“We tread a path which is on the knife-edge between the conscious integration of a new vision on the one hand and the virtual extinction of our species on the other. Which path will we choose?” Ann Baring
We are entering eclipse season, a potent time of dramatic impact. Here in the United States we approach our mid-term elections, knowing that the outcome will determine the fate of our democracy and our freedom, not just here, but around the world.
We are, and have been, immersed in a climate of confusion, illusion, delusion and disillusion generated by the opposition of transiting Neptune to our natal Neptune. This planet blurs lines, erases boundaries and confounds the mind, all with the intent of awakening us to our interdependence, our Oneness in the matrix of Divine Love.
Unfortunately, when this glorious energy is stepped down into our 3-D reality, it can bewilder. What is true? What can we believe? Deceit and manipulative speech are not new, but during this transit they have become endemic. Truth has lost its value and politicians blatantly spew forth their lies with passionate conviction.
Speaking with a friend the other day I realized that even deceit has its higher purpose. Our species is evolving, awakening to a new truth of who we are. Our old ways of knowing are no longer sufficient. Our minds, overwhelmed with information and filtered through our beliefs, are no longer reliable tools to perceive truth. We need to feel for truth through our bodies and our hearts. We need to reclaim our instinct and exercise our intuition. We need to listen to the wisdom of our hearts. We are learning to incorporate these faculties into our daily lives as we develop our “Spidey sense.” Reclaiming dormant powers is part of our current evolution.
All of this confusion, along with the violence that results from such intense polarization, creates a climate of fear and this is where we become vulnerable. When we are afraid, we can be controlled. Hitler wielded fear, Russia holds its nuclear arsenal over our heads, news media spread fear by recounting the endless horrors that could happen if . . . etc. Our reality reflects the products of the darkest shadow side of humanity.
And now we enter the Scorpio lunar month. What is Scorpio about? Fears, phobias, taboos, dark shadows, the Underworld where only the stalwart dare to tread. And to top it off, the South Node is transiting Scorpio bringing up dark shadows from the past.
As if that weren’t enough, Pluto, the modern ruler of Scorpio, is returning for its final conjunction with its natal degree perfecting on December 28th, closing out its passage as we head toward a new year. Pluto unearths shameful secrets, uncovers hidden truths, releases taboo topics that we are all aware of, but choose not to acknowledge. Why? So they don’t control us. What we fear, the truths we deny, poison our collective consciousness and handicap our ability to create that perfect union our forefathers dreamed of. While Pluto arouses more fear, its intention is to set us free from the fears that distort us, and thereby empower our integrity.
With all of that in mind, let’s look at the New Moon chart and discover the many celestial allies we have working with us this month.
Partial Solar Eclipse
On October 25th at 3:48 a.m. Pacific, the Sun and Moon come together at 2 degrees of Scorpio in the USA 11th House. We won’t get a total eclipse because the Sun and Moon are 11 degrees away from the South Node which lies on the ecliptic. The closer a New Moon is to a node, the more complete the eclipse. But we have a total Lunar Eclipse in the wings, making its debut on election day! More about that next time.
Also at 2 degrees of Scorpio is beautiful Venus. I spoke last time about the superior conjunction of Venus and the Sun, marking the midpoint in her Capricorn cycle that began in January. When Venus and Sun come together they form a Star Point. Like the Nodes, the Venus Star Points move retrograde through a sign, from 29 degrees to 0. Five consecutive conjunctions plotted on a chart form a 5-pointed star.
The last time Venus made a star point in Libra was at 0 degrees in 1879. The last time Venus and Sun came together at 29 Libra was on October 22, 1771, as early settlers were growing discontent with British rule. The whole period from 1771 to 1783, our revolutionary war and beginning of our independent nation, parallels our current Venus configurations from October 22nd this year to October 21, 2034. For the next 12 years, one full Jupiter cycle, Venus will be anchoring her energies in the late degrees of Libra. Who knows, maybe we’ll get an upgraded Constitution, preceded by a new Declaration of Interdependence, more fitting for the Aquarian Age.
Pluto’s current position also echoes that climactic time in our history. It was in Capricorn until 1789 when it entered Aquarius and our Constitution was ratified. Pluto is in Capricorn now and will enter Aquarius next year on March 23rd.
Now that’s a lot of information, but don’t get nervous. Venus has a positive influence, especially in her home sign of Libra. The energy is one of spiritual values: peace, harmony, loving relationships, beauty and justice. And the conjunction that took place on Saturday Oct. 22nd, at 29 degrees of Libra, was exactly conjunct the dwarf planet Haumea, the prolific goddess of creation, diversity and rebirth. These are good signs that the we are entering a new energetic climate more conducive to the love and peace we crave.
Many astrologers warn of potential threats to our economy. Venus is associated with value which in our nation translates into money. But the heart of this Venus theme is what we value and how we value ourselves and each other. Pluto has been transiting our 2nd House since December of 2016, just after the fateful presidential election. Pluto has been revealing the corruption in our institutions, in our financial system, and most of all in our values that have become so warped by excessive allegiance to capitalism and its consumer expression. Pluto has been asking us to examine our values all this time. And now in two weeks, we get a chance to vote for them.
Three potent Quincunxes
The New Moon is quincunx Jupiter which is poised at 0 degrees of Aries to re-enter Pisces on October 29th. 0 degrees of Aries is on the World Axis. Eclipses in general impact everyone, but this tense relationship between the eclipse Moon and Jupiter points to the power of this moment in time to change the world.
