Tag Archives: Sagittarius

astrology, Earth healing, Elements, mundane astrology, planetary change, Root Medicine of the Stars

Heads Up – Mars Enters Sagittarius

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…..Mars has entered Sagittarius and is sailing the rocky waters of the Scorpio constellation with a sting in his tail.

The underlying tetchy mood you may encounter over the next few days, if not weeks, is a reflection of the fact that Mars is flying beneath the radar of all the planets save Uranus, Chiron and Neptune and, in the process, is creating ripples and undercurrents that have the potential to rock all our boats.

This is a hot energy that is applying to the field as a whole and is affecting the collective overview of life. It is more than adequately reflected back to us in the image of the raging fires that are burning in nature which are impinging on human habitations – a powerful symbol of the collective human infrastructure being threatened by the flames that engulf our foundations within nature.

Take some time to reflect upon this symbol and it will throw into a sharper perspective the relationship we have with the elemental world, its powers and our ability to interact with them.

Humanity is under pressure, and this is equally reflected back to us in the now almost exact conjunction between Saturn and Pluto a sign and a half from Mars. Mars is tightening the angle.

If you encounter this in the form of pressure, take notice first, then apply a little kindness, to yourself and others….its going to pass.

If you must put your head above the parapet make sure its for good reason, and get your timing right.

Be careful, in fact, in all your dealings as we approach the exact conjunction of Saturn and Pluto on the 12th; this is not a time for false moves or rash decisions.

Mars will form semi-squares with the Capricornian stellium through this time so avoid reactions and the blame game too, otherwise you will only be throwing fuel on the fire….

….a great deal of the incendiary mayhem at large is the result of subterfuge and deliberate mismanagement of resources, but, this will out in time – for now, take Mars prompts as a heads up and adjust your inner fire appropriately.

What will come later is going to be feeding those fires further so the directive here is to get familiar with how they feel and what is necessary to regulate their emotional charge. Properly directed that charge will have the capacity to work positively for us; left to its own devices it shows its destructive nature to full effect and determines the course of events.

We can be wise to this, practical in a Capricornian way, accepting that change must come, that it may require rebuilding from the ground up, but, that it can be done with a much deeper understanding than  we have become accustomed to using – this is the opportunity to shine brightly in the face of difficult circumstances. Even if it means reconfiguring who we are collectively and on a personal level.

Light a candle for your prayers, yes, but accompany it with sweet medicine and waters of the spirit to heal and soothe.

This is, however, by virtue of exactly the same ingredients, a very good time to burn off the crap adhering to old and worn out views on Life, philosophies that no longer cut the mustard in the light of everyday living, and to use the emotive drives that arise through each day as reminders that life can be lived to the full, so long as you don’t take the slaps and cuffs too personally…..

…this is also a time in which high voltage healing can be given in the personal realms; regulate that energy and it will work wonders. Take care and….

Blessed Be!

astrology, culture, Earth healing, planetary aspects, planetary nodes, retrograde planets, Root Medicine of the Stars, Transition of the Ages

Creating The Path Is The Path ~ Mars Stations Direct

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In the early hours of June 30th Mars stations at 23°03′ of Scorpio and, from our Earth perspective, begins a new two year cycle of direct motion.  Mars direct offers us a springboard for informed action that is in alignment with our deepest desires. However, to gain the optimum benefits of this impulse it is well advised to first align with Mars slowdown, to realign ourselves with our own internal drives before putting new plans into action. As Mars slows down to standstill after ten weeks of being retrograde, it is now time to take a moment to reflect on the most important lessons we can draw from the last two months or more.

If you have felt as though, in some important areas of your life, you have been driving with the handbrake on, from the end of June into early July you can expect a sense of emergence and greater freedom to come into play – allow some time to let your wings to unfurl and feel their power before taking off for the wild blue yonder.

