Libra New Moon: Equality and the Balance of Power

The Libra New Moon happens on Friday, September 30th, at 5:11 pm MST/PDT, at 8 degrees Libra 15 minutes.  Here’s the chart:  LibraNewMoon2016.

Libra is the sign of relationships.  Libra initiates a diversity of relationships with a variety of different types of people.  Through comparing and contrasting itself with others, Libra discovers who it is as a unique individual.

Thousands of years of Patriarchal conditioning, characterized by hierarchy, dominance, exclusion and self-interest, has distorted this natural relationship phenomenon.  As a result, comparing and contrasting has become an instinctive process of ‘ranking’ ourselves and others to determine who’s better, richer, smarter, more attractive or more successful.  In short, comparing and contrasting has devolved into determining who’s above us or below us on a social status scale.

The scales, Libra’s symbol, are universally associated with balance.  However, most Libras are NOT inherently balanced.  LIBRAS ARE LEARNING BALANCE.  Nearly ALL the well-known attributes of Libra including peace, harmony, fairness and justice cannot be achieved unless and until there is equality – or balance – between genders, races, nations and species.  Pope Paul VI spoke truth when he famously said, “If you want peace, work for justice.”

This Libra New Moon will challenge us all to reach for greater balance and equality in all of our relationships.  

From time to time, most people experience imbalance to some degree or another in various areas of their lives.  As scales weigh and balance, they too can become unbalanced, tipping to one side or the other, sometimes to an extreme degree.  Symbolically, this reflects Libra’s association with EXTREMES.   It will come as no surprise to most Libras that they, more than any other sign, experience extreme imbalances in their relationships with others.  And it will also come as no surprise to any one who’s paying attention, that our world is reaching a tipping point relative to EXTREME IMBALANCES – environmentally, politically, economically and socially. 

The underlying factor most often responsible for imbalances in relationships is unequal resources.  Marriage counselors know all too well that money is the primary cause of conflict and arguments between partners that ultimately leads to divorce.

Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone, fierce opponent of President Bush’s Homeland Security and Use of Force measures prior to the invasion of Iraq, died in a mysterious plane crash just days before he was headed for re-election in 2002. Senate control switched from the Democrats to the Republicans as a result of the election.

In recent years the phrase ‘income inequality’ has entered our social discourse and become a rallying cry for political campaigns the world over. 

Political power exists almost exclusively in the hands of a very small number of wealthy elites in most countries.  The special interests of the wealthy few are consistently catered to by their paid lobbyists and the government officials that they essentially ‘own’ through campaign contributions and the dark money that underpins most electoral processes. 

However, extreme inequality and imbalance are not limited to human relationships and resources alone.

The natural world is also extremely out of balance due to environmental degradation.  Climatologists have been sounding the alarm for decades about the increasing frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events as a result of pollution, deforestation and the acidification of the oceans. 

Any extreme imbalance will inevitably reach a tipping point where re-balancing naturally occurs.  This is graphically represented in the ancient symbol of the natural forces of YIN and YANG.  In relationships, rebalancing often results in break-ups.  In nature, natural disasters like disease outbreaks, earthquakes and landslides restore balance.  In politics, wave elections sweep the opposing party into power.  And in societies, extreme power imbalances between the wealthy and the poor lead to revolutions!

Venus rules Libra and is therefore the planetary ruler of this New Moon.  Currently moving through Scorpio, Venus is diving into the emotional waters of intimacy, trust, shared resources, motivations, desires and power, to reflect upon experiences of loss, abandonment and betrayal that have created deep wounds and emotional scars.  Feelings of powerlessness and an inability to trust others is often the result of such wounds.  With the relationship theme of this New Moon focused through Scorpio, there’s a need to confront and heal these wounds.  In the process, personal power is reclaimed.  Health and wholeness are restored and as a result, we can relate to others as equals once again. 

Venus rules both Taurus and Libra.  Taurus is the ‘inner side’ of Venus and is associated with YIN energy or energy that moves inwards towards our center.  Libra is the ‘outer side’ of Venus or YANG energy which is energy that moves outwards from our center.  This dual rulership provides crucial understanding relative to healing our relationships.  THIS IS BECAUSE THE QUALITY OF OUR INNER RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR SELF (Taurus) ALWAYS MANIFESTS IN THE QUALITY OF OUR OUTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS (Libra).  

This truth reflects the natural law of correspondences.  It’s what is meant by, “As Above, So Below” and “As Within, So Without.”  If you love, honor, respect and care about yourself, you’ll attract others who love, honor, respect and care about you.  If you judge, criticize and don’t value yourself, you’ll attract others who judge, criticize and don’t value you.

Evolution ALWAYS proceeds through the opposite sign.  With Venus currently traversing Scorpio, to evolve we need to learn the lessons of Taurus which are self-reliance and self-empowerment.  We must learn to meet our own needs ourselves which is, in and of itself, empowering.  It builds personal confidence and trust and belief in ourselves.  As Venus traverses Scorpio over the coming weeks, we’ll all have the opportunity to heal our relationships with others by healing our relationship with our self.  To do so we must be willing to confront our personal wounds, reclaim our personal power and let go of co-dependent behaviors and victim consciousness rooted in a belief that we need, and therefore expect, others to take care of us and fulfill our needs.

Fortunately, Venus is trine (120 degrees) retrograde Neptune and the South Node in Pisces. 

Venus and Neptune are higher and lower ‘octaves’ of the same energy – the energy of love.  Venus rules earthly, human love that is often conditional.  Conditional love is given based on conditions or expectations of  personal needs being met.  Neptune rules divine love that is unconditional and given no matter what. 

The South Node is always encouraging us to let go of the past and what we’ve outgrown so that evolution can proceed.  In Pisces, letting go of negative emotions and victim consciousness will further facilitate forgiveness and compassion, of ourselves and others.  Through Pisces, we can transcend the fears that have conditioned us for so long.

The trine aspect is quite favorable allowing energy to flow easily between Venus, Neptune and the South Node.  This energy can manifest as rewards or benefits received due to prior and current efforts.  Of course Neptune and Pisces are also associated with the sacred elements of life.  They represent spiritual development and our connection to the Divine Source of Creation.  Venus trine Neptune and the South Node can ease the letting go process and provide readily available spiritual guidance, comfort, inspiration, benevolence and unconditional love and support.

There are two difficult challenges inherent in the Libra New Moon chart pattern.  The Sun and Moon in Libra are inconjunct (150 degrees) retrograde Neptune and the South Node in Pisces, and they’re square (90 degrees) stationary Pluto in Capricorn. 

Pisces is often associated with delusion, deception, confusion and depression.  It rules escapist tendencies like substance abuse.  This sign is also associated with a victim consciousness.  Stationary planets are quite powerful.  Pluto just stationed direct on September 26th completing a five month retrograde period.  So it’s essentially standing still in the heavens.  While Pluto represents the evolutionary process itself, it also represents our deepest security needs which often result in resistance to necessary growth and change.

The inconjunct angle is always associated with crises.  Crises alert us to the fact that something’s not rooted in reality and requires necessary changes and adjustments in order to be resolved or healed.  The Sun and Moon in Libra inconjunct Neptune and the South Node in Pisces will likely reflect distortions in how we’re seeing others.  They caution us to be aware of the risks and dangers inherent in the idealization of others.  Placing others on a pedestal nearly always guarantees bitter and devastating disappointments and disillusionment when they inevitably fall of that pedestal.  The adjustment that’s required is removal of the rose-colored glasses through which we choose to see only what we wish to see instead of the truth or reality.  Human beings are, well, human, NOT perfect!  Mere mortals can never provide the ultimate meaning in life; that can only come through a relationship with the Divine Source.

The square between the Sun and Moon in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn is a waning or 3rd quarter square.  This square reflects equally difficult and challenging circumstances.  This square will likely reflect significant differences in relationships with others, particularly with those in positions of power or authority.  The energy of this square manifests through a crisis of consciousness.  Often this translates to what to believe or what’s really true?  At this juncture, evolution proceeds through realizing the limitations in consensus or ‘mainstream’ reality and its expectation to conform to its values, beliefs, customs and norms.  Evolution now requires moving beyond these limitations to embrace timeless, universal values and principles like respect for life, honesty, tolerance, forgiveness, kindness and compassion.    

The Sun and Pluto are both associated with leaders and with power.  The recent death of Israeli ‘founding father’ Shimon Perez reflects the energy of endings often associated with the Sun square Pluto. 

This challenging pattern advises patience and maturity in dealings with and by powerful people, and important and consequential events or situations where sharp differences or disagreements exist.  Some relationships will no doubt come to an end.  Others will choose to move forward and do the difficult but important work of collaboration and reconciliation.

On a macro level, this energy is also reflected in the diplomatic breakdown between the United States and Russia over military cooperation in the war in Syria.  Of course its also quite evident in the current US Presidential campaign and election process. 

And it’s clearly evident in the current struggle between the representatives of over 200 tribes and their supporters who call themselves ‘water protectors’ who have gathered in North Dakota at a make-shift tribal encampment, and local and state law enforcement officials and national guard, as well as security personnel hired by Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners, who want to construct a pipeline across sacred burial grounds and under Lake Oahe, a Missouri river reservoir which is the sole water source of local Native American tribes. 

The peaceful ‘water protectors’ have been tear-gassed, attacked and bitten by security dogs, and arrested by police in riot gear with assault rifles who are backed by armored vehicles. 

The Standing Rock Sioux tribe, whose cause has drawn international attention and thousands from across the globe to join their protest, has challenged the Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to grant permits for the $3.8 billion, 1,172 mile pipeline that would transfer North Dakota crude through South Dakota and Iowa to Illinois.  The federal government immediately stepped in following a judge’s decision against the Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s legal challenge against the Corps.  President Obama called for a halt to the final permitting process until a thorough review of all permitting procedures and meaningful consultation with the tribes occurs.  He also just convened a conference of national tribal leaders and federal officials to discuss native sovereignty and treaty rights.

