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Root Medicine of the Stars

The Tide Turns – Jupiter Direct

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In early October 2012, after reaching 16 degrees of tropical Gemini Jupiter stationed and began a three month retrograde journey – that journey is now at an end and Jupiter stations again on Jan 31st at 6 degrees Gemini, from which time the planet of expansion and joviality will be heading directly for the border with tropical Cancer. This is the big push, the increase in outbreath of all that has been building in connection with this planet since Jupiter entered Gemini back in early June 2012 – we’ve had some pretty momentous times since then, times of growing anticipation for expanding horizons on so many levels, and, not least of all, those surrounding the December solstice 2012.

If the expectations for major events connected with this significant station in the solar cycle were unfulfilled the underlying reality of the times has relentlessly pushed our world from beneath and the events that have unfolded through this time have shown that Jupiter’s main role has been to amplify the pressure at work. The chief astrological source for that pressure over the solstice time was the sextile between Pluto and Saturn, which we will be coming to in a seperate post shortly – but, these two outlying planets have been brewing a revolution in the underworld that, every now and then, lets off steam and gives us warning of whats to come, and, it is through Jupiter that this energetic has been expressed. These three planets formed a yod with precision timing that became exact on the solstice; the first pressure release was deflationary…….with Jupiter going direct again, and remaining so until reaching Cancer, we can now expect the energy of change to become evermore demonstrably expressed…..the tide has turned! This will be an experiment in ‘being the change we want to see in the world’.

There are some major Jupitarian milestones coming up on that journey towards Cancer, markers in the matrix that spell out just how important the next 18 weeks will be, for Jupiter will be conjunct the Sun at solstice in June, within minutes of arc of Cancer, and will reach the cusp just five days later on the 26th. But, the scope of ‘change’ discernable in the planetary movements through this time is immense, so, here we will focus on their energetics through until equinox.

The journey direct begins with the Sun square Saturn, the Moon opposite Uranus and Jupiter square Chiron, and the latter aspect, having been in place for some weeks, will now begin ‘applying’…..”underlying tensions for reparative action to meet pro-active calls for significant change that will affect us all” is a theme that will run through all the coming months up to solstice and this is amplified further with Pallas conjunct Uranus as the Imbolc Sun reaches mid Aquarius.

The rhetoric for change can only last so long without something ‘actually happening’ that reflects it back to us…..here-in lies the first level of tension that holds that pressure. The first signs that the floodgates are about to open will be when the stellium of Mars, Mercury, Chiron and Neptune forms in Pisces a few days into Jupiter’s journey….all squaring Jupiter, this potent mix of vociferous planets could see some very hot and passionate words being fed to the fires in the socio-political boiler room. Positive news could be amongst the rhetoric too, with Venus trining Jupiter from Aquarius, and, Uranus sextile will bring unexpected benefits from this potentially shouty and turbulent episode.

Difficult as the atmosphere generated here may be, the outcomes could be the first solid signs of that ‘turning of the tide’, especially as, once the Moon has passed through this quarter and transitted no less than six planets (it may feel like its kicking off everywhere, again, but, its just the ripple effect of the ‘wake-up call’ Jupiter is putting out there), Moon conjunct Jupiter on Feb 18th will see Saturn go retrograde and the Sun enter Pisces. This will signal the return of the Saturn/Pluto/Jupiter yod…..

….following this hectic lunations opening, the period coming up around the Pisces full Moon on February 25th is asking us to bring out strong creative heart centered energy as the Moon first opposes Venus on the cusp of Pisces and then Neptune before exactly squaring Jupiter at full Moon. This T-square has the potential to ask the question of just how much of the change we are seeing in the world is truly reflecting our inner wisdom, the home truths we know need to be recognised and healed – when will the watershed moment, the critical mass manifest, and the momentum arrive through which we can overcome the burdens and cloying persistence of the past?

Mercury conjuncts Mars, trine the Moon’s north node and Chiron stands between them and the Sun…….Uranus inconjunct the full Moon could make this a time of inspired thinking outside the box; the pressure is on to get real, for release from the wounds of the past – we must become masters of our fate!