If you have been able to bide your time or have treated this time as an opportunity to have fun with the retrograde period, doing handbrake turns and making circles in the road, this is now a time to stop burning rubber senselessly and take a more serious view towards your own agenda – draw breath and for the next couple of weeks show yourself just how adept you can be at taking the potential of your own life seriously.

The gist is that Mars retrograde  is a time to either slow down and go with the flow or to let off steam, both being preparation for a coming time of focus and concerted effort. Either way, in Scorpio Mars ultimately gives us a deeper sense of our own power and its place in the world, and, with this apparent change of impetus a change of perspectives comes into play. The third quarter of 2016 will undoubtedly challenge us to face up to how we are using our energy in pursuit of our most deeply held desires.

Reassessing our deepest passions at a personal level inevitably brings us face to face with limitations to using our personal power that we have experienced in the past. The expansion of imagination and (self) knowledge that we can bring to bear on this process will directly affect the world view we have, especially when Mars enters Sagittarius again just after Lughnasadh, at the beginning of August. This will be a good time to embark upon new fields of learning, to broaden our skills base and thinking.

Collectively, in the face of current circumstances, this shift in perspective meets a longer term necessity; we know  we must become more worldly wise, especially as we now enter a time in which the will of the people will be increasingly tested against the will of the power brokers in this world. Where these clash, where we experience dissonance between our own agendas and those that have we have been co-opted into, ‘a new level of understanding’ is the optimum prerequisite – it signals a time of ‘consciousness raising’ and any action that lacks this fundamental requirement runs the risk of repeating our mistakes, as well as of instigating confrontation and violent reprisal. Conversely, with the higher goal firmly in our grasp we stand a good chance of seeing the ‘groundswell’, the resurgent ‘will of the people’ that was seeded at the Spring eclipses bearing first fruits.

The cultural and global impact of this effect will bring fresh challenges to the status quo, and a refueled sense of purpose is a prerequisite for making our actions count, in the face of any resistance to systemic change it may catalyse. I am anticipating a third quarter of dynamic attempts at restructuring the relationship between personal and institutionalised power, and we need to be ready and well informed!

Mars will be carrying the Scorpio imprint of unwavering focus and determination forward in its new cycle so, where there are clashes of agendas, we can expect hightened friction to colour the mundane world as we shift between the Ages. However, the planetary matrix indicates that we will see this dynamic upping a gear sooner rather than later. Towards the end of August the red planet will return to 9° of Sagittarius, the degree in which its retrograde period began – the preparation we can undertake now and ensuing the sense of direction we have chosen will meet its first real test.

swordwoman

On August 24th Mars will meet with Saturn on the fixed star Antares, squaring the lunar nodes, a strong indication that the prevailing focus will be on how the wilful use of aggression is shaping our world, and what its antidote is. At its ‘higher octave’ Antares martial focus belongs to the individual who champions the underdog, the ‘David’ like figure who stands up to ‘Goliaths’ of this world and fights for liberation. People power starts with each of us and activism will be more effective if it is ‘knowingly applied’, organised, keeping the bigger picture firmly in mind, rather than simply as a collectively realised personal reaction to events. A skilfull use of our personal power and knowledge is favoured over crude use of force that follows the herd.

The challenge is to use the will to higher ends, to temper our tempers, to use the fiery life force at large constructively, and to keep the focus on significant and beneficial long term change rather than short term victories. There is a philosophical flavour to the view that will emerge, bringing the more traumatic consequences of ‘short-termism’ into sharp focus.

As Mars moves beyond Saturn a moment of hiatus may crystalise following events that, for example, cause us to severely question and make a concerted effort to bring an end to the misuse of  our vital energy and its co-option in the pursuit of conflict and war. This will coincide with Mars transit of Uranus south node, a crucial point already activated by Saturn’s station retrograde three months ago.

