbol of disbelief OR not being believed) also goes direct in Aries…though Kassandra is doing its thing at 23 Aries and not 4 Aries. So this is the whole me/them thing brought into the area of disbelief. Do you not believe someone else could do something? Are you capable and willing to do something others aren’t going to believe you did or that you’re capable of (good or bad) or willing to do? Can you not believe people are going to react to your choices as they are about to?

This whole ‘surprise reaction’ is very much in keeping with Uranus’ reputation for change of circumstance. And in that sort of ‘harmony’ coming from the ‘Change Quadrant’ we can guess with some security that there will be some ‘I don’t believe it’ (or they don’t believe it) quality popping up during these days…or as a result of what you do (or at least decide to do) during this time.

The other interesting note to this ‘Uranus twist’ is that asteroid Circe, the emblem of being ‘enchanted and reduced to less than human’ (i.e., capable of thinking and acting for ourselves) is going retrograde as Uranus goes direct…as Kassandra goes direct…as we get a New Moon in Sagittarius and thus embark on a new ‘phase’ of some project in our life.

In going direct, Kassandra speaks to things coming ‘at us’ or that we will deal with in ‘external’ life. Meanwhile, Circe is going retrograde, a signal that we are either considering where and how we have ‘bought into’ something (on the inside) or where we are internalizing something which is going to keep us from having to think.

Circe sounds bad, and often does symbolize illusions and delusions – the having ‘bought into’ something. But it’s also a symbol of things which come to preoccupy us because we have been hurt by someone or shut out of some conversation by someone.

So this station can be liberating…or can be explosive. It could signal a renaissance in your thinking, activities or priorities. Or it could mark a time when you give up on yourself or some idea, effort or project.

The one thing to remember is that Uranus does not symbolize gentle, genteel energies. Discoveries are fun, but they can wipe out whole bodies of built-up habits and choice in but a moment. Changes in circumstance, and that which brings a change into being are often ‘unfeeling’ by nature. Those who are most prone to liking the soft, the romantic, the fluffy moments in life are least likely to like this week’s energy.

And that would be escapist, as far as Uranus is concerned. Astrologer Robert Hand’s metaphysical slogan ‘use the energy wisely, lest it use you unwisely’ seems very apt here.

It’s evidently time to make a change…or to be changed by the times or situations we live in or with.
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Enter the Nodes: Trying Anew - and the Utterly and Truly New

 

As of March 3rd, the Lunar Nodes will shift from a North Node in Capricorn and South Node in Cancer to the North Node transiting Sagittarius with the South Node transiting Gemini.

What exactly are the Lunar Nodes and why do we think they are what astrologers say they are?

Well, look at it this way…the Earth orbits around the Sun. Metaphorically, that’s the path of life – of all of life, which on a human level we think of as ‘the world.’

The Moon meanwhile, orbits around the Earth. Where the Sun is more global, the Moon is our feelings and memories and resources – it’s connected to all things personal…mostly because we react on a personal level to things around us!

Anyway…think of the Moon as orbiting around Earth – and as it does so, it crosses that (imagined) orbital path of the Earth around the Sun.

The two points of crossing would thus be where our personal life intersects life in the world around us…which is why we think of the Lunar Nodes as all those places we intersect with the world or society. Nodes are often involved (by transit) with getting a job. Or zeroing in on how to get people to respond to you. After all, the Nodes represent not just the intersecting for you, but where the You of life is able to intersect with society. 

So what’s the rub here?

Yes, there is always a challenge! (big sigh…)

Going back to that idea of the Moon orbiting Earth, crossing Earth’s path around the Sun at two spots, one of those crossing points would be as the Moon is moving ‘up’ through Earth’s path – which is known astronomically as the plane of the ecliptic. This is known (trumpets, please…) as the Ascending Node. 

And once I tell you that, it doesn’t take a genius to realize the other Node will be the Descending Node. 

The Ascending Node would require (like anything else uphill-ish) more effort. Think of pushing a bike up a hill. But once you get to the top? Wheeeeee! It’s a fun ride down the mountain! We know how to do that part, right? We like doing that part!

Yup, that’s the Descending Node.

The Ascending Node is the North Node. And while we could wax all philosophic here about phrases like ‘going south’ and such, the reason for this is more realistically that this is about the Moon rising up through the plane of the ecliptic, heading for Earth’s northern pole.

The Descending Node is the South Node – for reasons which are just as evidently obvious.