How much we stay on the upside of these transits depends upon how well we can communicate our ideas while holding the ‘others’ point of view in mind….compassionate listening rather than pedantic authoritarianism. This will be a good time for listening to the voice of our inner wounds and making sure we do not remain the victim of them, but, learn and grow, to mature as a species. However, with Vesta in close proximity to Jupiter, we need above all else to make sure that the boundaries of our sacred space are not violated, so, on a personal note be careful who you confide in…..the cat and our journal may be our best friends here, or simply keeping it quiet and simple.

All the drama in the world may seem to be upon  us at this Pisces full Moon, but, it can also be a time of deepening self-understanding and preparation for the equinoxial transition, a big wave in the turning tide…..

….all through this time the Pluto Saturn sextile is building, fueling the global matrix with talk of revolution and seismic tremors in the world of power and politics, and, as it does so the yod builds slowly and the pressure upon Jupiter increases.That yod becomes increasingly sensitive as we approach equinox and with Moon conjunct Jupiter as it approaches we will feel the undercurrents of archetypal change sweeping us along once again. Just as the Sun enters tropical Aries, Mars conjuncts Uranus, the Moon opposes Pluto, and a second yod opens between Mars/Uranus and Jupiter with Saturn at the action point! To underline all this potential for high drama and explosive events Uranus is accelerating faster than Pluto and closing their ground-breaking square…….its going to be getting hot this equinox! Full Moon after equinox brings it all to a head….but, we’ll come back to that one nearer the time……

In this report my main aim is to flag up the planetary energetics of the period between Imbolc when Jupiter goes direct and Equinox when it reaches the first major station of its journey across and out of Gemini – we will come back to the second half as we approach that time, but, as is clear from the way in which these planetary dynamics are building, as well as being energetically charged and challenging, the weeks ahead hold much potential for change, innovation and planetary healing. The tide will be turning, of this there is no doubt, but, the overall feel of this time is an expanding and amplifying awareness that is both necessary and, potentially, catalystic in taking us to the very edge of collective cohesion, a role reflected in Jupiter’s journey through Gemini, but, also one that begs the question…..’where are we going…….and who’s really at the wheel’?!

Root Medicine of the Stars

Mercury and the Great Beyond

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seeing-far On December 11th Mercury re-enters tropical Sagittarius and begins a week of important transits that bring the opportunity to re-consider our personal direction within the Bigger Picture. With the December solstice 2012 just days away this will be of immense value in preparing for the transition into the new solar cycle and help us to get wise to what that fabled date really means to us.

The action between Mercury and the outer planets is fast paced through the seven days leading up to the 18th when Mercury in Jupiter’s home sign will oppose Jupiter in Gemini, Mercury’s home sign,  and the Sun will conjunct the galactic center. In between, Mercury will square Neptune, trine Uranus and square Chiron. And, as if this were not significant enough, on December 13th we have a new Moon in Sagittarius, so, when Mercury opposes Jupiter it will also be coming into a T-square with the first quarter Moon and Jupiter. This will coincide with the Moon transiting both Neptune and Chiron, so all the thought we have given to just who and what we are within the ‘immensity of it all’ will meet with a reality check…..and thats just seeing the evolving ongoing chart from the perspective of Mercury’s transit……

A release from illusion and revision of our life philosophy is called for in Mercury coming into Sagittarius and this is doubled with profound effect through Mercury’s square with Neptune. Best advice here is to be patient with ourselves and, if we are experiencing confusion, if it all seems too much to take in, to simply wait for the fog to clear – while waiting, getting creative and bringing out our personal artistry and imagination will help us to avoid feeling bogged down and directionless. Just making collages from meaningful images in unlikely combinations and enjoying the story revealing itself in the process will be hugely rewarding, no matter the medium we work in. Letting our voice emerge in song, stream of consciousness writing or chilling with our favourite films will allow the current of incoming mental energy to flow freely, but, if there is a caviat, it would be to avoid excess, and relax – remember, be patient as the new Moon will help us to ground the underlying themes and earth the energy that has been streaming in, whether we have been aware of it or not. If we then look back on new Moon at what we have created through this time, we may discover something of great value that otherwise might never have seen the light of day! There may be a way of celebrating ‘what’s coming’ in there…..

