Part One
In the last week of November, Pluto (planet of profound transformation) shifted out of Sagittarius into Capricorn. This happened on 27 November. Pluto is now fully resident in the zodiac sign of Capricorn after spending the last 14 years in Sagittarius. As you might recall, Pluto has been dipping its toes into Capricorn since January this year, getting itself ready for its extended stay there and getting us ready too. But as of 27th November (only just a week ago) Pluto has been unpacking its boxes and setting up home in Capricorn for the next 16 years. This is a bit like moving from the sunny Gold Coast to a remote Central Australian mountain range; from a party lifestyle to a watch-your-pennies existence.
While Pluto has been transitioning from Sagittarius to Capricorn this year, we’ve witnessed many shake-ups in the world economy. During Pluto’s last hours in
Sagittarius the dreadful situation in Mumbai played out and Bangkok airport was shut down. On 1 December, a few days after Pluto established itself in Capricorn, it was announced that the US is officially in recession and, in fact, has been since December 2007. Given that it was January 2008 (only a month after the beginning date of the US recession) that Pluto first dipped its toes into Capricorn, and then December 2008 (the announcement of the recession) when Pluto went finally into Capricorn, it would seem that Pluto’s sojourn in this sign will continue to resonate strongly with the global economy.
As such, it’s important to keep our eyes on the zodiac sign Capricorn over the next number of years, to see what is likely to unfold. And wouldn’t you know it, the other night we were all treated to a big cosmic smile when Jupiter, Venus and the Moon all aligned in Capricorn.
If you didn’t get to see the smile, check out this fantastic photo on Australian astronomer Martin Lewicki’s blog page: http://martins-skywalk.blogspot.com/2008/12/venus-jupiter-moon-smiley-face.html . When Jupiter, Venus and the Moon align in such spectacular fashion, the general interpretation is one of good luck and abundance. Yet it’s important to note that they aligned in the zodiac sign Capricorn, the sign that’s being prodded by Pluto. What’s more, Jupiter isn’t particularly happy in Capricorn (traditional astrologers say that Jupiter is in its ‘fall’ in this zodiac sign). So despite the auspicious connection between Venus, Jupiter and the Moon, there’s a deeper symbolism at play reminding us that this benevolence is most likely to flow when we’re in resonance with the positive expression of Capricorn.
How do we ‘do’ Capricorn positively? Essentially, it’s time to scan back over our pasts and discover any of the excesses (personal or collective) that sent us out of sync with planet Earth and all its creatures, including fellow humans. (Capricorn is associated with both the past and with Mother Earth.) It’s important to realise our errors and make amends, not by flaggellating ourselves, but by planning and enacting better goals for the future (Capricorn loves a good goal or two). I’ve heard stories from clients and friends of enormous good luck during the past weeks, whereby longed-for goals have come to fruition. This is the positive of the ’smiley face’. Others have been plugging away for ages (years and years even) without goals manifesting just yet. If that’s you, look to the smiley face and know that your good intentions and efforts will blossom in the fullness of time (another Capricorn word – ‘time’). But if you know you’ve got a bit of clearing of the past to resolve, there might be some decluttering of the old to go through before enjoying the full benefits of this week’s big cosmic smile. Similarly if you’re holding off making goals for the future, there’s a bit of planning needed to bring out the best in that auspicious smiley face…
Well, as I say above, that was just Part 1 of the December AstroWeather, so I won’t wish you a happy solstice/Christmas etc just yet because more is to come in Part 2 (in about a fortnight’s time). If you’re keen to know what December’s actual alignments are, remember you can always check that out on the home page of the Radiant Living website.
Part Two
Friday night’s Full Moon in Gemini was known as a Supermoon for being so close to the Earth. Peaking in the early hours of Saturday the 13th, this Full Moon was part of a Grand Cross. When planets line up in cross-formation, we feel tension from different demands within ourselves or conflict from the demands of others. The energy of this Full Moon remains with us until December 17th when Mars moves on. The planets involved were Moon in Gemini, Sun and Mars in Sagittarius, Saturn in Virgo and Uranus in Pisces (these four zodiac signs formed the grand cross). The Moon in Gemini emphasised dualities, or opposites, and a prominent opposite we’re all familiar with is that between the masculine and the feminine. With the Sun and Mars (both masculine energies) opposite the Moon (feminine) a battle of the sexes could’ve flared up in the days prior to, during or after this Full Moon. So if you found yourself in a spat with your partner, love interest, boss, family member or friend, you’ll be pleased to know that because Mars is moving on, these tensions are subsiding.
Saturn in Virgo wanted law and order under this Full Moon, but Sun and Mars in Sagittarius wanted fun and adventure. To really put a spanner in the works, Uranus brought in a surreal ‘Mad Max’ anarchic energy. The sad story in local Melbourne news of a disturbed teenage boy being shot dead by police on Friday is an example of an extreme expression of the Grand Cross. The teenage boy (Mars energy) was mentally distressed (Uranus) and wielding stolen knives (Mars symbol) before being shot dead by police (police are associated with Saturn). The boy’s frightening erratic behaviour, plus the police’s sudden shooting of the boy as he advanced upon them, display Uranus’s wildcard nature. This event has led to an old issue (Saturn) being raised again – the question of whether stunguns are preferable in such circumstances. Interestingly stunguns are high-voltage weapons and Uranus is associated with electricity and all types of energy currents. In fact, Uranus transits can feel like being hit by a stungun.