Saturn’s retrograde will itself come to an end shortly before the meeting with Mars when the Moon transits the ringed planet on August 12th, so the lessons of Saturn’s own retrograde period must also be taken into account before hand, as a part of our preparation. These reach back to March 24th 2016 when, just hours after the full Moon/lunar eclipse, Saturn slowed to a standstill within 30′ of arc of the south node of Uranus in Sagittarius.

Embedded within the 36 year cycle between Neptune and Saturn this astrological event underlined the question of who we are and why we are here, the meaning of our mortality and relationship with death within life. With these two planets currently in a tight square and the lunar nodes closing to square Saturn over the coming months the third quarter of 2016 has a philosophical quality about it that underpins the ongoing global transformation already underway.

Uranus seven squares with Pluto have undermined the power structures of ‘the Establishment’ and we are now dealing with the effects of this, the turbulence in their wake. Saturn’s presence also carries the Sagittarian signature forward, putting everything that has stood for maintenance of the status quo into a ‘global context’ of reconfiguration at ground level.

The challenge is to avoid falling back into old patterns and materialise a break with the past that commits to working for a better future. Collectively, this could be a magical and inspiring time, if our personal will is able to operate beyond habitual constraints and we have the imaginative ability to re-envision the human imprint upon our home planet. Every individual’s contribution counts.

In Saturn’s square with Neptune the anthropocentrism of the human presence on planet Earth is questioned in its relationship to the ecocentric spirit and aspirations of our times. This relationship is bringing increasing tension into the world as we question our own collective purpose in the light of environmental disturbances and their relationship to our use of power and technology within the current cultural and spiritual paradigms. This is an aspect that brings the imaginative and spiritual realms of consciousness into question through the lens of pragmatic worldly analysis. When we get into this frame of mind, the constellation of Piscean archetypes and the dynamics of imagination can ground in new forms within the Sagittarian field, but not before exposing both our spiritual deficit and our hubristic tendencies. Uranus can also indicate where the trauma arising from these tendencies continue to affect us, where we need to raise our consciousness to a new level.

Saturn and Neptune’s rhythm is deeply instructive. In the human realm the 36th year marks the first waxing square after the first Saturn return, a moment of maturation that tests the validity of the gains we have made in the process of coming home to the reality of our selves. It is the equivalent of three Jupiter cycles, an expansion of our personal power that requires a new level of maturity, and presages the need to consolidate our gains towards meaningful ends, a process which is tested at mid-life. As we enter the very beginning of the current period of recapitulation and preparation, as Mars slows down and turns direct, we now find Jupiter and the Moon’s north node conjunct in Virgo. They are exactly on Uranus and Pluto’s meeting point at the beginning of their current cycle during the mid sixties.

These times carry some potent connections across time and question our capacity to embrace the wider view through time towards the future. Uranus in Aries is quincunx Mars as he stations direct in Scorpio – and Mars rulership of both signs reflects a time to claim our own sovereignty. Mars also trines retrograde Chiron in Pisces – self compassion is the key to healing our spiritual wounds, the sign that we are ready to reclaim and strengthen the link with the wisdom of our ‘higher self’.

‘Rebellious youth’ must, inevitably, become ‘responsible adult’ and humanity, having acted for too long like a kid in a Ferrari, must realise that the red light that is flashing in the periphary of our vision is not simply the cops giving chase, the past catching up with us, but, also the sign that our tank is approaching empty and we may be running on air. The ‘fly-boys’ and hedonists of the world are about to get their comeuppance! But, we don’t want to be taken down with them…..

longship

Make good use of the coming weeks to get with your own inner beat, develop the meaningful art of understanding your own rhythms, and re-orientate your life towards worthy causes that your own passions align with naturally. With a sense of liberation and willingness to navigate through unknown territory the world takes on a dynamic vitality that reflects Mars impulse to get up and live; as the July new Moon approaches we can prepare for fresh fields, an expansion of our personal and collective scope, and carry the momentum forward with a deepened sense of responsibility.