Libra’s lesson of learning to LISTEN to one another is crucial to achieving meaningful resolutions.  Forcing your will to get your way or attempting to dominate others will only lead to power struggles that likely won’t end well for either party involved.  Here again, Libra will teach us that while we are all special, unique and DIFFERENT, we are all also EQUALLY valuable and deserving of respectful consideration.  Remember that Venus/Neptune will provide Divine assistance.  Be willing to ask for and act upon higher, spiritual guidance and inspiration.  Consciously choose to wield your power wisely, to creatively and fearlessly confront issues that need to be healed.  Attempting to overpower, manipulate or control others or circumstances will likely result in destructive outcomes.

Globally, the powerful combination of Libra (equality in relationships) and Capricorn (Patriarchal conditioning based upon hierarchy and domination) will increase the pressure from grass roots movements, through protests and even legal actions, that demand greater accountability from social, political, business and religious leaders in countries all around the world.  Nations too will feel pressured to make important choices relative to disputes and differences to avoid escalating conflicts.

On a more personal level, the Sun and Moon in Libra square Pluto in Capricorn will probably bring important turning points in many relationship matters.  Some relationships will end while others will choose to do the work of healing wounds and conflicts.  They’ll move forward in ways that recognize the equal value and importance of differing desires, values, beliefs and opinions between partners.

Saturn rules Capricorn and has been moving through Sagittarius since December 2014.  Through Sagittarius, Saturn is compelling a review of personal and collective beliefs to determine if they are rooted in truths.  Saturn will square the Moon’s Nodes on October 7th.  This celestial event also reflects the need to make important choices. 

Right choices will reflect healthy alternatives that support personal and collective well-being and bring improvements to crises or unresolved problems.  ‘Walk your talk’ and stand in your personal truth while allowing others to do the same.  Take complete responsibility for ALL your choices, both those made in the past, whose consequences are now evident, and those made presently that will create future realities.  This planetary configuration may also manifest through landmark legal decisions that have far-reaching impacts, as well as significant choices that affect religious, educational and transportation matters that have wide-spread implications for many.

And finally, Mars also connects with Pluto this month.  On October 19th, these two planets of will and desire will come together at 15 degrees Capricorn to begin a new two year cycle together.  Their current cycle began in November 2014.  Mars always instinctively acts upon our desires.  Our desires emanate from the Soul, which for most of us operates at an unconscious level. 

Reflecting Capricorn energy, these desires will likely have to do with leadership and authority, career paths and responsibilities associated with family, community or country.  Since Capricorn also rules ambition, many people will be focused on pursuing goals and projects that will bring social recognition.  Remember the wisdom of responsibility that Capricorn teaches.  Consider the effects your actions and choices will have on relationships with others.  And be sure to finish up all the loose ends from Mars/Pluto’s current cycle before rushing full speed ahead towards new goals and desires associated with the upcoming cycle. 

This Libra New Moon points to the need to return to ways of living that are based upon Matriarchal values.  Matriarchal values are LIBRA values!  These include giving, sharing, inclusion and group interests.  Matriarchal consciousness realizes we are all in this together!  Matriarchal values are rooted in right relationships.  We NEED this planet we call home to be healthy since our very survival depends upon it.  And we benefit from working together and helping one another.  Accordingly, we need a healthier relationship to the planet, and healthier relationships with one another.  To restore health we must restore BALANCE.  To restore balance we must recognize our common humanity.  We must see one another as different but EQUAL.  And we must do a much better job of sharing resources and power.  In truth, we are indeed all EQUAL in the eyes of the Creator…

 

The Scorpio New Moon is on October 30th at 10:38 am MST.

Copyright 2016.   Donna Lee Steele and Threshold Consulting.    All rights reserved.

   

Taurus New Moon: Manifestation Madness!

The Taurus New Moon happens on Friday, May 6th, at 12:29 pm MST/PDT at 16 degrees Taurus 41 minutes.  Here’s the chart:  TaurusNewMoon2016.

Taurus rules our essential needs for survival and teaches the lesson of self-reliance.  We all have unique gifts, skills, natural talents or abilities.  If we value ourselves, we’ll develop these gifts or personal resources and share them with the world.  As others value what we have to offer and compensate us accordingly, we’re able to garner the resources we need to take care of ourselves.  Self-reliance is personally empowering.  It builds confidence, assures a healthy relationship with ourselves and in turn enables us to manifest and attract all that we need and desire in healthy ways, not through co-dependency.

On a surface level, Taurus symbolizes resources.  This sign rules our money, assets and personal possessions.  On a deeper spiritual level however, Taurus represents our core values.  What we value will represent what gives meaning to our lives.  Valuing ourselves is of the utmost importance to our ability to manifest the resources we need to not only survive, but thrive.  What’s most important in life to you?  What gives your life meaning?

Venus rules Taurus and is therefore the ruler of this New Moon.  She’s strong now as she currently moves through her own sign of Taurus.  She joins the Sun and Moon in Taurus, as well as retrograde Mercury and the asteroid Vesta which symbolizes devotion.  Altogether, this New Moon chart has five celestial bodies in Taurus comprising a ‘stellium’ or a group of planets all in the same sign.  So Taurus energy is super abundant now!  Empowering this Taurus stellium even further is its connection to both retrograde Jupiter in Virgo and retrograde Pluto in Capricorn .  Together, they form a Grand Earth Trine.

Grand Trines are a closed pattern of three or more planets all trine (120 degrees apart) one another.  Geometrically, Grand Trines look like a triangle.  Trines are the most favorable angular relationship between two planets.  When trine one another, planetary energies are harmonious and flow easily.  The natural benevolence of trines can be easily utilized to achieve what we want.  However, trines can also make life so easy that their energetic influence is often squandered through laziness.  When things are going really well we can fail to continue in our efforts.

This Grand Trine is in the Earth signs:  Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn.  The Earth element is associated with physicality and real material things so this Grand Earth Trine provides LOTS of manifestation energy!  What do you need or want right now?  Chances are, if you make a sincere effort, you’ll be able to easily attract and manifest what your heart desires.

Since Taurus rules our values and valuables, this Grand Trine also supports investments in what we value most, including ourselves!  Virgo assists self-care and self-improvement efforts.  Those who take good care of themselves and who diligently seek to improve themselves are likely to experience good health, vitality and success through meaningful work in the world.  Capricorn supports those who take complete responsibility for ALL their choices, actions and experiences.  It brings recognition and rewards to those who are mature, accountable, self-determined and wield their personal authority wisely.  This Grand Earth Trine is truly a magical manifestation machine so make the effort to take advantage of this magnificent celestial influence and reap the rewards!

Unfortunately, there are also some BIG obstacles contained in this New Moon pattern.  The Sun and Moon are both inconjunct (150 degree angle) retrograde Saturn in Sagittarius, and Venus, the New Moon’s planetary ruler, is inconjunct retrograde Mars, which is also in Sagittarius until the 27^th when it re-enters Scorpio.

Inconjunct angles typically reflect crises.  Crises have a natural purpose relative to our evolutionary growth.  Crises alert us to the fact that something’s awry.  Something’s not aligned with reality and requires personal changes and adjustments for resolution.  MAJOR changes will be necessary in the coming weeks relative to both resource and relationship issues.  If the necessary adjustments are made, things are likely to go well.  If required changes are stubbornly resisted, a common trait associated with Taurus, expect ‘manifestation madness!’

Also expect these issues to be reflected in headlines like the current dire financial circumstances of Detroit Public Schools.  Now at a crisis point, fed up Detroit teachers protested with a ‘sick-out.’  They marched outside the district headquarters earlier this week.  Nearly all of Detroit’s public schools were closed and more than 45,000 students missed classes after about half the district’s teachers called in sick to protest the possibility that some of them will not get paid over the summer if the struggling district runs out of cash.  Since then, city officials have assured them that funds will be found to cover the cost of their salaries.

Perhaps another financial scandal currently brewing is related to political fundraising.  Ah, money and politics!  Hillary’s ‘Victory Fund’ is a joint fundraising committee comprised of Clinton’s presidential campaign, the Democratic National Committee and 32 state party committees. The setup allows Clinton to solicit checks of $350,000 or more from her super-rich supporters at extravagant fundraisers including a dinner at George Clooney’s house and a concert at Radio City Music Hall featuring Katy Perry and Elton John.   A recent investigation found that only a fraction of funds raised have actually been given to state parties for down-ballot democrats.  Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/clinton-fundraising-leaves-little-for-state-parties-222670#ixzz47iK8yoXe.

On the Republican side, Donald Trump has achieved presumptive nominee status after another big win in Indiana’s primary election.  Of course as presidential candidates get closer to winning their party’s nomination, they’re subjected to greater and greater scrutiny.  Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Tom Robbins just published an article in The Marshall Project, chronicling Trump’s decades-long history with individuals associated with organized crime.  https://www.themarshallproject.org/2016/04/27/trump-and-the-mob#.j6P1F2tYl.

While the Grand Earth Trine may well be a magical manifestation machine, the potential for crises for those whose choices (Pluto) are less than honest (Jupiter) or lack integrity are also YUGE!

Taurus is the quintessential sign associated with Mother Earth, our most precious and valuable resource.  Many of our current planetary crises including wars, disease outbreaks and climate change, are the result of decades of over-use, mis-use and outright abuse of natural resources and natural habitats.  We NEED a healthy planet to SURVIVE!  The Earth doesn’t need humanity; humanity needs, and belongs, to the Earth!

Further analysis of the Grand Earth Trine brings us to Jupiter.  Currently traveling through the sign of Virgo, which itself rules crises, health and the environment, Jupiter is reflecting some high-profile legal battles like the class action lawsuit filed by young people claiming that the U.S. government is denying them their constitutional right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness due to inadequate federal policies and actions to combat climate change.  U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Coffin in Eugene, Oregon, just rejected motions by the U.S. government and trade groups representing the energy companies to dismiss the lawsuit by 21 plaintiffs ages 8 to 19.  http://www.seattletimes.com/business/climate-change-lawsuit-by-21-youths-takes-big-step-forward/.