This Full Moon gave us a taste of the Saturn-Uranus opposition which started last month and will continue to play out in the background most of the time next year, and in the foreground in February and September (plus April and July 2010). While the teenage boy’s family and friends mourn his death and speak out against how unnecessary it was, the Victoria Police is left to address flaws in its system (Saturn) and work towards improving safety for all (Uranus – the collective). A positive example of the Saturn-Uranus opposition under the Full Moon was the breaking news on the weekend that cancer researchers are delighted with the results of an old cancer drug (used 20 years ago) being mixed with the latest cancer technology. Here we have old and new being combined to good effect. In addition, this morning in news from NASA, information came to light about how earth’s magnetic field interacts with the Sun’s (Uranus = energy currents). This has shaken up scientists’ beliefs about how they thought the magnetosphere worked (Saturn = old beliefs) and has had them speculating that we are headed for some serious solar flare shake-ups in the coming years. If you’ve done my 2012 workshops, you’ll know that I wonder whether magnetic influences are likely to play a significant role in the earth changes.
In summary, the Full Moon highlighted that the duality we most need to integrate is the clash between old ways (Saturn) and new ways of life (Uranus). There’s much to be retrieved from our pasts to take into the future but also much to be discarded. In our current Western culture we’re obsessed with all things new – new technology, new movies, new books, new fashions, new product packaging – and at Christmas this seems more obvious than ever. Yet it’s not necessarily the case that new is better. If we are to successfully transition through future ‘earth changes’ and ‘2012 upheavals’ it’s worth considering the merits of both the old and the new. Saturn in Virgo reminds us that it’s the context of each moment that determines whether to choose the old or the new, or a combination of both. Let’s be careful not to judge new experiences based on the old, but also not to rush into new things without remembering wisdom gained from the past.
Onto another note, given that the Full Moon happened on December 12th (12:12) and 13th, and was in the sign of Gemini, the twins, there’s a more pleasurable side to duality to discuss – the theme of soul mates. Mystics talk of 11:11 (November 11th) and 12:12 as being cosmic gateways when the old can leave and the new can enter. The 12:12 ‘cosmic gateway’ featured Gemini, which is associated with finding our ‘other half’. Under this energy the timing is right for letting go of friendship, family or partner connections that are no longer in resonance and reaching out for the new. This theme is backed up by the astrology of Venus (the love goddess) throughout the rest of December. Over the next fortnight, Venus makes strong alignments first to the Nodes (the destiny or soul points) from 15 to 19 December, then to Chiron (the heart healing asteroid) on the 23rd and then to Neptune (planet of divine love) from 26 to 30 December. In fact, it turns out that as Venus visits each of these planets, she’s activating a building alignment between them which waxes and wanes throughout 2009. This alignment is, in and of itself, a cosmic hot spot for all matters of the heart. It’s as if Venus helps get this powerful love alignment into action and in so doing amplifies love themes.
I talk more about this love alignment on the New Year’s Eve Special on Channel 31. Suffice it to say here that the last two weeks of December help draw us closer toward our ‘twin flames’, or for those who feel settled with their soul mates, these last two weeks bring an opportunity to heighten the depths (or deepen the heights!) of your love. Do remember though that, as with every astrological alignment, there are both the positives and negatives to be worked through.
Speaking of positives and negatives, you might find after this month’s Full Moon that you’re more aware of the split between the ‘dark’ and the ‘light’ or the ‘yin’ and the ‘yang’ in the world. Certainly it’s likely to show up in the news in extremes as the ‘battle of dark and light’ plays itself out. If you’re having trouble integrating this in your own life, try using the energy of the December solstice on the 22nd to commit to letting go of extremes of dark or light within yourself. The challenge thesedays is to accept the need for both yin and yang but to find a happy balance between the two. Solstices are gateway times when the seasons turn and we can let go of emotional baggage while focussing with joy on what we now wish to manifest for ourselves and our world.
In fact, Mars encourages us to end the year by putting out even more emotional garbage when it aligns to the Galactic Centre from 23 to 26 December, and then to Pluto from 27 to 31 December. This could reignite the tensions felt at the Full Moon mid-month. The garbage we most need to put out is anything to do with negative Mars: hostility, aggression, violence, war, speeding on the roads, competitive shopping frenzies. Unfortunately these Mars alignments could trigger angst in our environment as the negative plays itself out before being released. I’m personally not feeling that inclined toward big Christmas or New Year’s parties this year. Mars is in Sagittarius and very volatile showing that drinking and celebration could get out of control. So take care throughout this festive season and find the slowest, safest route to your different celebrations.
Thank goodness Venus is gliding along beside that powerful love alignment of Nodes, Chiron, Jupiter and Neptune. That’ll help smooth the way for us all. This combination brings in the highest forces of love to be made real within our human lives. Venus role-models how to choose love not violence, and she reminds us that if we are being treated repeatedly with harsh hostility that it’s okay to walk away, or at the very least start giving notice to ‘offenders’, perhaps like the ‘three warnings’ system in workplaces with bullies. Next year could be an interesting year with new soul mates coming to us offering new choices and new patterns in love.
Finally, the year ends with a New Moon in Capricorn on 27 December. This is a time to get out our diaries and begin planning our goals for next year. It’s a time to believe we can make our cherished dreams real. Even if it looks as if it might take a 7-year plan to make dreams real, let’s not be put off. The important thing is to undertake the journey of being on the path to fulfilling our dreams. The goal is important but the journey to reach the goal is where all the riches are to be found.