The news about the historic first time ever flyby of Pluto is a few days old now but still interesting to me, and this is the first chance I’ve had to post anything. At the very moment of the flyby of Pluto by NASA’s fast moving spacecraft, New Horizons, which took almost ten years to get to Pluto — the Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Mars were all opposing Pluto. The opposition is an aspect of awareness of the Other. It is like looking across a round table at someone sitting exactly opposite you. Although they are furthest away from you, you are in a position to have the most clear, straight-on view of them compared to all the other seats around the table. So with the faster moving planets in this opposite position we got a much better look at Pluto, who is known to us in astrology as the hidden, mysterious, and powerful symbolic god of the underworld. On the day of the flyby the Sun and Moon were unified in Cancer opposing Pluto in Capricorn, representing a sort of spotlight bringing our undivided attention to Pluto. Additionally Mercury’s opposition represents communication with and about Pluto, and Mars represents decisive and probing action regarding Pluto. Wherever Pluto is currently transiting in your birth chart will give an idea of the area of life that is undergoing a slow but profound death and rebirth process (what we associate with Pluto). During the last couple of weeks with this four pointed opposition to Pluto — we had an opportunity for more awareness of what is being disintegrated and transformed within ourselves or our lives.
These faster moving planets were acting as triggers, going over the degrees of the longer-term transit of Uranus square Pluto, which is correlated with a groundbreaking turning point for us individually and collectively, as well as now literally with new astronomical information about Pluto. Even though Pluto is small in size (though New Horizons found it to be larger than anticipated) and even though scientists are finding many other dwarf planets out there in space, I trust there is a reason why Pluto is unique and has been part of our consciousness for a long time. I am struck by the heart-shaped landmass shown in the new photos of Pluto and widely circulated and discussed in the media. Pluto is associated with doing the heavy and sometimes frightening psychological work of confronting one’s unconscious shadow parts. But this new mass awareness of Pluto’s heart, suggests that on a psycho-spiritual level, once we actually have the capacity to get a closer view of our own deeply hidden feelings and motives, for instance, as symbolized by this distant and invisible (to the naked eye) body in our solar system, we may also discover a more welcoming and loving part of ourselves that we never knew before.
“The waxing crescent moon and the dazzling planet Venus are the first two celestial lights to appear after sunset on January 25, 2012. Look low in the west to see the shining pair at dusk and early evening.” ~EarthSky.org
The 2 feminine archetypes join — The Moon, shimmery and reflective, and Venus, beautiful and receptive.
Today I read about a powerful astronomical event: There is a star in the Pinwheel Galaxy currently in the midst of its dying process. When a star runs out of fuel to sustain itself, it collapses setting off a massive and violent explosion, called a supernova. At its peak, a supernova can shine so bright it lights up the entire galaxy in which it occurs. Additionally, the shock waves from the explosion can trigger the birth of new stars. This supernova is 21 million light years away, but it is the closest one seen from Earth for decades and tonight will be its brightest night. With a telescope it is visible above the Big Dipper and may even be possible to see with binoculars.
Astrology is the alchemical practice of taking that which is seen in the external world and discovering the inner symbolic significance of it, “As above, so below.” Regarding this extraordinary and somewhat rare supernova, some questions one might ask oneself are: Read more...
What is collapsing in me or around me? What do I need to let go of or let die, which is no longer serving or generating energy for me?
Can I see a light in this possibly challenging or dramatic change?
What new sparkly hopes or wishes (upon a star) may be brought forth by this ending?
What new bright star in my universe is finding its unexpected beginning bringing vision and light in the darkness?
On August 30th, Jupiter ♃ - the planet of increase, optimism, and the search for truth - stopped, turned around, and began traveling in reverse. Jupiter will be retrograde for almost 4 months, taking the journey and the search backwards (for review and synthesis) and inwards (seeking inner truth). Jupiter will travel from 10 degrees back to 0 degrees Taurus ♉. Where you have these degrees of Taurus in your chart (and other planets in early degrees which may be aspected) gives a clue about the area of life where you will have an opportunity to reassess recent expansion... The energy of Jupiter retrograde in Taurus can help us to refine and stabilize what was developing, appreciate the gains that were made, and ground them in practical, usable ways. One way to make the aspirations (Jupiter) sustainable over time (a Taurus concern) is by finding our way, Taurus style, meaning less effort and more enjoyment, less doing and more being. Read more...
Here is a little info about Jupiter in astronomical terms, which informs the astrological symbolism of Jupiter (expansion and benevolence, etc) : “Jupiter, 318 times more massive than the earth, acts like a cosmic vacuum cleaner, sucking in or deflecting debris left over from the solar system’s birth 4.5 billion years ago. If it weren’t for Jupiter’s colossal gravitational field, we wouldn’t be here.”
“The latent sense for this hidden inner reality indirectly makes itself felt even in the world of illusion through the attraction which one form has for another form. The law of gravitation, to which all the planets and the stars are subject, is in its own way a dim reflection of the love which pervades every part of the universe.” ~Meher Baba
There are many constellations not used in astrology. “Ophiuchus was one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations” (wikipedia). The 12 archetypes used in Western & Vedic astrology are comprehensive and have worked for millennia. Though it is worth contemplating why Ophiuchus has surfaced now in the collective consciousness. Our understanding of the universe is constantly expanding...
“According to Christian tradition it was a star that had guided the three Wise Men (who in the original Greek are called astrologers) to Bethlehem... The consensus of opinion among modern astrologers is that the ‘star’ of Bethlehem was in fact a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces... an exceptional phenomenon that the Wise Men would have considered a major omen”~Larousse Encyclopedia of Astrology
Did you know that at one time astrology was mainly associated with mathematics and astronomy, and many historic astronomers, such as Galileo and Newton, were also astrologers?