Fortunately, many other grassroots political and legal efforts in support of the environment are gaining in strength.  A recent example of great success in protecting the environment was achieved by indigenous women of the Amazon:  http://www.pachamama.org/news/over-500-indigenous-women-of-the-amazon-and-allies-march-for-climate-justice-indigenous-rights?utm_source=April%202016%20Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Ecuador

Jupiter also continues to be part of another significant and longer-term planetary configuration called a mutable T-Square.  This T-Square began last September and will continue until this August.  The T-Square is comprised of planets occupying three of the four mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces).  Jupiter in Virgo is opposite (180 degrees apart) Neptune in Pisces.  Both are also simultaneously square (90 degree angle) Saturn and Mars in Sagittarius.  Lines drawn to reflect the opposition and square angles between them form what looks like the capital letter “T” upside down in the chart.  Astrologers are calling this a ‘Spiritual T-Square’ since it is made up of planets and signs that are associated with the search for higher truth and the natural spiritual evolutionary path.

Altogether, this heavenly pattern reflects the need and opportunity for humanity to review all of our belief systems to discern what’s really true.  We’ll need to discover the lies and deceptions we’ve been taught to believe for thousands of years by man-made religions.  Ultimately, we’ll need to throw off these conditioning influences that are co-creating distorted realities.

On Monday, May 9th, Jupiter stations direct at 13 Virgo completing it’s annual four month retrograde period that began January 7th.  Jupiter is always searching for the truth which is why it also rules the natural laws of the universe, the laws that are self-evident in the natural world or what we call ‘Nature.’  Accordingly, this planet is associated with higher-minded paths of study like philosophy, theology and cosmology.  On a mundane level Jupiter and the sign of Sagittarius reflect man-made religions, laws and social justice systems.  On a personal level however, Jupiter rules our right-brain, the source of intuition.  Personal intuition leads each one of us to our personal truth.

As this planetary giant resumes forward motion in the heavens after a four month retrograde period of review relative to beliefs, greater insights and intuitive understandings are readily available.  Perhaps in addition to religious or spiritual beliefs, you’ve also been reflecting upon personal beliefs you have based upon lifelong conditioning from family, society or your own personal experiences?  What current events happening in your life have caused you to more deeply question your personal beliefs?

Also happening on May 9th, Mercury reaches the halfway point of its current retrograde period with a rare transit to the Sun at 19 degrees Taurus 25 minutes!

A ‘Mercury transit of the Sun’ takes place when the planet Mercury comes between the Sun and the Earth.  Astronomically, this phenomenon is similar to an eclipse.  But because Mercury’s size is so much smaller than our massive Sun, when it moves across the face of the Sun it will appear as a tiny speck or small black dot.  Transits of Mercury to the Sun always occur in either May or November and happen 13 to 14 times each century.  The last Mercury transit of the Sun occurred in Scorpio on November 8th, 2006.  The last time Mercury transited the Sun from Taurus happened on May 7th, 2003.  What were you experiencing then?  Perhaps similar events will repeat in your life now.

You should NEVER look directly at the Sun.  But this amazing celestial event is well worth watching!  View it safely in real time at http://www.space.com/.

Mercury’s transit of the Sun will tremendously energize mental capacity.  Expect inventions, discoveries, AHA moments, revelations and all manner of breakthroughs in thought and understanding.  Perhaps some truly significant information or knowledge will be revealed.  Retracing its steps through Taurus, Mercury has our attention focused on essential needs and core values, especially pertaining to resources and relationships.  Again, what do you really value?  What do you truly NEED, not only to survive, but to THRIVE?  Be mindful of all incoming messages especially on the 9th!  Remember to pay particular attention to intuitive information and divine guidance coming from spiritual sources.  Mercury will complete this current retrograde period on May 22nd at 14 degrees Taurus.  Then it will be full speed ahead again with the manifesting process!

May 22nd will also mark Mars reaching the halfway point in its current retrograde that began at 8 degrees Sagittarius 56 minutes on April 17th, and will continue until June 29th when it stations direct at 23 degrees Scorpio 3 minutes.  Mars rules our desires.  Moving through the signs of Sagittarius and Scorpio, Mars is also energizing the Spiritual T-Square further emphasizing the need to review and reflect upon beliefs.  As it returns to Scorpio, the focus will turn to deep emotional matters often associated with losses, abandonments and betrayals.  It’s time to ponder personal choices and personal power.  WHY have you made the choices you’ve made?  What desires motivated those choices?  Were they empowering or disempowering, constructive or destructive?

Scorpio is the sign opposite Taurus in the zodiac so these two signs for a natural ‘evolutionary pair.’  The lessons associated with Taurus and Scorpio, namely self-reliance and self-empowerment, are learned through discovering and developing personal values, learning to meet our own needs, and learning right use of power.  All human beings possess power.  That power is our ability to make free will choices.  Unfortunately, the primary model for relationships in most cultures today is one of co-dependence – expecting others to take care of us and to be the source of our fulfillment.  Most of us are conditioned to believe that we’ll be happy when we meet the right person. 

This distorted belief often produces power imbalances in relationships.  And when power imbalances reach an extreme, they actually begin to interfere with our evolutionary growth.  Then our Souls will naturally co-create circumstances that remove whatever we’re giving our power away to.  The result is loss, abandonment or betrayal that throws us back upon ourselves to learn an essential self-reliance and re-empowerment.  From a spiritual developmental point of view, Taurus and Scorpio teach us to correctly and wisely use our intrinsic power of free will choices to manifest that which we desire.

So I’m declaring May ‘Manifestation Madness’ month!  What do you need or desire?  Make the effort!  And be sure to make whatever necessary changes and adjustments crop up along the way.  Imagine, in full detail, using ALL your physical senses, with deep and profound gratitude, that you already have what you desire.  Empower yourself to manifest and manage your resources and relationships – including your relationship with the planet. 

 

The Gemini New Moon occurs on June 4^th at 7:59 pm MST!

                               Copyright 2016.   Donna Lee Steele and Threshold Consulting.   All rights reserved.         

 

 

 

 

 

 

Libra New Moon: A New Balance of Power

The Libra New Moon occurs October 12th at 5:06 pm MST/PDT.  It happens at 19 degrees Libra 20 minutes.  Here’s the chart:  LibraNewMoon2015.

The Scales, Libra’s glyph, is misleading.  The Scales have long symbolized balance.  However, it’s important to note that Libra is learning balance.  Until mastery of this archetype is achieved, Libra experiences imbalance, often to extremes, particularly in relationship dynamics.  The number one contributing factor to unhealthy and unsuccessful relationships is an imbalance of power.  Who has it?  Who doesn’t?  Is it acknowledged and wielded equally?  Is it used to support one another in independent individual development or is it used in ways that contribute to and maintain co-dependence?

To promote relationship balance and equality, Libra must learn to LISTEN!  Since Libra also NEEDS TO BE NEEDED, it often derives its identity, value and worth through others.  In turn, this leads to Libra’s habitual giving to others so that it will be valued for providing what they think others need.  This cannot help but foster co-dependency.  Effective listening allows Libra to give and receive (use power) properly, giving what’s actually needed, not what they think the other needs, which all too often simply reflects their own personal projected needs, thus sustaining co-dependence.

Recent Venus and Mercury retrogrades encouraged a major review of relationship dynamics particularly issues of equality/inequality and balance/imbalance of power.  We can break free of unhealthy relationship patterns and behaviors now.  However, if necessary changes are resisted for too long, some unequal situations, especially in partnerships, could end quite abruptly as this New Moon’s central astrological aspect, an opposition between the Sun in Libra and retrograde Uranus in Aries, highlights.  This revolutionary aspect always demands greater individual freedom.

House Speaker John Boehner on right; House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy on left.

We need look no further than the U. S. House of Representatives Republican caucus for evidence of the surprising and rebellious nature of the energy of the Sun opposite Uranus.  Current Speaker of the House John Boehner unexpectedly announced his resignation last week shocking even his closest political insiders.  His second in command, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, announced he would run to fill the position and was broadly considered a ‘shoe-in.’  However, in a totally surprising turn of events, the so-called “Freedom Caucus,” lamenting their perceived lack of power as rank and file Republicans, refused to support McCarthy throwing the normally routine process of selection of a new Speaker of the House into utter chaos as they rebelled against what they saw as an automatic ‘coronation’ of the next in line.  In a second and perhaps even more surprising political ‘bombshell’ McCarthy suddenly announced he was dropping out of the race.

‘Sudden.’  ‘Surprising.’  ‘Unexpected.’  ‘Shocking.’  ‘Chaos.’  ‘Rebellion.’  These are all uniquely Uranian words and phenomena.   Because the ‘status quo’ in so many different aspects of our world’s reality ARE NOT BALANCED AND ARE NOT FUNCTIONING IN HEALTHY PRODUCTIVE WAYS, we can expect even more bombshells – politically, economically, socially and culturally, in the coming days, weeks and months!

Explosion at Peace Rally at Ankara, Turkey

A dark and dangerous manifestation of this volatile and revolutionary celestial pattern between the Sun and Uranus, was the twin explosions that rocked a Peace Rally in Ankara, Turkey on Saturday.  Ironically, the Sun and Moon in Libra represent peace; Uranus retrograde in Aries represents chaos.  Uranian energy often ‘blows up’ the status quo, ripping the rug out from underneath us when necessary evolutionary changes have been resisted for far too long.

Evolutionary forces of change can be constructive or destructive.  Unfortunately, when the cry for necessary changes are consistently ignored over time, those who are ignored feel disenfranchised and then often feel it necessary to resort to violence to achieve their goals.  It’s heartbreaking and sad that a Peace rally was so shockingly disrupted by EXTREMISTS (remember Libra rules extremes) who misused power in the most horrific way causing the deaths of nearly a hundred people and injuring hundreds more.

But let’s be realistic.  Extreme inequality relative to the balance of wealth and power is indeed a daily reality for billions of people the world over.  The energy of this New Moon will increasingly and dramatically bring these imbalances to the fore and into our collective consciousness.  The energy of this New Moon is revolutionary and will indeed manifest as change.  The $64k question is, “What kind of change – constructive or destructive?”  Of course the answer depends entirely upon what choices we make personally and globally.

