The February Full Moon 2012 and Much More

 

Today’s article is intended as a follow up to my previous article as what began at the New Moon now begins to emerge and expand. Also, as I mentioned in my last article, I noted that the period between February 6-9, 2012 is a very potent time as there are four significant transits happening, each of which is capable of changing things significantly. They are as follows:

1. On Tuesday, Feb. 7th at 1:54pm PST, there is a Full Moon at 18° of Leo.
2. Also, on that Tuesday, there is the Superior conjunction between the Sun and Mercury which is the fulfillment of the Mercury retrograde cycle of two months ago.
3. Even more is happening on that day as Saturn will turn retrograde at 29° of Libra.
4. And finally, last Friday, Feb. 3rd, Neptune entered Pisces where it will remain until 2025.

While any one of these is important, together they can bring about some unexpected opportunities as well as new discoveries. What an astrologer sees in these four is a wild combination of new beginnings along with the fulfillment of previous cycles of action. Let me define what I mean by ‘cycle of action.’ A cycle basically has three elements to it and all three must be completed in order for the fulfillment of that cycle to be attained. Astrologers presuppose something that perhaps others do not. We know that astrological transits reveal planetary ‘Purpose’ or ‘Intention’. They are not random in the sense that they are not whimsical things that just happen. Now, while there may be a purpose within each cycle, we humans are not automatically going to fulfill them or even understand what they are. It is our job to discover what we must learn or discover and then put it into action. This is where ‘free will’ begins to enter the picture.

The three parts of a ‘cycle of action’ are these:

• The beginning of a cycle is when the cycle starts or begins. This is where the ‘seed’ of the new cycle is planted.
• The middle of a cycle is when we begin to work on and make efforts toward fulfilling the intention of what was planted at the beginning.
• The end of a cycle is when we find out what manifests as the result of our efforts throughout the cycle.

I know this sounds simple and some astrologers use other more sophisticated ways of dividing a cycle than just three, but for this article, let’s just look at the basics. The point here is that there are specific kinds of challenges for us in each of the three stages. And, if we don’t meet those challenges at each stage, we may not be able to succeed at bringing the cycle to completion. It is important to learn to do this because our ability to succeed in life depends on our ability to fulfill the many different types of cycles that occur to us.

Right now, we are in a time period where many cycles are happening in their various stages at the same time. Some of the cycles can be thought of as fulfillment cycles, while others are beginning of new cycles.

We have a Full Moon, which is a time for fulfillment or even completion of some actions or efforts that took place some time ago. The time could be at the new Moon (Jan. 23, 2012) or earlier. Also, there is the Superior conjunction between the Sun and Mercury which represents a time period where the ‘seed idea’ of the Mercury retrograde period now comes to fulfillment. This occurred about two months ago when the Sun and Mercury were together (Dec. 3, 2011). So, despite the fact that Mars is retrograde, we can take notice of the real chance we have to bring together something that has been in the works for quite awhile. However, it also means that there is likely going to be some real efforts that must be made in order to succeed at breaking through any remaining obstacles that separate us from our goals. If one is working with a partner, for example, one might have to find ways to bring the two of you together to refine things or deal with a conflict that is keeping you both from coming together.

Saturn turning retrograde is quite a bit more complex. It is neither a beginning nor an end. Saturn represents our structures, limitations and responsibilities. Saturn is a very purposeful planet. It asks us to do things and penalizes us if we do not do what is necessary. The Saturn retrograde is a time to review how we are doing with those responsibilities. I don’t just mean judging us in a right or wrong sense. I mean we are entering a time where we need to find out where we are and what we must do in order to bring something to completion later on. Perhaps, we have missed some steps and now must go back and get them before we can move forward. It can manifest in many ways but whatever it is it will be revealed during the next four months or so.

We are still under a very powerful earth grand trine between Mars, Jupiter and Pluto, so there are real opportunities to manifest new projects or at least begin to refine and develop them as the Mars retrograde cycle grows over the next few months.