And our response to the Nodes? They’re very much exactamundo in keeping with the bicycle image: we don’t much like being made to push that bike up the hill and we all love coasting back down.

For those into the concept of past lives, the South Node represents what’s ‘easy’ for you, considering you learned it in a past life. For the rest of us, it’s just easy because it’s easier to do than tackling all that drudgery and trudgery going up the hill. As an astrologer, if you name a novice or newbee’s North Node task you can expect to get at least a groan, and sometimes a wholesale flack attack!

(Yes, sometimes being an astrologer requires flame proof armor.)

Because the Nodes have an 18.6 year cycle, they change signs about every 2.5 years. And yes, that 18.6 year cycle does relate to why so many societies think of childhood as lasting until we’re 18. And why at that point we’re fit for college and the military and such. Not that we’re really grown up or anything – neurology types now put the age of full brain maturation at around age 26.

But maybe there’s a benefit to inducting us into hard core life choices before our brain has a chance to fully develop a sense of consequence – as medicine now projects to be around age 21?

That’s a whole other blog. This one continues on by pointing out that the Nodes changing signs about every 2.5 years means that the last time this happened was back in August 2009, when Pluto had just committed to its transit of Capricorn – the sign the North Node was moving into at that time.

Because the Nodes (like the Astrological Ages) move backwards, this means Pluto was at the beginning of Capricorn as the Nodes hit the end of Capricorn.

Think ‘pincer movement’ – society got caught between these opposing forces. And as the Nodes counted down (backwards) they rather swiftly (in astrological/cosmic terms) arrived at the wee degrees of Capricorn (North) and Cancer (South) with Pluto still in Capricorn’s first decanate.

A pause here to contemplate how those things which move backwards….the Nodes, the Ages…they all have to do with the big shifts of society…time unfolding, unfurling and marching by…

Why would that be? Maybe they’re not ‘going backward’ so much as they’re ‘coming towards us’ where “normal” motion has to do with our efforts to move forward in our lives?

As the Nodes moved into and through Capricorn’s last (lowest) degrees, things became very personal, very vital, entirely physical – on a societal basis. There was a shooting in Arizona where a member of the US Congress (government/Capricorn) and by-standing members of the public (citizenry/Cancer) were killed. Across the Middle East, citizens (Cancer) rose up against their (Capricorn) governments and “ruling classes.”

Eighteen years ago (back in 1993), the Nodes were in this same zodiacal region. Did we see such things back then? No. But then, Pluto wasn’t in Capricorn at the time.

Signal combinations add meaning, yes. That’s why simple, computerized astrology generally doesn’t work. Yes, computers can tell you where celestial positions are, just like computers can now analyze blood tests. But when it comes to putting together a stellium of symptoms, you need a doctor – or in the case of a stellium of astronomical positions you want to interpret on the metaphysical level, an astrologer.

(Someone hand me my lab coat, please…)

Anyway…getting back to that moving backward thing, what this means is that when the Nodes change signs, they enter the next set of signs at 29 degrees, the last degree of any given sign. You’ve heard me talk about 29 degrees as a ‘critical’ degree, though ‘intense’ or ‘fervent’ may be a better sort of term. Twenty-nine is where the sign is at it’s maximal pronouncement – for better or worse, pro and con. It’s as if it’s on a deadline, racing around trying to get everything done before the due date.

Some of us work well under pressure. Astrological symbols…? Sometimes yes, but often not so much!

But since the work symbolized by the Nodes is to bring society, opportunities and social forces home to us…(hoping we’ll do a little North Node thing and improve life!) in Nodal terms, the ‘extreme’ is when they reach zero – the Nodal “end of the line” signifying its maximal effort in any given sign.

So as the Nodes move into 29 Sagittarius and Gemini as of March 3rd at 12:38 (UT/+0) should we expect much intensity but not the flat out affect we saw when the Nodes were in the 0, 1, 2, 3 of Capricorn/Cancer?

Well, sort of. And to understand my hedging, we have to consider the signs. Capricorn is an earth sign. It’s pragmatic. Cancer is a water sign. It’s emotional. As an axis and polarity, Capricorn/Cancer is all about how life works…and of course that ever popular adjunct, life sucks! and this isn’t working for me or anyone else! 

Considering that, it’s not shocking that around the world, as the Nodes backed through Capricorn and Cancer, lifestyles were on the line and governments (and business, seeing that Capricorn is ‘commerce’ or ‘the business of business’) …governments and business got yelled at a lot.