Venus rules Libra and this New Moon.  Currently moving through Virgo, it reflects the need for HEALING.  In order to heal extremism, we must make necessary adjustments in how we relate to one another.  A greater sense of equality and balance must be restored.  Dare I say we must learn to SHARE (Libra) resources and power?  Clearly, we must change how we take care of ourselves, each other and our planet.  To do so we must also embrace a much more honest, equal and realistic view of ourselves and others.  Virgo always serves to realign us with REALITY – often through crises.  Perhaps the growing crises of climate change and refugee migrations will encourage greater sharing and equality among humanity as our need to help one another in order to survive increases.

Venus’ connection to both Uranus and the South Node in Aries reflects the need to let go of selfishness that denies the legitimate needs and desires of others.  Conversely, it’s also telling those who consistently sacrifice their own equally important needs and desires that it’s time to stand up for themselves and stop being a doormat.  Denial of anyone’s legitimate needs is a recipe for imbalance and inequality.  If your relationships are a series of one crisis (Virgo) after another, its time to look at the common denominator:  YOU!  Since the ‘outer always reflects the inner,’ your relationships with others cannot improve as long as you continue to criticize, disrespect, betray, de-value and judge yourself.’

Venus is semi-square the Sun and Moon in Libra.  This symbolizes the need to let go of pain and suffering.  Surrendering to your Higher Self, and accepting and forgiving with gentle care and compassion your very real yet imperfect human self, you can begin the process of necessary INNER HEALING WORK that eliminates the negative mindset that keeps you from recognizing your own worth and value.  Relationships with others can never be equal or healthy as long as you see yourself as ‘less than’ or ‘never good enough.’

From an evolutionary perspective, Libra initiates a diversity of relationships with a diversity of others for the purpose of discovering who we are as individuals.  Through the natural process of comparing and contrasting ourselves with others, we can come to know and appreciate what’s unique and different about ourselves.  However, thousands of years of patriarchal conditioning, that views everything through the distorted lens of dominance, hierarchy and exclusion, has instead taught us to compare and contrast ourselves with others to determine hierarchical rank:  who’s better and who’s worse, who’s richer and who’s poorer, who’s smarter, prettier, more successful, more powerful.  If you view the world in this way, its inevitable that you will come to false conclusions about worth — both of yourself and of others.

Another major contributing factor to inequality in relationships comes from the conditioning of man-made belief systems or what we call religions.  Of the seven billion people who inhabit our planet, the majority of them believe in one of the world’s three largest religions:  Judaism, Islam or Christianity.  Unfortunately, ALL of these three major world religions teach fundamental inequalities.  They believe in gender inequality teaching that men are superior to women.  They also believe that humans are superior to animals and the environment teaching that mankind has ‘dominion over’ the natural world.  Interestingly, the etymology of both  ‘dominion’ and ‘dominate’ are the same.  They also teach inequality of race believing that some races are superior to others which resulted in the infamous Papal Bull that established the doctrine of ‘Manifest Destiny’ that justified the land grabs and genocide of indigenous peoples throughout the Americas.   Through thousands of years of conditioning influence, these patriarchal man-made religions have institutionalized false beliefs relative to INEQUALITY!

Venus square Saturn in the New Moon chart can help us to throw off these distortions of the truth.  If we choose, we can evolve beyond the social and cultural expectations to conform to these distorted values and beliefs.  As Saturn moves through Sagittarius over the next two years, we’ll ALL be paying much greater attention to what we believe and why we believe it.  Keep in mind that our beliefs form the very basis of how we interpret reality, so if our beliefs are faulty, it stands to reason that the conclusions we reach will likely also be false.

In a perfectly timed ‘As Above, So Below’ moment reflecting Saturn’s transit through Sagittarius, which is focusing human consciousness on a search for greater understanding of the truth, Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Network is launching a seven part series beginning October 18th called, “BELIEF.”

This upcoming series is described as a groundbreaking television event exploring humankind’s ongoing search to connect with something greater than ourselves. This original series invites viewers to witness some of the world’s most fascinating spiritual journeys through the eyes of the believers.  Journeying to the far reaches of the world, and to places cameras have rarely been, “Belief” searches the origins of diverse faiths and the heart of what really matters.  These stories and others will all lead us to ask:  “What do you believe?”  

Of course, I don’t know whether this series will contribute to a greater understanding or further obfuscation of truth.  At the very least, since Sagittarius also teaches the relativity of truth, it may very well offer us an opportunity to expand our understanding of more of the truth.  Either way, it is indeed quite timely!  Read more at: http://www.oprah.com/app/belief.html#ixzz3oIJx12xu

If you are willing to do the necessary inner work of healing, especially regarding the elimination of victim consciousness, this month’s New Moon celestial energies can bring breakthroughs.  If you will take full responsibility for your own choices and actions, and the realities you’ve co-created for yourself, you’ll benefit from heavenly support that brings greater emotional maturity and security.  If you surrender your personal will to your higher Divine Will, then when Venus trines retrograde Pluto in Capricorn on the 22^nd/23^rd, you can reap many rewards particularly in the areas of personal and financial health and well-being, meaningful and right work, happier relationships with others and of course, a mind and heart at greater peace with itself and the world.

Unequal and unbalanced relationship dynamics can heal now.  You know that famous bumper sticker that says, “No Justice; No Peace”?  Justice and peace require a fundamental sense of fairness and equality.  It’s time to let go of distorted values and false belief systems that have conditioned us for centuries to blindly accept inequalities.  Be especially mindful of your beliefs in the coming weeks and how those beliefs dictate the way in which you interpret reality, including how you see yourself and others.  Truth is, WE ARE ALL ALL ONE, EQUAL IN THE EYES OF OUR CREATOR.

The Scorpio New Moon is on November 11th at 10:47 am MST!

Copyright 2015.   Donna Lee Steele and Threshold Consulting.   All rights reserved.

 

Leo New Moon: Love is All We Need

The Leo New Moon happens Friday, August 14th at 7:53 am at 21 degrees Leo 30 minutes.  Here’s the New Moon chart:  LeoNewMoon2015.  The Lion perfectly symbolizes this regal sign as Leo has long been associated with royalty and those who rule, lead others, or are otherwise in charge.  As top predators, Lions are often called, “King of the Jungle.”  Throughout human history, Kings and Queens have ruled over human kingdoms.  Not surprising then is the natural tendency of Leo to have a ‘pyramid consciousness.’  Naturally seeing themselves as leaders, their perspective puts them at the top socially, and at the center of their universe with everyone and everything else revolving around them.

Leo is the only zodiac sign ruled by a star, our Sun, not a planet.  Accordingly, Leos feel special and shine when they are the center of attention receiving love, appreciation and recognition for their unique gifts, talents and abilities.

However, the evolutionary lesson of Leo is SELF-LOVE.  Instead of looking for love and attention from outer sources, Leo must learn to be the source of its own recognition and validating feedback.  Leo must learn to love itself first.  Leo must also learn the lesson of objectivity through realizing that it is a PART of the WHOLE of humanity, not a universe unto itself.  This occurs when Leo links its special gifts and purpose to a socially relevant need.  Unless and until Leo learns this, it will suffer mightily due to frustrations associated with an utter lack of recognition and appreciation by others.

The Sun and Moon are joined by Mars and retrograde Venus also in Leo now.  Mars energizes our desire to play, Play, PLAY!  Accordingly, August is traditionally the time of year for vacations!  So take some time off.  Get away from work, obligations and responsibilities and ‘recharge your batteries.’  Venus recently reached the half-way point of its bi-annual retrograde (July 25 to September 6, 2015).  This Venus retrograde period encourages a review of personal needs and core values.  Its also about reflecting upon past relationships and resources issues, especially those experienced as crises, upsets and/or traumas.

Also important during this Venus retrograde period is remembering the hermetic law of correspondences, or “As Above, So Below” and “As Without, So Within.”  Remember that the OUTER ALWAYS REFLECTS THE INNER as you contemplate past relationship and resource crises.  How you relate to and value your self is ultimately reflected back to you by and through your relationships with others, money and resources.  If you’re not satisfied with these areas of your life you need look no further than the quality of your relationship to yourself to make necessary self-improvements.

Ultimately, Venus teaches SELF-RELIANCE and SELF-EMPOWERMENT.  Through self-reliance we boost self-worth and self-confidence.  Through owning and wielding personal power wisely, we develop a stronger, healthier relationship with our self.  Ultimately, we’re better able to recognize, value and share our unique personal skills and natural abilities with others.  Leo’s lessons of self-love and objectivity are both supportive and timely to this Venus retro review process.  Now is the time to do necessary inner healing work.  Now is the time to learn to love our selves better.

Thankfully, this New Moon is also very favorably connected to retrograde Uranus in Aries.  The ‘juice’ to bust out and break free of old patterns is surprisingly abundant now.  Use it to try new things, to think outside the box and to liberate from outworn habits and beliefs that have kept you ‘stuck in neutral’ unable to make new and different choices in your life.  Take advantage of this r-evolutionary energy and do something different.  It may actually result in you discovering something new about yourself.  There’s plenty of courage available now too so JUST DO IT!

Of course, there’s nearly always some difficult aspect in each month’s New Moon pattern.  This month the ‘fly in the ointment’ comes from a square (90 degrees) between the Sun in Leo and Saturn in Scorpio on the 21^st.  The energy of this planetary connection is likely to manifest as ‘hitting the proverbial brick wall!’  Resistance or push back from some outer authority, rule, regulation or some other set of limiting circumstances may threaten your success or the completion of an important goal.  Don’t worry.  And don’t abandon your goals or dreams!  Just make whatever necessary adjustments or changes are required and then simply continue to move forward.

Another astrological influence with major long-term consequences just got underway and takes center stage in this New Moon chart.  Jupiter entered Virgo on August 11th where it will stay until September 9, 2016.  Jupiter rules many things including personal intuition, truth and lies, nature and natural laws, beliefs, cosmologies, philosophies, religions, man-made laws and their associated justice and legal systems, journalism, higher education and long distance travel.  Virgo also rules many things including reality and denial, crises, critical thinking and analysis, humility, self-improvement, pets, health, health care services and providers, the environment, the workforce and employment, sadism, masochism and the psychology of inferiority.  Over the coming year, we will ALL be challenged, and perhaps even forced, to honestly analyze our shortcomings relative to many of the issues just mentioned above and to come to terms with REALITY in order to resolve crises and improve the health and well-being of ourselves and our planet.