Neptune in Pisces

This long transit has just begun and exists as an undertone that we may not be able to detect. It will rarely create specific events and for many of us be more of a subliminal force than a conscious or obvious one. But over time, it will soften us, make us more sensitive and help us become aware of how connected we all are to both each other and to the Divine. The sign of Pisces is ruled by Neptune so that they work well together, supporting the full expression of the Neptune principle or archetype. The way Neptune works is subtle. I liken it to the soft rain of Seattle, where we go outside and barely feel the rain and then 10 minutes later we find that we are soaking wet. It dissolves our hard edges and allows us to ‘feel’ Truth that lies just below the surface. While it could cause us to deceive ourselves and others, it need not have that effect if we remain alert to any tendency to lie or make excuses for ourselves.

I will be writing more about Neptune in Pisces in the near future, but I want to mention something some of you may find interesting. Mitt Romney has the Sun and two planets in the sensitive sign of Pisces. This is why he has found it so easy to be a moderate when he was Governor of Massachusetts and turn around and proclaim his deeply conservative beliefs now that he is running for President. He really can change and will continue to do so, if the mood or climate changes around him. I do not think we can know what kind of President he will be if he gets the nomination and wins. It will depend on who controls Congress and many other factors. And, one more thing we should take note of. People ask why he is so wooden and stiff. The answer is really simple. The two things he cares about most, his family and his Mormon religion, are the two very things he cannot talk about. You cannot know what Romney stands for until you know what Mormons believe and that includes its detailed prophecies. This is especially important when it comes to his foreign policy. For those of you who want to know this man, you may want to study up.

Mars Retrograde and More

 

OK, it’s here. Mars is now retrograde. It went retrograde on Jan. 23, 2012 at 4:54pm PST and occurred right after a New Moon. I’ll write about the significance of this later on. This retrograde period is unusually long as it lasts for 11 weeks, returning to direct motion in mid-April. As this cycle begins, Mars is moving slowly, so its full intention has not yet been revealed. What do I mean by ‘intention’? Every retrograde cycle has a purpose. They are not mere inconveniences or hassles. Often people think of them solely as just ‘something to get through.’ They may indeed cause delays or even reversals, but to only see these cycles in this way is too limited and even negative.

Instead, it is better to ask the following questions:

1.  What is being revealed to me?
2.  What do I need to discover?
3.  What new things are coming into my life?

Armed with this approach, we are open to understanding the meaning of both whatever happens or whatever doesn’t happen. Reversals and shifts are meaningful and important. While doors may close, new doors will open. And, without the closing of an ‘old’ door (the ending of a cycle of action) we wouldn’t see an approaching opportunity or ‘new’ door that will excite us, allow our imaginations to soar, and take us down new paths toward unknown territory that our Soul actually needs for it revival and growth.

At this point in the cycle, however, the new has not yet emerged. It is too soon. So, it can feel like things are moving more slowly or, for some people not moving at all. We could feel a bit lost or even frustrated not knowing what to do. Worse yet, we could blame ourselves for what is or is not happening. This is needless because for the most part we are not in control of the situation. We can only do what we can. It is so helpful to know about the existence of cycles and to perceive our lives through that awareness.

During this 11 week period Mars is in Virgo, but it will affect all of the mutable signs as well (Gemini, Sagittarius and Pisces). This is especially true if you have planets between 3° and 23° of those signs.

The General View of Mars Retrograde

 

The usual statements of astrologers about this period are that it is not a good time to start a completely new project. It is a bit more complicated than that however. Firstly, you may not want to do so, because it doesn’t ‘feel’ right. Or, you may find that circumstances don’t permit you to act, at least not yet. There are two things to look at that will be helpful:

1. This is a time to finish old projects or complete any activities that remain open for some reason. This part of the cycle is about ‘clearing the decks.’
2. Also, it is a time to be open to new ways of self-assertion or activity. It is important to note that as we get into February or March, we will be approached or approach others about some new and unexpected opportunties. In fact, there may be many opportunities showing up. The best thing to do if this happens is to explore whatever you feel good about so you can patiently determine if you want to move in that direction.