No matter how small you may feel in the face of our current global challenges Mars message is to be confident in yourself. There is great power in this. Take this time personally, make it your own, but, remember, everything you do has a meaning and a purpose that reaches well beyond the known – this is the age of transition and, in it, creating the path ‘is’ the path.

astrology, divination, Earth healing, I Ching, lunations, planetary aspects, retrograde planets, Root Medicine of the Stars, Sagittarius Gemini axis

Conflict Resolution

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The May full Moon is conjunct Mars, retrograde in Sagittarius. This is a Moon that draws attention to qualities of mind, their power in shaping reality and the conditioning influences they bring to life. The will is turned inward, the search for meaning is amplified, the need to get under the skin of our most burning issues is emphasised. This can stir up emotional stress and requires a presence of mind that is able to penetrate beyond appearances without losing its lucidity.

The nature of conflict, its inner purpose and causes, is under the spotlight of the Gemini Sun as the May lunation reaches its height.  How we claim a positive application of the inflamed Moon’s energies is an open question and rests upon our own inner state of lucidity. The lunar impulse will give way to a more positive dynamic if, in its midst, mindful equilibrium is sought and its energy focused in diligent awareness. Its usefulness can overcome its potential volatility.

Knowledge is the ‘weapon of choice’ here but the aim is to use it to a higher purpose, one that avoids misuse of its power, that rests upon a respectful understanding of its purpose.

Interpretations of that purpose can be as individual as the person making them, and it is advisable to reflect upon your own use of the power available to you, as well as the areas of conflict it highlights in your own life. But, collectively there is something to be gained from looking into the nature of Mars own journey at this time.

Mars journey through the Sagittarian fields took a turn on April 17th when he reached the star Antares in the heart of the Scorpion’s constellation and stationed retrograde. At that time Mercury in Taurus was in exact trine with Pluto in Capricorn and the waxing Moon was passing through mid Virgo, joining with Jupiter and the north node. The grand earth trine they formed has contributed a sense of immanence and build up, a pulsing of the earth field that deepens the sense of expectancy. Its image is of thunder within the earth. In the full Moon we see this image developed, activating its potential energy within and releasing it amongst the people.

The qualities of the star Antares, whose name can be read as ‘against Aries’, have a distinctly martial nature, bring a deeper meaning to Mars station – a will to pull back from the brink of war, is an obvious interpretation. But, this star is also one of the four guardians of the heavens, associated with the ‘Watcher of the West’, an epithet suggesting the need to be vigilant of the path the ‘red road’ is leading us on, towards the ancestral realms, beyond the borders of life.

Amphitrite

At full Moon on the 21st of May Mars meets with the Moon in the second degree of tropical Sagittarius. They appear in the skies as two bright travellers passing through the great library of Nature amongst the stars. They will reflect the solar life force at work in nature through the intelligence and awareness of the Geminian field as the Sun opposes them across the zodiac. The energy of the intelligent design at work in nature, reflected in the purposefulness and psychosomatic unity they signify, lends to Mars meeting with the Moon a deepening desire to recalibrate our personal power in line with our soul. The need to gain a deeper understanding of who we are and why we have come here.

In a sense, in retracing his steps Mars shows a willingness to dig deeper into the substrates of accumulated knowledge held within the Sagittarian bedrock of its first degrees. The pathway he is following leads to the underworld and, beyond the Scorpio cusp, breaks through to the subterranean ocean that lies beneath. Pluto and Mars combine their powers in this realm.

This a place of primaeval intensity, its instinctive drives an expression of an archetypal desire for life that underpins the incarnate world. The life forms that inhabit the oceanic underworld of Scorpio correspond to essential manifestations of the life force, to the fundamental dynamics and beings of the unconscious – the codes of natural law are given shape here and their primal coding of the intelligent design within nature reveal its raw building blocks; Scorpio is also associated with DNA.