Further adding to the importance of Jupiter’s entry into Virgo and it’s critical analysis of past mistakes and errors in judgment will be its inclusion in a powerful celestial pattern known as a “T-Square.”  T-Squares are comprised of two planets that are 180 degrees apart or opposite one another, and are both also 90 degrees from or square a third planet.  If you draw lines connecting the three planets involved they form what looks like a capital “T” thus the name “T-Square.”  The three planets coming together in this astrological configuration are Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune.

Having recently entered Virgo, Jupiter is now opposite (180 degrees) Neptune in Pisces.  Beginning on September 17th, when Saturn, now finishing up in Scorpio, returns to Sagittarius, it will square (90 degrees) both Jupiter and Neptune.  Together these three planets will form a MUTABLE T-SQUARE for almost a year.  Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces) require the development of GREATER ADAPTABILITY IN THE FACE OF NECESSARY EVOLUTIONARY CHANGES.

This mutable T-Square will challenge us all to review and reflect upon our beliefs, our personal truth, how well we trust our intuition, how we interpret reality and how we must adapt and change to improve or resolve ongoing crises.  It will also bring into sharp focus how we are relating to the environment and the natural world.  What’s true for you?  What’s true for everyone?  How are you interpreting reality based upon your personal beliefs?  Are you seeing people and circumstances as they truly are?  It’s time to get real as we increasingly face the consequences of an ever more corrupt, dysfunctional and polluted world.

Two very timely examples of these patterns of influence occurred just this past week as the T-Square is beginning to form and the New Moon in Leo connected with retrograde Chiron (wounds) in Pisces (water and chemicals) through an inconjunct angle (150 degrees) which typically manifests through crises for the purpose of bringing about necessary adjustments and changes.

The first crisis occurred here in the United States.  An interesting tidbit of astrological trivia reflected in this event is that the Sun and Leo are both associated with gold, the most precious of all metals.  I already mentioned that Leo also rules Kings and Queens.  Tragically, on August 6th, a toxic spill triggered by EPA inspectors released an estimated three million gallons of deadly mining waste water from the GOLD KING mine into the nearby Cement Creek.  Cement Creek flows into the Animus River, which flows into the San Juan River, which flows into Lake Powell, a major recreational site on the Arizona/Utah border.

Indeed this is an EPIC wound to crucial Southwest water supplies as the dam at Lake Powell releases water into the Colorado River, which flows through the Grand Canyon, supplying drinking water, irrigation for crops and recreational opportunities to every state in the Southwest including California, a state that supplies a majority of our nation’s fresh produce and is already reeling from one of the worst droughts in its history.  Additionally, the entire Navajo Nation is now asking for water donations as a result of having to shut off its entire water supply from the San Juan River.

The second crisis happened yesterday in the tenth largest port in the world located in Tianjin Province in China.  A petro-chemical storage warehouse suddenly exploded with a force that registered 2.9 on the Richter scale, took the lives of over fifty people and injured another 700.  Eighteen people are missing.  The chemical-laden air is so toxic that fire-fighters have left the scene allowing the fires to burn on their own.

Industrial chemical explosions are becoming commonplace including events occurring in mines, in storage warehouses and in oil and gas refineries.  And respected conservation groups now warn that nearly four out of every five waterways throughout the world are severely polluted threatening water supplies for billions of people.  The World Health Organization just this week asked the International Olympics Committee to test the waters surrounding Rio, site of this Summer’s Olympics, after an Associated Press investigation declared them potentially dangerous to athletes because of their high pollution levels from untreated sewage.  Some athletes who have been training in Rio have already experienced bouts of fever, vomiting and diarrhea.  Add in more frequent extreme weather events like historic droughts and wildfires due to climate change as well as increasing outbreaks of disease and the mounting evidence is overwhelmingly clear that our planet is in peril.

Just this week, I heard a well-known spiritual teacher say that humans are increasingly suffering from “NATURE DEFICIT DISORDER!”  Shamans the world over say that our sense of feeling separate from each other, from the divine Source that created us, and from the whole of Creation known as the Natural World or nature, is the source of all suffering.  Quantum science has proven that everything is connected.  Universally, spiritual leaders have always taught this same truth.  WE ARE NOT SEPARATE.  Believing otherwise may well be the greatest source of humanity’s current faulty interpretation of reality.

As the T-Square unfolds, we will be forced to face the truth about the damage being wreaked on the environment from our current business climate, political frameworks, economic realities and religious ideologies worldwide.  I just learned yesterday that twenty-one American students have filed a lawsuit against President Obama and several governmental agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency citing irreparable harm resulting from inadequate responses to climate change.  They allege that their unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness guaranteed by our constitution are threatened!

Prophecies regarding this time in human history are unanimous in their warnings that our very survival will depend upon us changing our destructive habits and lifestyles.  Its time to face facts, get real and deeply reflect upon our beliefs particularly relative to our relationship to each other and to the planet.

Wisdom traditions the world over teach that there are really only two choices:  FEAR and LOVE.  Clearly, our planet is in need of greater love, appreciation and recognition of the value of its natural resources that sustain life!

Leo rules the heart so its energy is all about LOVE!  And like most everything, learning to love begins with the Self.  We cannot truly love another if we cannot love ourselves.  Change always begins within and then is ultimately reflected back from outside.  Perhaps love is the change we need now most of all.  Indeed, all we need is love…

The Virgo New Moon is a Solar Eclipse on September 13th!

 Copyright 2015.   Donna Lee Steele and Threshold Consulting.   All rights reserved.

Taurus New Moon: Miracles Grow!

The Taurus New Moon occurs on Sunday, May 17th at 9:13 pm PDT at 26 degrees Taurus 55 minutes.  Here’s the chart:  TaurusNewMoon2015.  Taurus is the first of the Earth signs and is the quintessential manifestation archetype.  What is begun in Aries is stabilized and secured in Taurus.  This is the sign of survival and self-reliance.  Through Taurus, we learn to establish our success by investing in and developing our own natural talents, skills and abilities.  As we share our gifts with others, we can in turn garner the resources we need to survive.  Taking care of ourselves is empowering.  Self-worth and confidence result as we value ourselves, develop ourselves and become increasingly self-reliant.

Like last month, this New Moon is also at late degrees so it too is  ‘VOID.’  Void planets have nothing left to do before changing signs.  Since the planets reflect reality, while they’re void, activities associated with them here on planet Earth are also ‘void’ meaning nothing of real significance will occur.  Activity will likely resume once the Moon enters Gemini on the 18th and the Sun follows suit on the 21st.

Meantime however, Gemini’s ruler, Mercury, will retrograde for the second time this year, this time in its own sign of Gemini.  Although general activity will begin again on or around the 21st, the circumstances involved are likely to regress, reverse or need review in some way.  Retrograde energy necessarily reverts us back to some prior issue or situation that needs review before forward movement can occur once again when the retrograde is complete, which will occur on June 11th.

So be prepared for things to unfold s-l-o-w-l-y over the coming weeks.  Be prepared and willing to go backwards before you can move forwards knowing that whatever needs to be reviewed, revised, re-worked or re-visited will, in the long run, prove to be important necessary and beneficial to the ultimate outcome.

Venus rules this New Moon and is in Cancer, the sign of home, family and inner emotional security.  Through Taurus, Venus develops a healthy relationship with our self that encourages us to learn to take care of ourselves.  Cancer is the archetype of inner emotional security that teaches us to become aware of all the sources of outer dependencies we have with people and things we hope will take care of us.  So Venus in Cancer is a ‘double dose’ of self-reliance!  This planetary combination points to the need for self-reliance not only on physical/fiscal levels, but also on emotional levels.

The Sun and Moon semi-square Venus symbolizes that for some, establishing emotional or financial security may feel like a struggle now. Connect inwardly with your Higher Self or inner divinity to find the truest source of your well-being. Then outwardly pursue what reflects your personal values and is most meaningful and important to you. Invest in yourself.  Make the effort to expand your sense of self-worth and confidence and empower yourself through greater self-reliance.

Fortunately, the timing couldn’t be better to work on ourselves because Venus is also trine Neptune in Pisces right now!

Venus and Neptune are a natural planetary pair.  Astrologically, there are planets that are known as higher and lower ‘octaves’ of one another.  This means that they share a certain archetypal energy, but express that same energy on different levels.  What Venus and Neptune have in common is LOVE!

Venus rules conditional love or earthly, human love.  All too often, we project our needs onto others expecting them to be the source of our fulfillment.  Indeed most of us were raised to believe that finding the ‘right person’ will make us happy.  This type of love often leads to a relationship dynamic that withholds love and affection when the partner does not meet our needs or expectations.  Conditional love is based upon another meeting our needs.  Conditional love says, “I will love you if…”

Neptune rules unconditional love or the highest level of love that comes from a spiritual source – from our Creator.  Neptune represents divine love.  It does not judge, reject, withhold or limit its love in any way.  It doesn’t base its love on conditions.  It simply loves unconditionally.  Unconditional love says, “I will love you no matter what.”

So Venus in a trine aspect (120 degrees) to Neptune reflects the most favorable and beneficial energetic connection between earthly and divine love possible!  These two bring together both higher and lower expressions of love.  Accordingly, this month holds the promise of finding and expressing love and happiness easily.  Offering love unconditionally to others will be returned many fold.  Receiving love can happen effortlessly if you simply allow it to enter your life through feeling worthy of it and deserving of good things.

Through Taurus, Venus reflects our relationship with our self.  If you can love your self enough, you can open up to receive love from others including from the highest source of all – the divine Source that created you.

Venus is also square the Nodes of the Moon symbolizing a necessary choice point.  Perhaps your choices are too numerous making decisions seem difficult.  Make choices based upon your own personal truth and values while while considering how others will be affected.  Choose what reflects the highest and best good for all concerned and watch magic happen.