Not to mention all the yelling which went on inside governments, business and so on!

Sagittarius/Gemini is a whole other thing. Sagittarius is a fire sign. Fire equals imagination and the idea of it. The positive of Sagittarius is that it forces us to put things out there and in the works in order to find the hidden glitches which only show up when things exit the drawing board and meet up with real life. Sagittarius is all about learning better and finding the flaws in order to correct them and by correcting them, come to be able to reach your goals.

Gemini, on the other hand, is an idea and concept driven air sign. In Gemini, it’s a lot easier to talk about it than get to the task of doing it. Planning is fun, assembly not so fun. The popular notion of Gemini as being all about ‘many’ is valid in that we should see what the choices are…but in the end, Gemini asks that we make a choice and follow it through far enough that it can get put out there in the Sagittarian polarity and we can see what the flaws may be, correct them, and get somewhere in life.

The optimal thing would be to use the whole of this polarity in an integrated manner, looking through our choices and choosing something (Gemini) which we then follow through on, learning from the doing, from the effort, from the little - even substantial problems along the way (Sagittarius).

However...with a South Node in Gemini, we’re far more likely to hear a lot of talk and not as much choosing. If 'broken' apart from the North Node in Sagittarius, things which should be renovated, corrected, worked through or replaced will get debated and if they fail, critiqued.

North Node in Sagittarius asks us to critique usefully – to find the flaw and fix it. But it doesn’t suggest we should set ourselves up as judge and jury on others! Far from it – North Node in Sagittarius asks us to grow. It asks us to learn what ‘just’ really is by opening both our hearts and our minds. Like as not, it will be useful if we do. Even profitable. Even necessary. North Node in Sagittarius asks us to expand our personal world and grow the greater body of world knowledge. It asks us to try something new and accept things which seem odd to us. We may not love them...but maybe there's a reason they exist? That which is new and unfamiliar, the "road less traveled" is where opportunities may well lie. Do we want to capitalize on new ideas? Or just cling to the known?

As the South Node enters Gemini, its within zodiacal ‘spitting distance’ of fixed star Betelgeuse (at 28 Gemini), a star all about ‘ease of accomplishment.’ For some of us, this will herald a time when what we have been working for becomes easier to achieve while for others, taking that ‘easy way out’ becomes more of an allure than ever.

Moving quickly, the South Node conjuncts Betelgeuse during early March and moves on, entering the 5 degrees of orb inside at the very end of Marsh, after which we can expect a tinge of 'affect' representing fixed star Bellatrix (at 21 Gemini).

Bellatrix is pretty much the opposition dynamic to Betelgeuse, challenging us to get our ideas out there against objections, hassles and – like as not – people so in love with their own point of view that they’d rather see something useful or good go down in flames than let go.

The symbols here: Agamemnon (strength), Psyche (the mind), Medea (self-defeating love) which by the time the Nodes get into the Bellatrix district will be hanging out at 20, 21 and 22 Gemini.

 

Medea - a poster for Sarah Bernhardt's

theater production by Alfons Mucha (1898)

And considering that about this time Atropos (endings) will be coloring the North Node, there is an ending coming. What that ending is…that’s up for grabs, except that we know Medea is sitting with the South Node.

We also know that as of 10:14 am (UT/+0)...a little over two hours before the Nodes shift signs...Medusa, Ye Olde Asteroid named for She Who Symbolizes Frightening Knowledge moves into Gemini.

The former note tells us that if what you are doing is actually about doing the right thing (as simply opposed to something which will work well for you) you will in time, win through. 

But yes, you  have to first get there. And if what you are doing isn't right, you can face the music now...or be faced down by fearful truths soon enough.

And yet there is that odd little quirk about Medusa - namely that when you reflect on what you learn which seems so frightening, you can actually deal with. You can 'slay the gorgon,' as it were.

(Don't know Medusa's story? CLICK HERE.)

With all this in mind, we do know that in moving forward into this new Nodal 'slice-of-life,' there is some benefit in taking some cherished 'something’ out there. How do we know that? We know that because as the North Node enters Sagittarius in conjunction with asteroid Child. So what is “your baby”? If it fits the Sagittarian criteria of being something new, useful, mind expanding, philosophical, correcting of flaws…(etc.)…then this is your time to give your baby project or idea a public whirl.

Just don’t expect things to be simple, easy, or without a lot of uphill bike-pushing.