This will also be an important time to take advantage of the healing that our dreams and our personal dreaming bring –  rather than getting hooked on the symbolic content of our nocturnal dramas and journeys, notice the feelings they bring on awakening and acknowledge them – then let them go. This can be a time for forgiving ourselves, letting the soft animal nature of our sleeping self off the hook of our human mentality – if we do so, then, when Uranus and Chiron come into view over the days immediately following new Moon we will be ready to receive the divine spark of inspiration and the wisdom that the animal powers can bring to us. Remember, in many indigenous traditions the medicine animals are the keepers of star-lore on Earth – this is our time to honour our personal totems and animal guides, and, in the coming week, as the solstice energy arrives, their role in our lives will become much clearer and more meaningful, especially in our relationship to the evolution and restoration of balance in ‘how we are living’ on our home planet.

Jupiter in mutual reception and opposition with Mercury asks for these kinds of partnerships to be allowed to have their say now. Jupiter is also at the action point of the ‘solstice yod’ that sees Saturn in Scorpio sextile Pluto in Capricorn, and they will be sending a deep and powerful message of transformation through Jupiter – if we find ourselves at a fork in the road, this will be the prime time to choose which road we will be taking in realising and co-creating a better world.  As Jupiter in Gemini might well be saying, ‘there can be no greater cause in our time than the restoration of right relationship with our Earth and the Cosmos’. This is a time of big medicine – with Mercury coming out of the ‘shadow zone of its retrograde period, with the asteroid Aphrodyte conjunct the new Moon, Venus entering Sagittarius just two days later and Sun conjunct the galactic center, the heart of our galaxy’s star nations, on December 18th just three days before solstice, if we let the power flow through us, by the time solstice arrives the message should be clear……

Live from the heart…….and have a great new Moon!

Root Medicine of the Stars

First, Chill – New Moon in Libra

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The Libra New Moon on 15th October 2012 brings an opportunity to review significant relationships and connections in our lives. There are no planetary aspects to the solar + lunar conjunction so this is also an opportunity for working on any area of our lives that is calling for our attention and needs relating to in a new way – from here we can creatively rebuild these connections and relationships in ways that honour and bring out the finest qualities within them.

The Sun and Moon are aligned with the fixed star Spica.  This star emphasises ‘the creative’ with a more evolved and pragmatic energy that ensures that thoughts and actions set in motion now will ‘seed the future’ in resourceful and well grounded ways. When we pay attention to reviewing what feeds us, ‘what grows corn’ and what ‘sits well in our belly’ we will know what to discard and which relationships and connections to vitalise – the how of this will become clearer as the lunation progresses.

The Moon’s south node is on the fixed star Algol so look out for ‘ghosts from the past’ and personal ‘skeletons in the closet’ as you do so; they will be carrying the dead weight that has been holding us back, that we may have been unable to face before now – but, with an exact trine between Mars in Sagittarius and Uranus in Aries, the cosmos will support us, help us find the courage to bust those ghosts and to clear our minds and imagination.

Mars and Uranus create a ‘need fire’ that will burn off the illegitimate residues accumulated from having followed others, from false trails and agendas that were never ours in the first place – all part and parcel of the huge changes that are kicking in now. This will enable us all the better to prepare ‘the earth of our life’ to be sown with strengthened and renewed alliences that resonate with our personal truths and the visions that are released from beneath the detritus now, as Mars and Uranus work their magic.

A significant underlying part of that change is the ongoing Uranus Pluto square and, at this moon, this has developed another layer, of which the Mars Uranus trine is a part. Chiron has been in a slowly evolving sextile with Pluto for some time now and this is heightening the capacity we have to heal our most fundamental wounds, especially around issues of authority and personal power. Inevitably, a part of this process is also churning up some of the most fundamental and deeply embedded wounds we have all suffered; cultural, political, economic, religious, humanitarian – Pluto ensures that no stone is left unturn. Here, however, Chiron is also square Mars, so, Pluto, Uranus, Mars and Chiron are bound into creating a sparking cross-fire of regenerative and innovative insights into these wounds – we are likely to feel pretty angry at what is revealed, especially through the first half of this lunation – the Promethian ‘need fire’ will build to a blaze whenever one of these issues surface, so ‘anger managment’ will be an issue – collectively this could be a time of renewed public confrontations with authority. As painful as it may be, and although we do ‘need’ to go through this healing process to clear the way for a better future…..the time to realise the more creative manifestation of that pent up energy will come soon enough.