Venus is also opposing retrograde Pluto in Capricorn (exact on the 21st) and will square Uranus in Aries (on the 25th).  Old realities, goals, ambitions or responsibilities may need to be released or let go of in some way before new directions can take root.  Don’t be afraid to make BIG, bold or radical changes.  Love yourself enough to take risks and make choices from your heart not just your head.   Trust and depend upon yourself more.  Don’t follow; lead!  Take full responsibility for what you want and need and what you’re going to do to manifest your greatest desires!

So commit yourself to connecting with what’s sacred this month including the Earth and your self!  Reach for the highest levels of manifestation you can imagine and expect miracles to happen because these energies are naturally and divinely supported now.

Readers and listeners probably know by now that I love to garden.  In closing, the best metaphor I can think of to describe this month’s New Moon pattern energy is one most gardener’s will recognize.  For your garden to grow you need good seeds, good soil, ample water and lots of sunshine.  However, in addition to all these crucial ingredients, for your garden to really flourish, you also need to feed all those vegetables and flowers.  Perhaps the most common, well-known all purpose garden fertilizer is ‘Miracle Grow!’

The ‘seedlings’ you transplanted last month are no doubt beginning to really grow now but still need LOTS of patient care and attention.  Feed them and soon they’ll be bloomin’ like crazy!   This Taurus New Moon encourages all of us to lovingly tend to our ‘garden’ and watch our miracles grow!

This article is written a summary of my live public presentation that explains and analyzes the energies and influences of the New Moon in-depth.  The audio recording is available in CD or mp3 file formats for $15.  Contact me if you wish to purchase the audio recording.

The Gemini New Moon occurs on June 16th at 7:05 am MST!

Copyright 2015 Donna Lee Steele and Threshold Consulting All rights reserved.

Sagittarius New Moon

The Sagittarius New Moon occurs on Monday, December 2nd at 5:22 pm MST at 10 degrees Sagittarius 59 minutes.  Here’s the chart:  SagittariusNewMoon2013.  Sagittarius is the sign of the Seeker who wants to understand him or her self and the entire cosmos in philosophical, religious, spiritual or metaphysical terms.  Typically, this sign studies and travels extensively (both inwardly and outwardly) in an effort to expand its conscious awareness and understanding of universal truths.

Sagittarius is the Centaur, half man and half horse.  This glyph symbolizes mankind’s ancient history of conscious alignment with the natural world.  In pre-patriarchal times, humans lived in harmony with natural laws.  Sagittarius is also an Archer who’s arrows shoot towards the heavens where cosmic truth and wisdom reside.

Jupiter rules Sagittarius and is currently retrograde in the emotionally vulnerable sign of Cancer.  This symbolism reflects a desire to seek expanded understanding of security needs.  But Jupiter is also currently connecting with the square between Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn – the revolutionary aspect associated with the profound social, political and economic changes occurring all across the planet.  Expect emotional insecurities to bubble up to the surface.

Venus in Capricorn focuses attention on love and money for the next three months.  Retrograde from December 21 until January 31, Venus will initiate a necessary review of resources and relationships.  Of course this timing will coincide with current congressional budget negotiations and the next debt ceiling limit deadline!

Sagittarius also rules the right brain and intuition.  Its counterpart (opposite sign) Gemini rules the left brain and logic and feels secure when it can name, label and classify, and thus know, the physical world.  Sagittarius intuitively senses that there’s more to reality than the physical world that we come to know through our five physical senses.  Sag seeks to go beyond the physical world to the metaphysical world and the natural laws responsible for the physical manifest creation.  Sagittarius rules our sixth sense, intuition.  With Jupiter now retrograde in Cancer, its time to follow your own intuitive guidance. Journey inward to seek answers.  This will bring a sense of peace, greater balance and emotional security.  It will expand your understanding of your personal security needs.  What do you need to feel safe, secure, protected and at peace?

The Sun and Moon trine retrograde Uranus in Aries offer encouragement to make necessary changes.  This favorable aspect also confers an instinctive creativity that supports innovative solutions and ideas.  Uranus stations direct on December 17 bringing breakthroughs in awareness and revelatory insights.  Get ready for classic ‘AHA’ moments!

Jupiter’s trine to Saturn in Scorpio and Chiron in Pisces (Grand Water Trine) provides the maturity and inspiration for a deep understanding of wounds that still need to be healed.  Doing this inner emotional work will be transformative and empowering.  Jupiter trine Saturn can bring rewards for all the work you’ve put into something that began in your life in the Spring and early Summer of 2000.   Inwardly and outwardly, this month promises great leaps forward for those who’ve made the effort to evolve beyond old outworn habits and beliefs.

So dive in deep.  Be still.  Question everything.  Seek your own personal truth.  Open up to new ideas.  Willingly embrace change.  Trust your gut.  Listen to your intuition for it will surely point you in the right direction.  And remember — we are living in extraordinary times!  Make the most of this month’s natural urge to seek greater awareness and understanding and higher levels of truth.   As the Sage often counsels, “Look within to find the way out.”

This article is a brief summary of my live presentation/analysis of the New Moon chart in an approximate hour-long audio recording that includes dates/descriptions of significant upcoming astrological aspects for the month. The audio recording is available on CD or mp3 file formats for $15.  Contact me if you wish to purchase the audio recording.

 The Capricorn New Moon is on Wednesday, January 1^st at 4:14 am MST.

 Copyright 2013.   Donna Lee Steele and Threshold Consulting.   All rights reserved.

Taurus New Moon Solar Eclipse

The Taurus New Moon occurs on Thursday, May 9th at 5:28 pm MST at 19 degrees Taurus and is a SOLAR ECLIPSE!   Here’s the astrological chart:   TaurusNewMoonSolarEclipse 2013

Eclipses are powerful New Moons (solar eclipses) and Full Moons (lunar eclipses).  We’re already in ‘Eclipse Season’ as we experienced a Lunar Eclipse two weeks ago with the April 25th Scorpio Full Moon.  The Taurus New Moon Solar Eclipse will soon be followed by another Full Moon Lunar Eclipse on May 24th at 4 degrees Sagittarius.

Eclipses interrupt the constant stream of cosmic energies bombarding our planet.  These extraordinary celestial phenomena are like new heavenly ‘program downloads’ that regulate the evolution of human consciousness and dramatically ‘move’ events in the world personally and collectively.  Things happen at an accelerated pace as eclipses unfold!

While New Moons always ‘seed’ new beginnings, this New Moon/Solar Eclipse is conjunct the South Node which always requires that we let go of something from the past in order to move forward.  The Taurus New Moon/Solar Eclipse promises new directions but only if you’re willing to let go of what no longer serves you.  So expect issues and people from your past to show up just to remind you of what needs to be released — for good!

Taurus is the sign associated with the Soul lesson of SELF-RELIANCE.  This sign teaches you how to value your self enough to fully self-develop natural talents and abilities and to pursue what has real personal meaning in ways that allow you to garner the resources necessary to survive.

Yes, Taurus is about money.  In fact, the Bull is Wall Street’s symbol for financial wealth.  But most importantly, Taurus represents your relationship with your self which is what creates your own unique individual vibratory frequency (personal magnetism) which in turn is THE CAUSATIVE FACTOR for whom and what you attract in life.

With Mercury, Mars, the asteroid Pallas Athena and the South Node of the Moon ALL conjoining the Sun and Moon in Taurus for this New Moon, there’s going to be a LOT of focus on survival (like the three Cleveland Ohio woman held captive for over a decade who just survived that tragic ordeal).  Resources, values and self-reliance in relationships will all come into prominence this month.  Pay attention and notice how many times over the coming weeks you hear the words, ‘survival’ ‘resources’ ‘meaning’ and ‘values!’

What do you value?  Are your relationships truly meaningful?  Does your work reflect your personal values?  Do you adequately value your self?  Does your Boss?!  Do you trust that you can rely upon your self to attract all the resources you need to not only survive, but to thrive???

This New Moon opposes Saturn in Scorpio which will bring up fears of lack and old wounds associated with abandonments, losses and betrayals.  Memories of failed relationships and lost resources may resurface to taunt and haunt you but their real purpose is to spur inner confrontation, healing and release of those traumas for good.  Saturn may also manifest through limitations due to oppressive authorities or ‘the system.’  However, there’s enormous metamorphic and evolutionary opportunities for growth if you’re willing to make the effort (Taurus is naturally inclined to be lazy) and to do the work which means facing your worst fears and empowering and believing in yourself enough to take charge of your life and move forward towards what you really want and know you deserve.

All of the Taurus planets are assisted by trine aspects (120 degrees) to retrograde Pluto in Capricorn and sextiles (60 degrees) to Neptune and Chiron in Pisces.  Take complete responsibility for your life and your reality.  After all, you’re the one who co-created it through the quality of your own consciousness!  Ask for spiritual guidance (Pisces) to help you heal, to help you release old vestiges of victim consciousness and to support you in the achievement of personal goals.

Expect LOTS of helpful new resources, new information and new relationship connections to show up as well.  In fact, as Mercury, Mars, the Moon, the Sun and Venus all move through Gemini over the coming weeks forming stressful aspects to both Pluto and Saturn, you may find yourself utterly overwhelmed with new information and needing to make some important adjustments to what you have previously thought or believed!   Perhaps the most important self-adjustment you can make this month is to stop giving your power away to outside forces like family, friends, workplaces and society that want you to conform to their values and expectations.  Events this month will all conspire to help you achieve greater self-reliance and self-empowerment.

All of these dynamic heavenly forces are laying the groundwork for the third of a total of seven Uranus/Pluto square aspects (90 degrees) between June 2012 and March 2015.  This third Uranus/Pluto square occurs on May 20th at 11 degrees Aries/Capricorn.  Breakdowns and breakthroughs relative to old patriarchal paradigms (like the global economic collapse due to corruption, the marriage equality movement and the Arab Spring/Summer) will continue to occur the world over.  I’ll be writing another post on this upcoming Uranus/Pluto square soon…

Tremendous evolutionary forces are afoot!  Revolution is in the air!!  What will you do with the transformative influence of this New Moon/Solar Eclipse?!