This is a very unusual Mars retrograde and may be much more favorable than most. There is a very powerful earth grand trine that will bring many of us some amazing possibilities. Thus, I cannot just glibly say, “Don’t start anything new.” In general, one should really take a good look at whatever emerges, but they should not be rejected out of hand. There’s even more than this.

But…..There’s Even More

Complicating things further, there are four coinciding transits of which we can be aware. They occur on February 6-7, 2012 and are as follows:

1. There is a Full Moon which can bring some new things to a head or to some fulfillment.
2. There is the Superior conjunction between the Sun and Mercury which is the fulfillment of the Mercury retrograde cycle two months ago.
3. Saturn will turn retrograde at 29° of Libra.
4. Neptune enters Pisces which will last until 2025.

Any one of these is important, but together they could bring about some unexpected opportunities. I will write more on this as we get closer to those dates. As you can see, the Mars retrograde may not act in a normal manner, so we will all get to watch it together over the next fewe months.

As always, we love your input so feel free to let us know your thoughts about this interesting period of time.

Pluto in Capricorn Series – Part III – Scorpio

 

It’s time to resume our look at the deeper nature of Pluto in Capricorn with Part III of our series on Scorpio. You can read the first two articles at the following links: Pluto in Capricorn- Part I and Pluto in Capricorn- Part II- Libra. Let me summarize what the nature of the Plutonic process is.

The Plutonic process in psychological terms is concerned with what is referred to as the field of depth psychology. This field studies the relationship between the conscious mind and all of the psyche’s contents held in one’s unconscious. Human beings are actually ruled far more by the unconscious mind than we can imagine. This is the part of our psyche that provides our real motivations and even our goals and aims in life. But, usually, this is below our awareness. We live our daily lives under the false assumption that we are completely conscious of everything we do, of every decision we make and why we do it. The Plutonic process is the process by which we become aware of these subliminal levels so we might begin to become authentic ‘beings-in-the-world.’

How can we become aware of this field or level of our own psyche? The answer is that this area of our psyche must be greatly magnified, amplified or intensified. When this happens we can become aware of what had hitherto been hidden from us. Sometimes, this happens by ‘force,’ or it seems to be because we are ‘pulled into our own inner world’ even if we truly don’t want to go. When Pluto is operating, events happen and we do not understand why. Then we must look and see why they did. It is these so-called ‘fated’ events that force us to look at all of what we have refused to see. We may feel the world is conspiring against us, that things aren’t going the way we planned or the way they should. Life seems to have suddenly become dark, foreboding and disturbing. Carl Jung referred to this phenomenon as facing one’s shadow.

When we retreat from the Plutonic process, the unconscious material turns back on us and becomes negative or dark. Astrology books are filled with data and keywords describing this negative side of Pluto. Here are some examples of these: Pluto is said to rule greed, the Mafia, organized crime, the ‘Underworld’, despots, ruthlessness of any kind, the super-wealthy, the oligarchy, tyranny and tyrannical leaders, the need to control others at all costs, deep secrets such as conspiracies, cruelty, and many more. This list should give you a good idea of the darker side of Pluto. These characteristics apply only when we are cut off, separated from our own truth or nature. Thus, Pluto can lead to one’s knowing of our own divinity, but without that experience, we are going to engage in all sorts of projections of our own inner demons onto others. Our job is to work with them directly by acknowledging them as our own and becoming conscious and aware of them. They are not going to disappear if we refuse to do so. Instead, they will appear through our view of and dealing with other people.

When we cut ourselves off from our own inner world, we detach from both ourselves and others. People then become mere ‘objects’ to us and we can easily blame them for everything. Any sociologist or historian will tell you that throughout history, when things go bad in a society, the poor are blamed. It’s easy to do and humans have done it for millennia. It’s the oldest trick in the book and you can count on it every time. This occurs when we do not see our own failures and find someone else we can project those failures onto. Does this sound familiar?