….on the positive side, in seeming contrast, there is actually a chilled out opportunity on the personal level to relax and get our feet on the ground in more enjoyable ways with this moon too, even if it is best done by special invitation and behind closed doors – Saturn’s trine with Neptune is select, clandestinely escapist and indulgently cinematic, but, with both these planets trining Ceres the way to get the most out of this Moon socially will be to chillax with a few carefully chosen friends, to share the fruits of the harvest, dream together and speculate on a future we could all resonate with.

Venus and Mercury in sextile energise the conversation making heart to hearts possible. Nevertheless, the underlying theme of the Moon is to treat all this time as preparation for better times. Now it were better to converse, observe and make private choices, but, not to make hard and fast commitments based on these, not yet anyway – all in good time. This is emphasised with Eris opposite the Sun and Moon at NM, which brings a cautionary reminder and emphasises the point of not buying into other people’s dramas, or taking hurtfull off-the-cuff remarks to heart – as said, if socialising, be selective and chillax.

With this in mind, in esoteric work undertaken now do make sure to pay attention to grounding and clear boundaries. The energies thrown up from the astral realms will be testing us to remain centered and balanced through the first half of the lunation in particular. Making our connections with the spirits and the otherworlds clearer and stronger is the ideal focus for our esoteric work and, this will not only help us through the coming year when we need it most, but, for the coming Samhain this work is absolutely essential…..this time of year is significant for clearing in preparation for the Samhain period, but, this lunation is especially primed for Ancestral work. It goes without saying that this work is of huge importance……

There are many undercurrents and pervasive elements influencing events from behind the facade of everyday life at the moment, so, trust in the guidance we recieve from the otherworlds depends upon the clarification, strength and truthfulness of our connections with them now. Don’t take my word for it, check it with your guides and inner knowing – our truth is our own, so, be especially vigilant for those who would seem to have an agenda to ‘peruade’ you, those who make offers that might seem to benefit you but which do not truly resonate within your innermost being, or those who would have you believe otherwise, that theirs is the right way – we’re leaving all that behind. As the lunation unfolds and approaches Samhain any turbulence this all throws up nearer that time can be safely fielded if we have payed special attention to this preparatory work, and the time and means for action and commitment will become all the clearer as a result. Its a tricky world we live in…….

We’ll look at the Full Moon in more detail before we arrive there; its chart is going to carry two yods and a potent opposition! The latter, involving Mars and Jupiter, will be priming the planet for the solstice in a very significant way, which we will explore in a special upcoming post on Saturn and Pluto. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the fire festivals over the next couple of years all carry hard aspects and ‘earth changes’ are being flagged up big-time. There are also some very powerful and positive aspects unfolding now as well though, and this Saturn sextile with Pluto aspect is one of them, one that will help us put all the dramatic qualities of our time into a real and inspiringly usable context. At this time Earth herself is gathering and building potential energy and, strange as this may sound, if divination and gut-feelings are to be trusted, we have not really seen this fully manifest at the surface yet. We Humans are showing the signs, however!

We tend to forget that we are animals, that we too can sense the subtle ripples of energy and time that precede events in the manifest world and, one day, we will look back upon this time as one in which we woke up to this rememberance within ourselves. When we come alive to this reality and discover its immensity and magic we also begin to understand and make sense of what has happened in the millenia since we began to forget. We all know, Earth’s children must grow up – the idea of the Mayan Calendar as a marker of finality has served a purpose, one that may not be everything its architects intended, but……if 2012-12-21 is the end of anything, it will be the end of forgetting….we are on the edge of discovery…..

This post can also be found at owlmirror