The journey Mars has undertaken and his lunar rendevous suggests their meeting across from the Sun is intended to draw attention to where our own journey is taking us in relation to those codes of Life. Their highest expression is present ‘in potentia’, an unimaginally vast store-house of ancestral knowledge lies behind its patterning, but, science has failed to understand that the message is not in the code itself; decoding its pattern does not give us access to its highest purpose. It requires the quality of virtue to access its meaning.

The I Ching says ‘virtue is what is commanded by the divine, and is the root of human life‘ ~ natural law and intelligent design, if respected and honoured, bring our actions into a harmonious relationship with the divine. When the honouring is lacking and the virtue missing, it is like making empty prayers and false offerings, seeking to aquire without giving.

When science plays god we can see this dynamic at work; knowledge is aquired without giving respect to and honouring the root of life. Genetic modification is the obvious mirror of this. Our attention is drawn to the dangerous naivety of such inherent ignorance, its aggressive nature exposed while the ancestral codes for living are subverted; warring against and competing with nature manifests Mars negative impulse, reflecting the more pernicious devolutionary characteristics our times. We are fighting for our survival as a result.

Turning back from such foolishness is the option Mars will deliver at full Moon, lending energy and purpose to the search for deeper meaning as a path of resolution; it is of necessity the only viable option, but, the Sun illuminates our minds with spiritual awareness, sublimating the aggressive ‘competition’ traditionally associated with the evolutionary struggle for survival to a higher order of awareness and understanding.

The Moon in Sagittarius sees the people actively embodying culture and Mars represents the energy of competition in its most aggressive form within the dominant culture of our times, but, in its original form com-petition meant co-petitioning, and was enshrined in the act of petitioning ‘the gods’ together. This was the prayer offered by the warrior asking for their martial skills to be infused with the divine blessing, made sacred. The sacred warrior commited themselves to Life by offering their own in service to the divine and the community. It is their ‘purpose’ that is offered, for the welbeing and preservation of life. This makes a virtue of action that honours the roots of life.

There is a feeling of release associated with this image, of personal mastery becoming the instrument of a higher purpose – it expresses the surrender of will to the partnership between this life and the worlds beyond. It also expresses an artistry, a creative edge and dynamic that the warrior has attained in their own life; the warrior, as has been said, must first learn to dance before they wield the sword….the sacred dance of life and the aquisition of virtue are intimately bound to each other.

These reflections on the full Moon give us a feeling for its sacred dimensions. They remind us of the qualities of soul intrinsic to the path we are on, of following the impulse seeded through the Spring eclipses, and the degree of commitment necessary to seeing it through. Inner work, like our work in the world, needs to be done for the long haul, sustained. The energetic recalibration we are put in mind of at this full Moon needs us to bring out the usefulness of anger…..to learn how to transform it, become fluent in its language, enough to use it as a high octane catalyst for positive change and to develop our artfulness in using it; as revolutions build it is as conspicuous in its expression as it is in its absence.

The partner in competition has been made our own shadow, an adversary in this journey that has been externalised for too long, the blessings of the challenge forgotten, desacralised and making of life a journey in adversity. The secular use of power is exposed here, its faults themselves becoming our adversary, as much within as without. The mandate is clear, we must first make peace with ourselves and life and apply the lessons and understanding we receive in the process to the world around us. There are ways and means available to us……to find them we must first dedicate ourselves to conflict resolution.

We will almost certainly find ourselves working hard to contain the energies of this full Moon. If you feel your buttons being pushed don’t let your anger get the better of you and don’t dwell on it. Mars igniting the lunar passions indicates a need to regulate the inner fires, whatever the outer events that accompany its heat. Our thoughts affect our emotions and visa versa – let them pass. Better, bring a mindful quality to applying this powerful creative energy to more evolved purposes.