The quincunx is a relationship of 150 degrees separation. There are two of them in a cycle. The waxing quincunx happens prior to the opposition at 180 degrees. It signals a time of dissatisfaction and uncertainty when we re-evaluate, make changes, attempt to improve. For example as a writer, I can conceive of a great idea. I decide to write a book. I work diligently but when I finish the first draft, I’m dissatisfied. It just isn’t good enough. I go back and rework it until it meets my approval. That’s the waxing quincunx.
The waning quincunx happens after the opposition, which is the climax of a cycle or project, when it comes to fruition. Now we are using hindsight, taking a fresh look and fine-tuning our vision. One of the messages of Haumea is that we are recreated through our own creative projects. We are not the same person who began the project. We have grown. So how have we changed? What do we know now that we didn’t before? What skills have we developed and wisdom gained?
The quincunx between the New Moon and Jupiter is waning, so the focus is on fine-tuning our vision. How have we grown over the past seven years? How has our vision expanded? As Jupiter re-enters Pisces for the last time in 12 years, can we harvest our spiritual growth? Can we integrate the love, wisdom and compassion generated by our collective experience?
Assisting us in this work are two powerful dwarfs, both poised to change signs. Haumea at 29 Libra will enter Scorpio in November. Sedna at 29 Taurus will move into Gemini in mid-June 2023. These two planets will be quincunx for the next decade at least, helping us refine our spiritual vision of the future we want to create. Haumea is quincunx Jupiter as well, while Sedna is sextile. Jupiter, symbol of spiritual growth, is in deep discourse with these higher frequencies. The dwarf planets are the stepping stones to enlightenment.
The third quincunx involves Mercury and Neptune. Back to the theme of what is real, what is true, how do we know. We have had six years of conflict, violence, mass shootings, increased hatred, and pernicious attempts to wrest control of our nation from the people. This is when we get clear at least about what we do not want.
Mars is square Neptune from Gemini at this time. We will still be inundated with false claims. We know that every Maga Republican who loses plans to claim election fraud. We know that the only way they will accept the results is if they win. So the battle will wage on, but we have had enough. We will not buy into these aging lies. You can only cry wolf once.
Miscellaneous influences
Hygeia, the asteroid goddess of health and hygiene, is conjunct the USA natal Haumea in the 12th House. Remember this house is connected to the collective unconscious. I have been listening to a book called Sacred Medicine by Lissa Rankin. Gabor Mate wrote the forward, by the way. She makes the following statement that applies to our collective health in this moment:
“How can anyone have an optimally healthy human body when we are immersed in the poison of a traumatized culture on a brutalized planet, while our fellow humans starve, get gunned down and lack basic safety and survival resources?”
How indeed! We are all entangled in a quantum field. When one is ill, hungry, abused, it affects us all. While we may not be conscious of it, our collective fear and suffering takes its toll on each and every one of us and our bodies.
As the Sun moves through Scorpio over the next 30 days we will be confronted with moments that could engender fear. The Eclipse conjunct Venus provides the answer. The antidote to fear is love. Years ago, before these troubling times, Ram Dass was asked what challenges lie ahead. He replied that the main challenge will be keeping our hearts open in a climate of fear. But just as fear and suffering have a negative impact on our collective unconscious – the matrix out of which we create our reality – Love has a greater impact.
I’m not talking about ignoring the pain, about spiritual bypassing. I’m talking about transmutation. I learned this lesson when I said goodbye to a dear friend that I would never see again. As I drove away, the pain grew more intense. I felt loss and grief. But by some blessed intervention, memories of love popped into my mind and I discovered that I could channel the intensity of grief into love. I still cried, but my heart was wide open and pouring forth the love I felt for my friend. We can do this now. We can inundate the collective unconscious with love, appreciation, beauty, tenderness, gratitude and compassion. And it will make a huge difference.
Good old Ixion is exactly, and I mean to the minute, conjunct its natal place in our first house at the New Moon. So the “bad boys” will continue to act out. But we can choose not to embrace fear. We might even find our way to compassion.
Eclipses are great times to do some shadow work. With that in mind, Ceres, the nurturing mother, is conjunct the USA natal Orcus. This dwarf in the 9th House in Virgo is perfect for sifting through details to uncover larger truths. Orcus assists us in transmuting shadow into light. Ceres provides a safe context for this work. If you have been procrastinating over dealing with an old issue or wound, now is the time to face it. Saturn is square Uranus. Perhaps there are old psychic structures that have become prisons and it’s time to let in some light and fresh air. Uranus wants to set us free and is happy to provide insights into Saturn’s karmic blockages.
On Saturday the 22nd, Saturn turned direct on the same day that Venus and the Sun were conjunct Haumea. On Sunday Juno turned direct and on October 30th, Mars will turn retrograde and go back over some of the mental ground we have covered this autumn. Jupiter retrogrades into Pisces on October 27 and Mercury enters Scorpio on the 29th, ready to help out in our shadow exploration. Mercury will also trine Mars the day after the New Moon. Pay attention to thoughts and the impact of information on your energy. What brings you down, makes you anxious? And what supports and nourishes you, lifts your spirit and engenders hope? Thoughts carry vibrations and have an impact on the quantum field. Fearful thoughts, blaming thoughts, angry negative thoughts simply reinforce fear, anger and blame in our collective consciousness. Same with emotions. When we think one thing and feel another, they cancel each other in a field of static. Same with speech. Every time we say we hate something, we are supporting hatred in the collective. We can be mindful of coherence between head and heart, thoughts and feelings, speech and behavior. This is integrity and it carries power.
I’ll be back in less than two weeks to reveal the magic of the total Lunar Eclipse on Election Day. Keep the faith – it’s important.
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