The reason for this is that instead of facing the truth of something, we repress it instead. It becomes unacceptable to look at the whole situation and see all of the facets that go into making things they way they are. We go into a dangerous state of detachment that is the death knell of one’s own Soul. So, when I say that the Plutonic process leads to the discovery of our divinity, I am also describing a process that leads to what some have referred to as an ‘ensouling process.’ We become alive in ways we did not believe was possible. That’s the bright side and purpose of this transformational process. There is much to gain when we face our inner world and its demons, but also much to lose if we are not willing to engage in this Plutonic process.

Pluto can take us into the depths so we can discover our own essential nature, a Soul that is divine in nature. From this evolutionary leap, life changes for us and we ‘die’ so as to be ‘reborn’ into Life, a fullness that can be truly joyous. But it takes courage and fortitude to enter this game and yet, if we don’t, we find that we still must face the negative side anyway.

Pluto in Scorpio

 

Pluto entered Scorpio in the fall of 1983 and fully entered that sign on August 28th of 1984. For astronomical reasons, Pluto spends the least amount of time transiting Scorpio as any other sign as it exited that sign in 1995, which is only 11 years. This is due to the fact that Pluto’s orbit of the Sun is elliptical and is moving even faster than Neptune during this time.

It seems to me that that fits the archetype of Scorpio as it is thought of as the sign of intensity, passion, and deep desire. It is also referred to as the ‘urge to merge’ with another person (marriage or partnership) or with a project, subject matter or area of experience. This enigmatic sign also is concerned with the process of death and dying. While this does refer to that process literally, it also is where a person is encouraged to see life as a series of moment to moment ‘little deaths’. Scorpio also is related to the processes that occur in sexuality, such as the orgasm, which is a form of little death. Ultimately in Scorpio we begin to see that to be fully present means that we must experience life as a never-ending, life-death process where anything can happen at any moment. This is where life is seen as an awesome mystery which can enliven or awaken us.

As I’ve said, Pluto intensifies and amplifies whatever issue it touches, so one would expect the life-death process and sexuality to suddenly arise powerfully in the consciousness of humanity during this time. This is exactly what happened. One of the main ways in which we experienced this transit is, of course, through the rise of AIDS, an international crisis wherein suddenly sex and death became united under one banner. Pluto also rules taboos, or more specifically, the examination of that area of life, wherein people prefer to avoid something rather than look at it in an objective manner. AIDS brought forward into consciousness all sorts of taboos. Suddenly homosexuality could not be avoid as a topic of everyday conversation. This brought forth all kinds of very strong resistances. This issue, which exposed unconsciouis belief systems, brought forth all kinds of very strong resistances and became a lightning rod that catalyzed people into taking very polarized positions. Passions ran very high and with it bigotry, intolerance and injustices were exposed that are still in play today.

It is at times like these that hidden fears powerfully come to the surface. The ideal is for people to deal with it, but that does not happen easily. The shock of Pluto is the sheer uninhibited way it arises. It comes out without any of the usual dainty politenesses we enjoy so much. It comes forth in a raw, chaotic way that disturbs and exposes. The anger and hatred against gays were openly expressed at that time, but were always there. Nothing happened that wasn’t already present. It’s just that usually it is held back and denied. This can’t happen when Pluto is ruling however. The truth is that in the 80′s and 90′s extraordinary cruelty is what truly came out of the closet. Evangelicals and many conservatives were openly calling AIDS as God’s punishment. These ‘evil’ people deserved to die. They earned their death sentence.

And, who were the evils ones? Who were the sinners? What happened to the classic maxim of “Judge not, lest ye be judged!” But the point of this article is that before Pluto can transform any situation or set of considerations, they first must be exposed. Pluto amplifies and exposes the issue for all to see, and then the psyche of a person or even a nation is forced to look at it. The Plutonic process creates extremes so we are forced to see what we hate to see and thus, a possibility for real transformation can begin.

Now, there are five states who have made gay marriage legal, and while the hatred continues, it is no longer the ‘wedge’ issue it once was. Even conservatives are calling for gay rights, and many have noted that the younger generation simply doesn’t care about it. The direction things are going is truly different and what it took was the intensity of Pluto to bring it about. The process is very hard and before things change we see that very negative characteristics and behaviors occur, but through that very thing, people begin to see what they refused to see earlier. The treating of others as mere objects horrifies us and we can no longer act as if it’s acceptable.