The South Node will reach Bellatrix by mid-August, 2011. But seeing as we will have an eclipse in Gemini as June arrives, dynamics will be changing long before the South Node rock meets up with the Bellatrix hard place.

And lets not forget...Bellatrix and Betelgeuse are stars which are part of Orion, the archer and hunter.

 A diagram of Orion the hunter by Mysid

And Sagittarius? That is also the sign of the hunter.

So this period is all about hunting what we need and want in life...which does require (North Node) efforts! 

But maybe for now, the best place to start with is recognizing the difference in social mindset. Much of life has been focused on ‘hard facts’ (Capricorn/Cancer) during these past couple of years. And maybe the lesson is that we really need to recognize the problems in order to now grasp that it’s a time to choose (Gemini) to fix (Sagittarius) things, in our life, and in the world which supports that life.

This March's aura of the Nodes moving into the third decanate of Sagittarius/Gemini may remind us of times in mid-late 2009 when we saw everything going on and going wrong in our world. That was North Node in Capricorn’s 3rd decan, South Node in Cancer’s 3rd decan. Most people pulled back and got protective about their power, their positions and what they were wanting to achieve.

That was very Capricorn/Cancer. The considerations then were very tangible and they felt pragmatic. Now the considerations will be more of a 'thought reaction' and seem less about need than 'what's right' ...and maybe 'what's right for me.'

 .

 Sagittarius the Archer as illustrated in

an old English manuscript

We can hope we won't just feel self-protective, as we did when the South Node was in Cancer. But can we get past our instinct to just talk about it and want to know more and procrastinate and find someone to ask and, and, and, and...

That remains for us to see. The Nodes will be in the 3rd decanates of Sagittarius and Gemini until mid-August 2011. This will seem the time when we have less of a 'handle' on things.

From there they move into the 2nd and emotional decanate (think: evocation of emotions...) until late in February 2012. It can be a joyously exciting, or a seriously over-stimulating time.

In late February, 2012...then the Nodes move on into the physical and 'real life' portion of Sagittarius and Gemini until the very end of August 2012. That's when we'll see whether we acted with sufficient alacrity - or whether we babbled while we painted, ending up in our own corner.

But the totality of this...does that strike you as 2.5 years? From March 2011 through August 2012 doesn't register with me as being anything close to 2.5 years!

And that would be....why?

The 'why' there is about the fact that just like all other celestial cycles, the Lunar Nodes have 'short' and 'long' passages. This next one is a short one. That may mean we can get our work done quickly. That may also mean we need to have life 'compact' a lot into a little temporal space in order to get us to....to what, make the Gemini choice or to venture away from what tend to be our Sagittarius assumptions of life should be?

Whatever happens is up to us. And though we do need to obviously think about what to choose to do, we also need to get on with the doing.

Sounds like a busy year or so to come...with much to be realized and discovered, if we will only require that we give ourselves a chance to grow!

This Week in Astrology: Getting the Point

 From the Duc de Barry's private collection,

a calendar page depicting December

This is a really busy astrological week. Seriously! And first things first: ALL TIMES ARE UT/+0. So if you want to know when something specific happens in your local world, adjust to your local time zone.

The week starts with Sunday the 19th and Byblis conjuncting Scheat at 5:48am. Byblis being a point specifically about the attempt to justify something you know is unacceptable and Scheat being the essence of public disapproval, it’s not too hard to guess that there’s a whole lot of condemnation (and self defense) going on.

Monday the 20th starts with Venus exiting the shadow of its recent retrograde. Venus being a planet, this is a mode of life or part of our life which is now feeling ‘freed’ of constraints first encountered back in early September. Does this mean everything is peaches and cream? Heck no! But it does mean that the sticky-icky drama, the lack of clarity and all the indecision which has been in the mix since then is finally over. And yes, either out in the open or out with the trash!

Tuesday also has Photographica going retrograde in Leo early in the morning - at 2:52pm plus Kleopatra entering Scorpio later in the day (at 6:26 pm).

Photographica is the ‘how others see us’ point – otherwise known as our “image” or ‘putting on the social/societal mask.’

Kleopatra is a point of ‘intelligence exhibited through charming gestures’ and ‘charm revealed through intelligence.’ Either way, with Kleopatra entering Scorpio, gains are made through knowing enough about whoever you’re dealing with.