In closing there is an opportunity here for bringing out the joyful side of this full Moon.

the horse panel at Chauvet copy

The inner meaning of this full Moon is the expression of Joy. In sublimating its energies joy becomes its natural expression. Being fired up with joy is its emotional expression, but, the presence and celebration of virtue are necessary for this to be realised. In the words of the I Ching, if practiced  and honoured ‘such virtue is a joy to cultivate’. The potential for such cultivation is inherent within the ancestral codes of life, but, it requires an honouring of Life and an appreciation of its deeper meaning to be realised. The long journey our species has undertaken carries this potential at every step of the way, even in the midst of adversity.

In following this evolutionary impulse our forebears went through extraordinary pains to bring the fires of their own inner light into manifestation. Survival in times and amongst events that were also harrowingly difficult did not prevent them from developing technologies that embodied its potential. The orthodox histories exclude this fact. Traces of the level of technology they reached are difficult for us to find, not least of all because it was at heart a spiritual technology. Their understanding of the non-physical is perhaps the least understood of human gifts that are available to us when we subscribe to the orthodox view, not least of all as the dominant use of science has gravitated so heavily around its fixation on the physical in our times.

As Tesla is attributed with saying, “The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.” We can develop a spiritual technology here with the aid of the unseen. While many are already engaged in this work, the momentum building now and the network growing, this full Moon can bring meaningful power to all inner workings and help us in celebrating its insights. If you run a circle or have a community that works within the architecture of spiritual energy consider coming together to celebrate the circle itself. Make of this Moon’s energies a joyful offering.

This is the penultimate full Moon before solstice, which also falls on a full Moon, and solar energies are vitalising the Earth to receive gifts of spiritual power into the deep earth realms.

The Sabian symbol for the Moon’s degree on 21st May confirms this – “the mobilization of unconscious energies under the pressure of super-personal motives.” There is an echo here of Mercury’s solar transit and the Sabian symbols that have been activated recently ~ above and below, the inner and outer worlds, are working in unison, and we are their bridge.

The symbol speaks of ‘the wind rushing over the ocean stirring the waters into white capped waves’ – it advises ‘stabilisation through rhythmic intensity’ as its most creative expression. Another Tesla quote comes to mind, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.”

If you only get to drum with one full Moon this year, make it this one!

But, be mindful of the rhythm at its heart….ultimately, it leads us into the sanctity of our own, a place where the subtle power of original nature is enshrined.

Original nature reflects its own innocence. Work with the energies of this full Moon to engender that subtle quality. After full Moon the energy subsides and crystalises as the Moon connects with Saturn and we come back to the apex of the T square that Saturn is forming with Jupiter and Neptune in anticipation of the new Moon. Grounding after an ecstatic dance with the cosmos, this is the ‘after the ecstacy, the laundry‘ moment. Closing down the ceremony, cleaning the sacred space that has housed it, the mood is quietly practical and calls for rest. An emergent sense of belonging will help counterbalance the slump in energy we may be feeling. We have a lot to process and should seek gentler interactions with others, be kind to them and to ourselves.

First, make peace with yourself….then vibrate the roots of life into action….

“Walk carefully, well loved one
walk mindfully, well loved one
walk fearlessly, well loved one.
Return with us, return to us
be always coming home“

Images, from the top :
Sacred Anger ~ Rob Purday
Amphitrite ~ Susan Seddon-Boulet
Chauvet Cave ~ 35K bpe

Quotations from the I Ching are from the Thomas Cleary translation, ‘The Taoist I Ching’, Shambala Publications, 1986

The poem is by Ursula Le Guin, from
“Initiation Poem Of The Finders Lodge“

Root Medicine of the Stars

Of Wild Fire, Ash And Oak

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book-of-stars

” We are, all of us, flying in the saddle
of a horse called Fast Home
towards the place we tore ourselves from,
to the place that is still open
and, still, there are clues
to our origins

as we live in the torso
we find the heart
and on the bottom of the foot
we find the answers written
by the miles we covered in the dark.”

On the cusp of Scorpio and Sagittarius the new Moon brings the 12th lunation of 2014 alive and the journey begins anew. Here we can explore the Jupitarian imprint on the lunar cycle and follow the path of the Sun through the realms of the Archer.