Aries New Moon

Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and therefore represents new beginnings.  With so many planets in Aries this month including Eris, there are LOTS of new beginnings underway or ready to be launched.  But Aries energy initiates instinctive actions that are typically not well thought out.  A stressful connection between Uranus in Aries and retro Saturn in Scorpio reflects the likelihood that changes and necessary adjustments will be required along the way as new plans are implemented especially regarding how these plans will affect others.  And since ALL of the Aries planets have or will square Pluto in Capricorn, expect powerful pushback from established ‘powers’ who want to maintain the status quo at all costs.   Aries New Moon Chart 2013

In fact, one of the strongest indications of this month’s Aries New Moon energy is the beginning of a major shift in how we treat each other and how we experience all kinds of relationships from family and friends to colleagues and neighbors and even other nations.  Venus and Mars (relationship planets) have just begun a new cycle together that includes the influence of recently discovered Eris, a plutoid planet that seems to represent the discord and chaos that’s resulted from thousands of years of suppression of feminine power.  We have now reached a point in our collective human evolution that demands a different way of relating to one another.  This new way must and will reject old destructive and violent paradigms of hierarchy, dominance and exclusion and replace them with the inclusiveness and sharing that underpins a more balanced, respectful and peaceful social paradigm that recognizes a world community of equals.

Aries needs freedom to pursue its instinctive desires and when that’s thwarted, Aries gets angry.  Channel anger and aggression into the courage to break free and break through to new levels of collaboration and cooperation that benefits all not just some.

Aries rules many things including firsts, athletes, guns, violence, initiative, the head and war.  Just look at current headlines and you’ll immediately see all this Aries energy manifesting:  North Korea threatening nuclear war, the National Football league being sued by players regarding traumatic brain injuries due to repeated concussions, the U. S. Army removing barriers to women in combat roles allowing them to compete for top military ranks, gun violence prevention legislation battling its way to a vote in Congress, the White House announcing the ‘Brain Initiative’ to fund research to complete mapping of the brain and speculation about a Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential run that could result in our nation’s first female President.

This new moon will coincide with LOTS of new beginnings that will significantly transform our world.  Be ready to think new thoughts, begin new relationships, start new jobs and initiate new projects.  Expect to take two steps forward followed by one step back in order to make changes along the way that will ensure success.  And be especially willing to compromise with and consider the desires and needs of others…

The Taurus New Moon is a Solar Eclipse on May 9^th at 5:28 am MST!

 

© Copyright 2013        Donna Lee Steele        All rights reserved.

A Rare Venus Retrograde: Money and Relationships in Review

SPECIAL CONFERENCE CALL/TELECLASS

 May 12, 2012 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm MST/PDT*

$20 includes conference call and MP3 file or CD

On May 15^th, Venus begins a remarkable retrograde in the sign of Gemini that lasts until June 27^th.   Venus retrogrades are the most infrequent of any planet in our solar system.   This upcoming retrograde will be especially rare since Venus will also transit (eclipse) the Sun on June 5^th completing an extremely unusual eight year Venus cycle that began on June 8, 2004.  The last time this kind of Venus event occurred was in 1882; it won’t happen again until 2117!

 Venus rules two signs, Taurus (feminine) and Libra (masculine), and is associated with both money and other people.   Our experiences with both will be highly energized during this retrograde period prompting an intense and honest inner review of how well we’re managing our resources as well as how happy we are with our relationships from the most casual like friends and co-workers to the most intimate including lovers and family.  And although Taurus and Libra natives will feel this retro the most, all of us will be affected in some way. 

 Join me for an insightful and inspiring 90 minute telephone presentation on the archetypal meaning and influence of Venus retrograde.  I’ll explain the connection between Venus, core essential personal needs and values, and experiences with money and relationships. You’ll learn how to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities ahead for achieving greater inner peace and outer prosperity and more loving and meaningful personal and professional relationships.

Call 928-779-1210 or contact me today to register and specify your preference for either an MP3 file or CD.  I’ll reserve your place on the call and provide conference call telephone number and access code information.  If you’re unable to join the call, you can still purchase just the MP3 file or CD copy of my presentation.      

*Remember to adjust the conference call time to your own Time Zone!

Occupy Wall Street and the Astrology of 2012

On September 17^th just as Venus (money) in Libra (fairness) was about to square Pluto (power) in Capricorn (governments and social structures) a few dozen people came to Zucchotti Park (Liberty Plaza) adjacent to Wall Street in the financial district of downtown Manhattan and set up camp.  They came to non-violently protest corporate greed, political corruption and extreme income disparity in America.  For the first few days no one seemed to notice the encampment but by day five the media had begun to pay attention to this disparate group calling themselves ‘Occupy Wall Street.’

Since then this small protest gathering has gained considerable momentum and is now being called a political ‘movement.’  This movement has continued to grow and has spread to cities and towns all across the United States including the Alaskan tundra!  It has also spread around the world from Tahrir square where Egyptian protestors declared they ‘stand in solidarity with OWS’ to Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Japan, Australia, South Africa, Canada and elsewhere in hundreds of international cities on five continents across the globe.

So what’s going on?  At its core, I believe this movement is a harbinger of revolutionary global social, financial and political change and is a direct manifestation of the Astrology of 2012. 

Have you noticed the growing number of references recently to the 1960’s?  People have been saying that what’s going on now with OWS reminds them of the anti-war protests and sit-ins that happened during the ‘60’s.  These people are rightly comparing these two-time periods because they do indeed have a powerful common connection and it’s astrological.  That common connection is Uranus and Pluto.

During 1965-66 Uranus and Pluto came together three times in the sign of Virgo at 16 and 17 degrees.  Astrologers call this ‘coming together’ between two planets a conjunction.   Conjunctions always begin a new planetary cycle between two planets.  Most people are familiar with a very common planetary cycle — the cycle between the Sun and Moon.  Every 28 days the Sun and Moon begin a new cycle we call the New Moon. 

Though each Sun/Moon cycle lasts for 28 days, we primarily recognize and pay attention to only four days during their cycle:  the New Moon (conjunction), the 1^st quarter Moon (waxing 90 degree square), the Full Moon (180 degree opposition) and the 3^rd quarter square (waning 90 degree square). 

Astrologically, the most important times associated with ANY planetary cycle occur during these same four distinct events:  conjunction, 1^st quarter square, opposition, and 3^rd quarter square.  Since the total length of any planetary cycle depends upon the relative speeds at which the two planets involved orbit around the Sun, different planetary cycles take different amounts of time to completely unfold.  For example, while the Sun/Moon cycle takes only 28 days, Jupiter/Mars cycles take a little over 2 years, and Saturn/Uranus cycles take 45-46 years.  The cycle between Uranus and Pluto takes 127 years!  What began as a new cycle between Uranus and Pluto in 1965 is now approaching its next important point of cyclic unfolding – its 1^st quarter square.

So what does this all mean?!

The place to begin our understanding of this important astrological event is with a brief explanation of the archetypes associated with the planets and signs involved at the start of this cycle.  This is because the starting point of every planetary cycle foretells what will ultimately unfold in that cycle.  Thus we’ll begin with an archetypal description of the planets Uranus and Pluto, and of the sign Virgo. 

Uranus represents the principle of revolution and liberation.  It frees us from the limitations of old ways that are preventing further evolutionary growth and change.  Pluto represents the life, death, rebirth process.  It facilitates evolution at the deepest and most profound levels.  Virgo represents work, health (including environmental health) and service.  Its energy typically manifests through crises that require thorough analysis of problems so that necessary adjustments can be made that will bring about healing or resolution of those crises. 

Anyone who lived through the ‘60’s in America can certainly attest to it being a time of crisis and great revolutionary social change.  The fight for minority rights resulted in landmark Civil Rights legislation President Johnson signed into law in July 1964.  The Women’s Liberation movement gained attention and prominence as it further evolved.  Tragically, it was also a time marked by many deaths as assassinations took the lives of President Kennedy (November 1963), his brother Bobby and Martin Luther King (April and June 1968).  The Vietnam War claimed more than 50,000 lives and still more loss of life occurred when four unarmed student protestors were shot by the Ohio National Guard at Kent State University in May 1970.  Revolution was the zeitgeist of the time as protests broke out all over the country demanding social justice and political change. 

Fast forward to the present and consider the tenets of Occupy Wall Street.  The movement is calling attention to extreme income disparity and wealth inequality, high unemployment, lack of affordable health care for all, erosion of individual rights such as privacy rights, voting rights and worker’s collective bargaining rights, degradation of the environment, unending wars and a system of government so corrupt that it is unable to solve the crises at hand and has lost credibility with its citizens.  In short, OWS protests decry corporate and government policies that pursue profits at the cost of people and the environment.

Indeed revolution is once again in the air and in the streets!  So what will Occupy Wall Street accomplish?  Let’s take a look at the chart (12:00 pm, September 17, 2011, Manhattan, New York) to see.

With Scorpio on the Ascendant, Pluto is the ruler of this chart.  As stated earlier, Pluto is associated directly with evolutionary growth.  Evolution is facilitated by choice-making.  Specifically, it is facilitated by free will choices.  The $64,000 question is, “What choices will the Occupy movement make?”  Equally important of course is what choices are made in response to the protestors by those in positions of power.

Pluto is in Capricorn in the second house.  The second house is about resources, particularly those resources necessary for survival.  OWS argues that the inequitable distribution of resources is at the very heart of our financial crisis.  Pluto in this second house reflects the need for evolutionary change relative to wealth distribution and the economy. 

In turn, Saturn rules Capricorn and is in Libra in the 11^th house.  Libra represents extremes.  This is why Libra is associated with the need to learn balance, fairness and equality.  So it appears that OWS is on to something as it points out the extreme inequality of wealth distribution and income disparity between the rich and poor. 

Some background info about Capricorn is in order before we go any further into this chart analysis.  Capricorn represents the principle of contraction.  Transiting Pluto entered Capricorn in January 2008.  While the global economy grew during Pluto’s prior 1994-2008 passage through Sagittarius, the sign representing the principle of expansion, it began to contract just as Pluto entered Capricorn.  Pluto’s change of sign from Sagittarius to Capricorn is reflected in the economic downturn that has diminished the personal resources of so many over the past three years through job losses, decreases in 401(k)s and retirement accounts and housing foreclosures. 