 Currently housed in the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum,

a statue of Cleopatra - known astronomically as 'Kleopatra' 

photo credit E. Michael Smith (2007)

Since this is Scorpio however…a caution: if all you do is exploit others to get what you want without regard for who they are or what they value, you WILL pay – big time! It may not be today, but beware – karma is a bitch!

Put these factors together and it seems likely there are social/societal connections to be made today – or that events will reveal how you have operated in society or with regards to social/societal contacts. Whatever happens, this is a moment when each of us can learn a lot about what works for us and where we need to re-balance the ‘me/them’  priorities.

Tuesday the 21st starts with Atlantis entering Libra at 4:26am. This is a signal all about letting go of what has been in order to find that which is truly fitting. But boy…is that hard, or what!

Not making anything any less good or bad is the fact that then comes a Lunar Eclipse at 8:18. (And yes, there will be a special post on the eclipse as of tomorrow, giving us all time to sort things out. So check back for that!)

With Byblis enters Aries at 10:49pm (mere minutes before the Capricorn Solstice at 11:49pm) our errors and those of others – and the world around us – seem to hang in the air for most of the afternoon or evening, depending on where you are. Given that we’re moving into Capricorn and the zodiac’s most worldly (non-personal quadrant) realism and letting go of  personal designs in favor of workable solutions seems apt.

Wednesday the 22nd has Medusa going direct at 12 Taurus early in the morning (at 6:40am – which would still be late on the evening of the 21st in some parts of the world). By general definition, 12 Taurus would be a degree about emotional values, the difference between ‘things of worth’ and ‘self worth’ and how we feel about ourselves. More specifically, lore has this degree imbued with a sweetness which assists with negotiating who does what without some of the irritation of feeling ‘put upon’ which can be present at other times.

With Medusa going direct here, the Medusa ‘fearful truth’ is softened as we realize that honesty honestly expressed is calming and reassuring. We may not like it all, but at least we can proceed knowing where we stand!

Oh…and in case you’ve never read it…an ARTICLE ON MEDUSA.

Thursday the 23rd is the busiest day of all. With Child entering Sag at 3:20am, against Lachesis (duration) entering Capricorn at 5:15am, there’s an awareness that not all things last forever…otherwise known as ‘time waits for no man!’ (or woman, either!) While this stresses what needs to be done (and for some may indicate a busy mental day) it’s also a call to enjoy what we have.

How well you deal with this dichotomy should tell you something about yourself. (Sorry, can’t help you there!)

But when we add in Industria going direct at 6:46am at 4 Taurus…?

Industria is an obvious one: it’s “industriousness.” And in direct mode, it’s life coming towards us, asking us to be industrious and get a lot done. Yet the Taurus part asks ‘is this really worth it’?

And yes, this is the continuing 'flash' of the early morning transition.

Especially in the lee of the Lunar Eclipse, whether said eclipse smacked us personally or not we are all likely to be a little more discerning in and about our choices. And with Charybdis – a symbol of having to continuously ‘do’ or ‘put something out there’ entering Aquarius at 11:21 am, we may find ourselves cutting down our lists in what may be sort of a ‘who’s been naughty or nice?’ sort of way, to use the phrase of the season.

 Britannia between Scylla and Charybdis

by James Gillray (1793)

And no, that's not just about gifts - except in the most personal sense! Yes, this is about the gift of our effort, time and attention...most of all to who we are, who we want to be, and what we are capable of (i.e., our gifts!).

Those who deal with all realistically (the Sun is in Capricorn, remember?) will arrive at Bali entering Scorpio at 5:17pm looking forward to pleasant times.

Those who arrive there merely figuring on having things be the way they want them to be (or that all their work is done) will be…well, less than delighted.

The point now is togetherness. That which works should work for all, and that’s the basis upon which choices should have been made…and upon which they need to be made going forward, especially over the next days and several weeks.

A last note here: remembering that all this is happening – still – under Mercury retrograde should remind us that all these shifts are about our recognition of who we are and why we do what we do the way we do it. 

Against this, if you’ve been following the Asteroid Factor posts, you’ll also remember how there’s been a lot of energy going into the yang ‘what I want/need to do’ category. This week doesn’t change that balance, but with the Sun having moved out of theoretical Sagittarius into realistic Capricorn, this is where the rubber begins hitting road.

Those who enjoy the ride instead of speeding through things will by definition, enjoy more. Those who take risks will like as not experience real ramifications. The days between eclipses are a built-in period of flux.

Feel life – don’t try to mastermind it!