“. . .the re-awakening of the capacity to think symbolically is crucial to the vitality of the individual and the collective. . .
STRATEGIC PERSONAL AND SOCIAL ADVANTAGE GOES TO THOSE CULTIVATING INTIMACY WITH THE POWER OF SYMBOLS, DREAMS, AND MUSIC.”
Caroline Casey, Visionary Astrologer
After my email last week, people called to let me know that things weren’t getting better – there were floods, leaks and torn-down walls, overflowing cesspools, etc. Sounds like Pluto energy is breaking into the physical world – Pluto destroys what is old to make way for the new. It’s all about evolution – and revolution. And if you don’t take the steps you need to take, Pluto forces the issue. I think that with this Full Moon, the energy will shift.
Well, as I write this, Pluto has just turned retrograde, which means that the planet’s energy is slow and penetrating. Retrograde planets appear to be going backward from Earth’s point of view, symbolically turning their energy within. Pluto will stay retrograde until September 7th, going back to the degree of the galactic center before turning direct. These next 6 months are a time for remembering our soul’s mission, integrating our new vision and releasing old patterns that are no longer serviceable for our lives. So think symbolically about what has been happening in your life in the past few weeks and see it as a symbol of what inner change is coming. Pluto stationed (stopped its forward motion) at 29 degrees of Sagittarius, whose symbol is: “A Hairy Hun cutting grain with a sickle.” This degree symbolizes the end of a major life cycle and a harvesting of experience, a death of the old to make way for the new. With Pluto at this degree, it really is a call to action.
On a collective level, we might be seeing the beginning of the end of our corrupt and misguided leaders. On the personal level, all the loneliness and uncertainty we experienced this past winter can be seen as the ‘death’ we needed to go through to come into our new life. This next December, Pluto will join Jupiter [the ruler of Sag.] at 29 degrees once again, finishing up old business and bringing in the possibility of the life we have imagined for ourselves. [Imagine is the operative word! We build our lives in the imagination.]
It is time to take responsibility (Saturn in Leo) for our dreams and our use of the imagination (Neptune in Aquarius). Are your desires swirling around abundance, houses and cars? Do you desire to live an authentic and creative life of meaning? What do you want? Saturn first opposed (an opposition creates tension and a striving to bring opposites together) Neptune last August 31st, then again on February 28th, and they will exactly oppose each other for the last time on June 25th, ranging from 18-22 degrees of Leo/Aquarius. Leo and Aquarius are signs that represent how and why we create and participate in the collective life. Look at your birth chart and see where these two planets have been challenging you to bring about creative change in your life.
Jupiter (which is turning retrograde on April 5th) is in a challenging aspect – a square demands action – to Uranus, urging us to look at our beliefs and choose which story we really want to be living in. And then go out and live it!
Finally, Jupiter is in a flowing relationship – a trine – to Saturn. These two planets are the social planets of the cosmos, connecting us to our society. We have the opportunity now to focus our energy on our vision, so get disciplined and focused, in a playful way (Saturn in Leo) so that our truths will expand (Jupiter in Sag) our lives.
The cosmic energy is so very focused on renewal at this moment. And with Spring finally here, we need to shake off our winter blues and open up to the new possibilities that Spring always brings us. [This time in spades!]
And so we finally come to the Libra Full Moon, which occurs on Monday, April 2nd at 1:15 pm EDT and 10:15 am PDT. The Sun is in Aries, the sign that symbolizes new life. The energy of the Ram. Aries is the fire of creation! So the characteristics of Aries are those of the Beginning. (1) the courage to face the unknown; (2)the optimism and enthusiasm to just do it; (3) self-love that believes you can do it; and (4)the leadership that takes you where no one has gone before! You will be overwhelmed with possibilities – the seeds of the future, of the year. What goals are you planting? What do you need to do to sustain the energy to get you what you want this year? Are you ready to face the inconsequential obstacles in your life this time and focus on your true desire? In Aries, we are left with ourselves, contemplating this new growing life. We give it our energy to imagine it into life!
There are obstacles to be overcome, challenges to be met, success to be experienced. But it can get lonely out there on the frontier. There comes a time when we want to share ourselves with an OTHER. As equals. We love to partner up with others. With the Moon in Libra, we will instinctually want to be with other people, to talk, to brainstorm, to fantasize and to communicate our experiences. So this Full Moon challenges us to be ourselves when we are with others, and it promises that we will naturally winnow out those people who are not vibrating on our level. And we will attract those people who are. For other baby-boomers, the planet Neptune was in Libra when we were born, and so we need to be willing to imagine that we can create the relationships we dream about. It’s up to us to BE the person we’d like to love.
The Sabian symbols for the challenge of uniting the two opposing forces of 13 degrees of Aries and Libra (Self and Other) are:
13 Aries: “An unexploded bomb reveals an unsuccessful social protest.” We have been unsuccessful in our adolescent rush to change our world quickly and easily. Perhaps it’s time to grow up and create different ways to achieve our ends.
13 Libra: “Children blowing soap bubbles.” This is all about the playful use of the imagination. It perfectly balances the sun in Aries’ ego need to bring about sudden change, any change. We need to imagine what that change will be first. And then make it so.
When we want to make a change, either in ourselves or in the world, we need to find others who will play with us, exchange ideas and hopes, thereby creating new pathways to change.