This same contracting influence has also led to growing government debt as tax revenues have significantly decreased and benefit costs have simultaneously increased due to high unemployment.   It should be no surprise then that the subject of increasing political debate worldwide over the past three years has been debt and deficits.  Clearly, we’ve reached a point in time where we must make decisions (choices) about how to resolve the financial crises that threaten the global economy.

Okay, back to the chart analysis… 

Pluto is trine (120 degrees apart) retrograde Jupiter (rules Sagittarius and therefore expansion) in Taurus in the 6^th house (the workforce).  This symbolizes how massive the financial crisis is among the working class.  The 6^th house is naturally associated with Virgo so Jupiter’s position here confirms that the problem of how resources are shared has indeed reached a point of crisis.   

Pluto in Capricorn is just about to be exactly squared by Venus in Libra in the OWS chart.  Venus rules money and resources.  Libra symbolizes the need to learn how to be in relationships as an equal – not dominating or being dominated by others.  This core astrological signature represents Occupy Wall Street’s focus on the gross inequality and unfairness associated with extreme income disparity; the rich dominating the poor.   

Venus sits near the top of the chart and is therefore in a stronger position than Pluto.  Venus has also just opposed (180 degrees apart) Uranus, the planet of revolution which is also forming a square aspect (90 degrees apart) to Pluto.  Working class people are fed up and are beginning to take their power back. 

OWS is demanding change to the status quo (Pluto in Capricorn).   Venus seems to be saying that the changes (choices) needed to heal the economic crises will be championed by the power of the people (Venus in Libra), not the people in power (Pluto in Capricorn).  Ordinary people will lead the way towards change.

The most dynamic feature of this chart is the 10^th house Mercury squaring the Nodes of the Moon.  At 14 degrees Virgo (crises) Mercury is only two degrees away from the degree at which this current Uranus/Pluto planetary cycle began in 1965 (16 degrees Virgo).  Mercury rules information and communication and the 10^th house rules leadership.  A simple interpretation of this astrological signature is ‘speaking truth to power.’  And that truth is that the majority of people are in crisis! 

Mercury in Virgo also indicates a need for clear analysis of the facts of the crisis.  It signifies the need for changes that can ultimately resolve the crises.   Pressed for ‘demands’ OWS has consistently said it is dedicated instead to initiating a necessary and truthful conversation (Mercury) about the needs of the people and how to best meet everyone’s needs, not just the needs of the rich.    

In Evolutionary Astrology, a planet square the Nodes is called a ‘skipped step’ and carries a karmic quality.  Skipped step planets are always a primary focal point in any chart and reflect a lesson that’s been underway for some time but not yet completely learned because of the desire to ‘skip ahead’ before that lesson is fully mastered. 

The Nodes are in the signs of Sagittarius and Gemini.  These are the signs associated with truth and honesty as well as lies and distortions of truth.  The Nodes fall in the 1^st and 7^th houses of the chart which are the houses naturally associated with the signs Aries and Libra.   Aries (1^st house) and Libra (7^th house) make up the ‘relationship axis’ and represent the goal of equality that enables everyone to get their needs met.

The message of this skipped step is that the resolution of our current crises requires that people speak up and speak the truth.  It also reflects the need to listen (7^th house/Libra) to the voices and opinions (Gemini) of everyone involved – not just the powerful and the privileged.    

The ‘voices of the people’ are reflected through a tremendous diversity (Gemini) among the OWS movement participants.  Occupy protestors represent all ages, races, ethnicities, political parties and work backgrounds.  It is sadly symbolic that Scott Olsen, a two-term Iraq veteran, suffered a fractured skull and brain damage when hit in the head by a police fired tear gas canister as they routed Occupy Oakland on October 25^th.  As a result he sustained a loss of speech capacity – he lost his voice.  Since then, he’s experienced a dramatic recovery and is once again participating in OWS rallies and marches.  So far, the more those in power – the police and politicians – try to silence the voices (Mercury) of the common people (Gemini), the more they unwittingly energize the OWS movement.

The resolution of this skipped step (Mercury square the Nodes) is symbolized by the North Node in Sagittarius in the 1^st house.  But the way forward toward that resolution is through the South Node in Gemini in the 7^th house — listening to and treating as equal — the voices of ALL the people.  This will bring out the truth which then must be faced head on.  Interestingly, the Occupy movement has organized itself into ‘General Assemblies’ and is using an arduous but ultimately democratic consensus decision-making process to discuss and determine what actions to pursue on behalf of their members and mission. 

Perhaps the most intriguing thing to understand about the OWS chart however is its birth time.  To explain the importance of this timing we must go back to the current Uranus/Pluto cycle that began in 1965. 

Historically, Uranus/Pluto cycles have always corresponded with progressive and irreversible global social revolutions.   As mentioned earlier, this planetary cycle is nearing its 1^st quarter square.  The Uranus/Pluto 1^st quarter square is at the very heart of the Astrology of 2012 and is the core astrological reason why the year 2012 is expected to bring about unprecedented global change!  Tremendous forces of evolutionary and revolutionary change are already manifesting and there’s no doubt that more will come – LOTS more! 

Specifically, the energy inherent in any cycle’s 1^st quarter square is characterized by the need to choose what forms to build or what type of structures must be developed in order to ultimately enable the fulfillment of the seed intention of that cycle.  1^st quarter squares represent foundational structures and forms.  Therefore, the revolutionary changes associated with Uranus/Pluto’s 1^st quarter square will challenge us to create new forms of social, governmental, political and financial structures and institutions.  OWS members say they are committed to creating a new, different and more equitable social paradigm.  Indeed they are!

The influence of this 1^st quarter square has been unfolding for a few years now beginning with Pluto’s entrance into Capricorn in 2008.  But it really began to intensify last summer when Uranus moved into Aries.  And it accelerated even more when Solar and Lunar eclipses also began to occur in the signs of Cancer and Capricorn in June, July and December of 2010 and in January 2011.  Consider the following examples of major global events that have taken place since January 2011: 

On January 8^th U. S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot by Jared Lee Loughner in an assassination attempt that took the lives of six and injured nineteen other people in Tucson, Arizona.  On January 14^th Tunisia’s President Ben Ali stepped down as uprisings all across northern Africa called the ‘Arab Spring’ had begun.  Protests spread to Egypt by January 25^th and soon thereafter to Libya.  On March 11^th a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Japan and was followed by a devastating tsunami.  On August 5^th the first-ever U.S. credit rating downgrade happened after Congress nearly failed to reach a deal to raise our debt ceiling.  The Gadhafi government was finally brought to an end with the dictator’s death on October 20^th and on November 12^th Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi stepped down marking the greatest political change in that country in over 20 years. That’s a LOT of global social, financial and political change in a relatively short period of time and it’s only a partial list of events!

It’s worth noting that while the overall influence of this 1^st quarter Uranus/Pluto square is already underway, this square aspect will not technically be exact for the first time until June 24, 2012!  Thereafter, Uranus and Pluto will exactly square one another a total of SEVEN TIMES between June 2012 and March 2015! 

Remember, the beginning of this cycle, when the exact conjunction of Uranus and Pluto occurred three times, was between October 1965 and June 1966.  But looking back, we know that its overall influence was felt for years before 1965 and years after 1966.  In total, the influence of the beginning of this current Uranus/Pluto cycle lasted for nearly the entire decade of the ‘60’s.  Similarly, the current Uranus/Pluto 1^st quarter square’s influence will be felt for more than the three years of its exactitude (2012-2015). Astrologers expect the total time of influence and manifestation of this Uranus/Pluto 1^st quarter square to last from about 2008 to about 2017.  Of course, this timeframe includes the year 2012!

In astrology, timing is everything.  And the timing of the birth of Occupy Wall Street has taken place within just a few months of the first exact 1^st quarter square between Uranus and Pluto which is the cornerstone of the Astrology of 2012.  So the birth of the OWS movement correlates with the timing of the Uranus/Pluto 1^st quarter square which itself correlates directly with the Astrology of 2012.  As stated earlier, we know that global revolutionary social change always occurs with a Uranus/Pluto cycle.  Protest movements come and go, but in my opinion, the timing of OWS clearly sets it apart from other uprisings in quite a remarkable way.  The birth time of OWS both reveals and portends that it is on to something and that something is BIG!

So what can we expect from OWS in the future?  Occupy Wall Street’s goal of speaking up and speaking the truth has the potential to keep growing for at least another couple of years or more.  In addition to the upcoming seven Uranus/Pluto squares that will occur between June 2012 and March 2015, this timing is also reflected in the aforementioned square forming between Venus and Pluto in the OWS chart.  A common astrological method used to ‘progress’ charts forward in time reveals that the Venus/Pluto square won’t actually be exact (90 degrees apart) until February 3, 2013.  Until then, its influence will surely continue to grow and accordingly, so will the influence of OWS.  By similar progression, the square of Mercury to the Nodes will not exactly culminate until June of 2013. 

So it looks like OWS may indeed have significant staying power.  Their intention to carry on even as many of their encampments have been destroyed is evident in their latest slogan, “You cannot evict an idea whose time has come!”

Some say OWS has already been successful.  The movement has not only gone global, but has also changed the prevailing political discourse (Mercury) from ‘out of control deficit spending and big government’ to the ‘extreme income disparity’ at the root of the financial crisis.  Some also credit pressure from the OWS movement with Bank of America’s decision to rescind its ill-conceived debit card user fee enacted last summer.  The change OWS seeks to bring about is already happening.  However, upcoming transits throughout 2012-2015 will surely test and challenge OWS’ resolve.   

If OWS is to continue to succeed it must maintain its core values of truth and honesty.  It must also continue to be as inclusive as possible welcoming the voices and opinions of ALL who wish to participate.  A peaceful (Libra) approach to restoring equality and justice will be required in order to prevail so OWS must also remain true to its principles of non-violent protest.  Finally, it must focus steadfastly on creating a radically new and different social, cultural, financial and political paradigm.  This new paradigm must be consciously designed to meet the needs of EVERYONE.  

Fortunately, the time is right for this kind of revolutionary paradigm shift as we enter 2012 and the approaching 1^st quarter square between Uranus and Pluto!    

Viva la revolution!