The astrological matrix undergoes a shift of tone and significant adjustment over the 22nd through 23rd November 2012 – within a period of just 24 hours Venus enters tropical Scorpio, the Sun enters Sagittarius, the Moon leaves Pisces for Aries and, as this is happening, Mars, now in Capricorn, comes into exact square with Uranus in early Aries. Initiating the 2nd waxing quarter of the current lunation, the process reaches a point of culmination in the Mars Uranus square, strongly accenting and bringing an emphasis to the changes intrinsic to the Sun and Venus’ ingress. The tone of the moment suggests that this is a ‘hinge point’, a moment of discontinuity and departure from qualities and characteristics of a time that is now ending. If the eclipse of the 13/14th November opened a ‘time out of time’ this is the dynamic of the emergent energetic field that came in through that opening.

The matrix is shifting gear and injecting an accelerating impulse of energy into the ongoing process. The changes will continue to build beyond this moment, but, by the time of full Moon, the outer manifestations of the resonances at work will have become visible to all. These will reflect back to us and offer a clear mandate for the crucial inner changes needed to bring the new sense of purpose and direction into the world that is now emerging and bring a boost of energy that will serve us as we cross the threshold of the much anticipated December solstice 2012.

Venus role here is one of widening creativity and emotive healing within a quickly sequenced network of aspects as she aspects no less than six luminaries in tight synchronicity over the immediate period up to full Moon. There is an expansive quality to Venus energy at this time, bringing creative energy into a new social context – we can choose to bring the broken promises of the past into a new light, to repair the wounds of relationship where we once knew beauty and where we value this beauty still. Nothing is lost to the goddess of love and beauty if these twin powers are brought to bear in the world – this is a message of profound import for our times. Venus will develop this theme over the coming month, but, now is a time when appreciation can extend to the less than perfect aspects of ourselves, our valued possessions and to Earth herself….there is great healing available in this.

The ingress of Venus into Scorpio also brings the goddess into trine with Neptune, now direct in Pisces. As she moves further into Scorpio, and as she approaches conjunction with Saturn, Venus will come into trine with Chiron. Venus’ dynamic develops further over the coming days as we approach the full Moon/lunar eclipse, coming into tightening sextile with Pluto and Mars, and quincunx with both Uranus and the Moon. What is set in motion through this time will be tested at the full Moon and we will face another moment of deep choice with the lunar eclipse.

Venus in Scorpio also brings a fresh sense of passion and deep appreciation to the creative impulse through which we express our belonging in the world. Re-evaluating the capacity each of us has to draw sustainence from our inherited roots, and doing so in terms of beauty and heart centered values, the trine with Neptune will enhance the sense of spiritual value, the very immenance of spirit we experience in our creativity, within the world. This will be a powerful time for envisioning beyond the known. As the coming days see the trine with Neptune give way to the same aspect with Chiron, the partnership between creativity and healing is very much a center of focus here. The symbol of the broken shards of a beautiful clay pot being re-assembled and brought to an even higher level of beauty is fitting – there is a tradition in Japan of filling the cracks in broken clay vessels with gold, and this illustrates well the energetic values at work here….

…..essentially, there is an ecology of the soul to be gained through this reparitive work – Scorpio is the shadow sign of Venus home, Taurus, and the trine to Neptune can increase our sense of longing and melancholy for the ‘other’, the desire to be re-united not just in spirit but in body, and too know the transcendence of completion. Mending our relationship with Earth is a vital quest for humanity now, one that has an emotional charge and carries both the sadness of seperation and the passion for redemption and reclamation.

We no longer tend to associate melancholy with either creativity or the divine, these are images very much belonging to the great spiritual traditions of the past in Europe and the Near East – for us melancholy has developed a depressive quality over time, an emotional tone that reflects the dehumanising processes of industrialisation and seperation from the divine feminine in Nature. However, if we move closer to source we discover that this sense of melancholy is at the very root of creativity and profound divine love. It is expressed in the longing for union with the ‘Beloved’, the troubadour’s courting of the divine feminine and in the transcendent mystery of conjunctio, so characteristic of immersion in the Neptunian field. The flavour of this ingress is a balm to an ailing world of aggression and conflict and gives an heroic context to the struggle, one that is further enhanced by the Sun’s own entry into Sagittarius.

When the Sun enters Sagittarius a boldness in approach and outgoing philosophy on Life begins to illuminate the field. The search for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, of lost riches and new horizons, the re-covery of values that reflect a broader view on life, and the largess of a philanthropic heart that aims to harness the greater energies of the universe in beneficiant service come to the fore.  This is also reflected in the Sabian symbol for Venus’ degree of ingress into Scorpio…

“Individuals coming from a variety of places and backgrounds “commune” in new awareness of a greater whole of human existence, an organized whole with its own rhythms of multifarious activity. New feelings and an expansion of consciousness result…….”

The key phrase of the Sabian for Scorpio 1 is ‘A Widening Of Experience’……..in times of great upheaval, amidst evolutionary processes and strivings, the call to reach beyond our familiar boundaries and grasp the moment, in all its magnitude, and be lifted into a higher state of engagement in the world comes loud and clear……we might find that the coming times see the energies of the Venusian and solar ingress working alongside each other in the world…..this is a time of redemptive and meaningful action. Being able to see the beauty in the wound is healing of the highest order. Having the heart to manifest that beauty and the courage to protect it at all costs is the flavour of our times as we approach the problems of transition and harness the energy of profound change inherent in the moment…..but, the energy available to us now, if we have the eyes and heart to embrace it, is that of a People in love with Life. This is the glue that binds us and brings a sense of unity to the fight for liberty and freedom from the forces of oppression and destruction at large in the world.