The Archer’s realm is rich in possibilites, bringing the transformative power of mutable fire to light our path. The arrow of the Archer points back towards Scorpio reminding us of the journey that we have already undertaken ~ on our present journey it is an arrow named Truth, whose aim is to bring the hard won seeds of experience, the resiliant seeds of ancient knowing, out of the ashes of the Phoenix fire that burns in the last decan of Scorpio. These are the fire seeds that open when sown upon Sagittarius fields, becoming the potential growth that is embodied in the quest for knowledge.  Mutable fire is the fire that walks, that transforms all it touches, Wild Fire. Fire and spirit speak the same tongue in this place, both expressing their own essence, their truth, theirs is a language that speaks of the knowledge that lives within the world.

When Sun and Moon join on the cusp the qualities belonging to the signs either side of this threshold infuse the lunation, here bringing Scorpio’s resiliance and determination to the search for a greater understanding of Life. Sagittarian Sun, travelling the entire length of Sagittarius through this lunation, is bolstered through Scorpio’s qualities, making our drive for worldly experience and knowing that much more determined ~ however, the danger with all things Jupitarian is excess.

If allowed to go to excess the Scorpio Sagittarius mix can devolve into loud dogmatism and stubborn arrogance; these we must be on our guard for through this time. The sting in Scorpio’s tail can deliver this bombastic attitude with a poisonous and burning tongue. There are powerful survival instincts at the back of such demonstrative energy and, being sanguine by nature, Jupitarian healing must involve not only purification but relaxation and environments that support and encourage Jupiter’s gift, an expansive sense of well being. Within such surrounds instinct can be a more balanced guiding force.

Following an ancient principle in healing and, like many things in the natural world, where excessive or concentrated power is found at toxic levels the antidote is often found in the poison itself, and likewise, in accordance with this, virtually anything in excess can become toxic. Self awareness, as one of the goals available through Sagittarian exploration, is the balancing factor here. As we will see this will become particularly important in handling the energies of the full Moon in early December.

Interestingly, in medical astrology Jupiter is associated, amongst other things, with the liver and lungs – herbs that aid purification of the blood and the opening out respiration are highlighted in this and are also associated with Jupiter. Amongst these are Liverwort, Lungwort and Selfheal. The lore has it that Sagittarian links with higher knowledge connect through heart and mind and I have also come across a link between Jupiter and the endocrine glands in the brain ~ this suggests a focus for our personal medicine work. Wood Betony and Mugwort are Jupitarian herbs that can aid in decalcifying the pineal, allowing the light of the inner fire to illuminate the world. Through this the oracular wisdom innate within the human spirit begins to speak and shape the world. Betony also gives protection against malicious spirits!

Al Biruni, the medieval Islamic scholar, geomancer and astrologer who we met previously on the journey through the Via Combusta, tells us of Jupiter’s connection with sperm and bone marrow – in this, a metaphysical association with inheritance and fundamental vitality links with the soul and the forging of a soul path within the continuum of life.

We can explore our origins here, bringing all these elements together in personal work, medicine and healing. Getting to the heart of things, establishing truth, honouring the living flame of knowledge in spirit. Just as our ancestors did before us, we can undertake to understand more deeply our personal place within the wheel of life through this time. Ancestral healing and purification of the bloodlines allow the ancestors to accompany us with greater effect on this journey. The voices of the spirits can enlighten us of that which is yet unknown. Working with this lunation can give us the inspiration we most need, an informed power for change that animates the world. How this is affected through this Moon begins to take on more shape when we look further into to the lunation.