It is through this painful process that ‘Soul’ can emerge, that detachment and uncaring are replaced by the inner knowing that we are all human beings and deserving of being treated with respect and decency.

The next article in the series, Part IV, will look at Pluto in Sagittarius, the sign of religion, religiosity and more.

The Capricorn New Moon 2011

 

As we enter the winter season, Mercury has now gone back to its regular, direct motion and on Dec. 25th, 2011, when Jupiter turns direct, none of the planets will be in retrograde. This will be true until Jan. 24th, 2012 when Mars goes retrograde. I will be writing a great deal about this very significant transit later. Actually, it is not rare to have one or more planets in retrograde. Most of the time at least one planet is in retrograde motion. What is rare is to have all of the planets moving forward as they are about to be. This means that we can move forward in the latter part of this year and the first three weeks of January quite easily. The energy for this is there, but that may not help unless one can push past the inertia or lack of desire for movement that often occurs during the holiday season and the first few weeks of January. It may feel like a push-pull which will require us to really decide if we want to engage in action or wait until it feels better.

Having said this though, Mars is now moving much more slowly than it does normally. It usually moves almost one degree a day. But, right now it will only go about one degree per week. This tells us that the normal speedy Martian desire for movement is just not there. Many of us may be sensing this already. Hopefully this information will help us in that we can know that it isn’t just us feeling lazy. To act, we will have to really be conscious about it.

Right now, we are at the end of a Moon cycle. It is called the balsamic phase and lasts until the New Moon, which occurs on Dec. 24 at 10:06am PST. This is a phase of slowing down as the energy that began at the last new moon is running out. It is a time for evaluating where you are and looking forward to the coming new beginnings made possible by the next New Moon. The New Moon on the 24th is at 2°Capricorn which means that it is very cardinal. The Sun has now reached the bottom of its descent (latitude) and is now returning towards the north. We won’t feel it for several months, but the days will be getting longer again. So, even though the winter months represent dormancy in the northern hemisphere, new beginnings are both possible now and encouraged. But there is a caveat. With Mars going retrograde, something it only does once every two years, we can’t really depend on being able to start something completely new. What? OK, then. So, what is possible?

What is possible now is thinking about new ideas, new directions, and new possibilities. I have found that long before I actually make a significant change in my life that it is prepared for by many months, or sometimes years, of thought about it. It can’t go from the idea realm to the manifestation realm without having to go through many steps and even many levels of both contemplation and research. This New Moon is interesting because it contains an exact square to Uranus, the planet of sudden shifts, revolutions and independence. So, the next month is a time to consider major and even radical new ideas and concepts of where you would like to go in the coming future. It is not an ideal time to start completely new projects, though if you are in one now, it is necessary to use this time to move strongly towards furthering its development. And, if you can, try to bring it to some kind of completion.

The best use of this time period is to be very open to new ideas of what is possible for you.

Along with the square to Uranus, this New Moon also trines Jupiter. This is what makes me believe that there are a lot of opportunities presenting themselves. They may not be spectacular as Jupiter is in the stable earth sign of Taurus, but they can be important in a practical way that should not be underestimated. What we do now has a very good chance of succeeding. And, the more you have done the research and the ‘due diligence’, the better the odds.

This holiday season has Venus in Aquarius dominating the landscape. It is a great time for socializing, connecting with family and friends in a casual way that brings people together. Lively communication, some of it even being a bit out there is the way things can go. It should be a fun time for all of us. Maybe there will even be some sharing of astrological ideas. It can certainly stir up a party.

So, here’s wishing you a very happy holiday season.

Best wishes,

Jim Sher

It’s Getting A Bit Complicated

 

The study of astrology becomes really interesting when we have several significant astrological factors happening at one time. The period we are in right now is one of those times. Here’s what is happening:

1. Mercury is in retrograde, which began on November 23, 2011 and will continue that way for two more weeks.
2. We had a Solar eclipse on November 24th and will have a Lunar eclipse on December 10th.
3. Mars is in its ‘shadow’ period.
4. There will be the Inferior conjunction between the Sun and Mercury on December 4th.