Gemini’s ruler, Mercury, is square Jupiter as the lunation opens advising us to be mindfull of our mistakes, the ego trips that have been our stumbling blocks and the wrong turns we have taken on our journey in the past. But, by full Moon, Mercury conjuncts the Sun in mid Sagittarius and highlights the need to remain focused and not get carried away or distracted. Around mid-lunation may not be the best time to make decisions, the hightened energy of the full Moon might induce a mental overload, lunacy. True enough, this can be worked with as an ecstatic energy, but, we are also dealing with trickster energy here ~ be aware! Astrological lore tells us that Mercury is in detriment in Sagittarius indicating that we need to think before we speak, cleverness and over-confidence may backfire.

This is further emphasised as both Moon, Mercury and the Sun form a T square with Chiron on full Moon. Truth can be a powerful weapon, and, Chiron knows just how great the sacrifices can be that are made on its altar ~ pay heed to the wisdom of the centaur who taught, “decide no suit, until you have heard both sides speak”.

Chiron turns direct just after new Moon and, for a short while, leaves Uranus alone in retrograde motion within the cellestial matrix. Uranus too ties into the full Moon by sextile, trining the Sun and Mercury, but, it is at last quarter that we see the underlying influence of this lunation reach maximum intensity when the square between Pluto and Uranus becomes exact.

It will be worth our while to explore the hidden motivations at work behind uncovered truths, things we might otherwise have never have known, especially where others are trying to foist their own upon us, but, this will come out more in an upcoming reading of the sixth Ur/Plu square. Shortly before full Moon Mars enters Aquarius and, shortly after, Jupiter stations retrograde. We may well register these changes more on a global than a personal level so we will return to this in that reading as well.

The power of knowledge carries an onus to be aware of what can be spoken of and honour what must remain unspoken, and, if there is a theme underpinning this lunation, it is this. This is inherent within the responsibility of possessing power, especially when it has been or needs to remain hidden. Conversely, there is great potential for self empowerment present here. This is where elder wisdom becomes rooted in the community ~ nature can be our teacher in this and Jupiter’s trees, the Ash and the Oak can be called upon to bring our own personal power into balance and alignment, rooted within the natural world. These trees both court the lightning bolt and embody strength and resiliance, each in their own way. A strong heart and willingness to engage with all the worlds will serve our journey well. Both Ash and Oak are revered in bow-making, giving the arrow of truth a long reach.

It is in the ninth house and Sagittarian fields that we journey out in the world, and Venus travels before the Sun around the zodiac, leading by the heart. At new Moon Venus squares Neptune and approaches square with Chiron just after he has stationed direct. Perhaps, in the long run, we can make the fruit of greater knowledge a deeper sense of compassion in the world. The heart’s wise council may not be audible to those who lack compassion at the beginning of the journey, and, equally we could find ourselves hurting others if we apply too much tough love in setting off alone. Better to have company we are on the same journey with, and, sometimes it is better to wait, observe the signs and be awake to the right moment, or people. Venus too tells us here that it helps if we know how to keep our own council, but, the beneficial aspects of this lunation show that we can become wise in this ~ it is in understanding that Jupiter’s home sign illuminates our path.

For the night owl and lone traveller alike this is a time which favours research and deep thinking. It also favours creative expression as a means for transformation – get into your own stream of consciousness and allow its voice free rein. Use this time to explore, divine and seek the council of the spirits. Hold ceremony with sumptuous offerings to them. Their appreciation of the greater picture is an essential element in navigating the Sagittarian realms and we should reciprocate in kind. Make this a joyous time too, a time of good humour, as befits the joviality of Sagittarius and Jupiter. What better time for storytelling and acting up the part. Above all else be of good heart for this road leads to the cusp of the year and the return of the Sun. And, after all is said and done, we are all Earth’s children journeying towards greater wisdom……travel well!

“whenever you raise a child
leave the hairy roots on,
the dieing leaves under the new leaves
and the dirt clogs swaying behind,
so that they have something
to sashay with in life

something to show them,
remind them, that they are made
from dust of earth and dust of stars,
something to point them towards home”

The poems included here are fragments of ‘Whenever You Raise A Child’, from the ‘Theatre of the Imagination’ by Clarissa Pinkola Estes