Any one of these is important by itself, but together it creates a confusing, but active period full of cross-currents and complexities that can defy our attempts to navigate if we only use logic as our guide. You may want to refer to my previous article for more information on the Solar eclipse and Mercury retrograde which you can find here.

What I want to talk about in this article is how the Mars transit fits into all of this. To understand the Mars cycle, you will need to know that ordinarily Mars moves along smoothly at a fairly rapid speed. It moves almost 1° a day for most of its two-year cycle. Thus, unless it is transiting a particularly important part of our chart, we may not take notice of its influence. It takes about 2 years for Mars to orbit the Sun, but for 6-7 months, Mars does something very different and this 6-month period is actually 25% of its 2-year cycle. What makes this so important is that it spends this period in only 20° of the zodiac. This means that during this time, we are going to be very focused on a very small portion of our chart when it comes to Martian matters.

What Does Mars Rule?

 

The Mars energy is how we assert ourselves, how we project our Will out into the world, to affect it the way we want or, as is often the case, the way we must. It rules our strategies, approaches to projects and the way we act or behave to get what we want and need. During this high focus Mars period we are forced to really consider what we are doing. We will need to take a really good look at what we want to achieve and how we should go about doing that.

The Mars Cycle Itself

 

Mars will go retrograde on Jan. 23, 2012 and stay in retrograde motion for 11 weeks. Ordinarily, Mars is retrograde for only 8 weeks.  So this upcoming period of review is going to last much longer than normal and therefore be more intense.

Why Talk About this Cycle Now?

 

On November 17, 2011, Mars entered the territory it will retrograde back to by April 14th of next year. So, it is already in the area of your chart that will be a part of the “review and discovery” process that will last until early summer of 2012. That’s seven months. So, even though Mars will not go retrograde for another 7 weeks, the Mars cycle has actually already begun.

What This Means

 

Let me first say that this does not mean one should not act or do things. Such a notion would be ridiculous. But it is going to be helpful to note that whatever is set into motion right now, could be reviewed and/or modified over the next months. I’m suggesting that one ‘expect unanticipated results or effects from whatever we begin at this point.

Remember that with Mercury retrograde right now and a coming lunar eclipse, we are in a state of great transition. This is not a stable period of time, especially if your chart is affected by these transits. What I do during periods such as these is make sure that whatever I choose to do is as well thought out as I can possibly make it. I will tend to avoid snap decisions if I can and wait until I’m sure of whatever decision I’m thinking of making. But it is just as true that amazing new ideas can begin to come in to us. We should not refuse them, of course, but we also should not act on them yet as they are not likely to be fully formed for quite awhile.

Mars in Virgo

 

Mars is now in Virgo and will be for 7 months. Virgos love to break things down into their parts and see what is out of balance or what isn’t working the way it could. Then, after that, they want to organize it into a comprehensive whole. That’s the hardest part for them as they can focus excessively on details and not see the whole picture. They also love to improve the techniques or style of whatever they are involved in. This is a great time for all of us to focus in on health, diet, and nutrition issues as we can discover new ways to take care of our body and mind. Also, any health issues that come up for you now or in the near future, should be taken seriously as they could be hints of problems you will want to address.

Mars square Mercury While Retrograde

 

In the middle of all this, we also have a potential crisis that we would do well to handle without falling into a severe argumentative approach. This transit which happens on December 4th and January 1st, 2012 is a time I would suggest all of us watch carefully. These two periods are a time where people could take belligerent or argumentative stands. Things could easily turn nasty and create long-lasting effects. What this period is good for, if both parties of a dispute can remain composed and focused on solutions, is to find creative ways to look at their conflict from a new perspective. Another constructive aspect of this transit is that if two people are trying to work something out AND one of them has been less powerful than the other in the past, then this period could allow for things to equalize. The weaker person may suddenly want to be heard and seen. The outcome will depend on how well the stronger person handles this ‘new’ approach by the other. If the dominant one doesn’t like the change they see, they could fight back aggressively and become intransient, which would make moving forward impossible. For some, this could be a trying time. Patience and calmness is extremely important now. With the Sun/Mercury Inferior conjunction also occurring on December 4th, clarity is possible as we can see more than ever how things really are. What we do with that clarity is important, but I suggest that we not rush to resolution. Issues coming up now may be significant ones, so much so that they cannot be solved quickly. It will be enough to agree to enter a process with the other person, if both sides want to work through the problems. But it may be that the conflict cannot be resolved. This is another reason why it is best to wait and see rather than push towards a solution that cannot happen right away.

As you can see, the first 10 days of December are quite difficult for some of you. We will succeed if we can hold our tongues while still asserting ourselves in as constructive a manner as possible and remain patient and non-reactive.

I will be writing more through December as so much is going on.

The Coming Solar Eclipse and Mercury Retrograde

 

This article takes a look at the potentially important date of November 23-24, 2011, when two significant transits happen within hours of each other. Each of these by itself can bring about important changes, but when they coincide, one can pretty much count on it bringing some interesting effects. This will depend, of course, on whether or not, a particular chart is activated by these transits.

Mercury Retrograde

Astrology has become more and more popular in the last 10-20 years. In fact, as a result of this growth, much of the scientific community seems rather irritated and concerned with it. Even those rascally comedians, Penn & Teller have attacked it with great vigor. Yet, astrology grows in spite of or perhaps because of this criticism. Also, because more and more people are seeing the accuracy of astrology in describing what and why is happening in our daily lives. The reason why I’m so confident of this growth is that I find that many people are aware of the effects of Mercury retrograde. In fact, many people blame all sorts of things on Mercury retrograde, unfortuantely even when Mercury isn’t retrograde at all. Still, a lot of people know about the phenomenon and include it in their voccabulary.

Part of the problem with interpreting Mercury retrograde cycles is that its effects don’t just occur during the 3-week period itself. It’s actually a 4-month cycle with at least 8 sub-cycles, all of which are part of a holistic understanding of the retrograde cycle. I say this because Mercury doesn’t turn retrograde until Nov. 23rd, 2011at 11:21pm PST, but is affecting us already. It will turn retrograde at 20° of Sagittarius and will then go back to 3° Sag. on Dec. 14th , 2011. It is affecting us now because it is already slowing down and is in what is called the ‘shadow’ period. This is the territory in which Mercury will travel three times. This means that wherever it is located in a person’s natal chart signifies an area on one’s life that will be given focused attention for almost 2 months. Specifically, from Nov. 5, 2011 through Jan. 1, 2012, Mercury will be traveling between 3° – 20° of Sagittarius. If you are a serious follower of astrology you may want to know where this territory is located in your chart and what aspect of your life will be receiving special focus and understanding.

This is much closer to how Mercury retrograde cycles affect us. The view that Mercury retrograde periods bring about computer crashes, car repairs, problems with phones and other forms of communications, delays in deliveries, cancellations of appointments, etc. are all a common part of this cycle, to be sure. There are often a lot of inconveniences that come up for us at this time. But, frankly, this is due in part to not caring for these ‘predictable’ problems much earlier. Maybe we were too busy with other things to change the oil, fix the heater, and so on. Suddenly, Mercury retrograde strikes and problems occur that could have been prevented if we chose to get them fixed earlier. Still, surprises do occur as a natural part of the cycle.

Basically, this is Mercury retrograde is a time to focus on two things:

1. It is a time to review.
2. It is a time to finish projects that are near completion.

The Solar Eclipse

Solar eclipses are inertia changers. They can suddenly change the direction and momentum of events in a person’s life. This eclipse takes place about 23 hours after Mercury changes direction. It happens on Nov. 24th, 2011 at 10:10pm at 2° Sagittarius. If your Sun, Moon, or Ascendant occurs with 1°-2° from that point, then there is a strong likelihood that you will notice this eclipse. People who have the same degree in the mutable signs of Virgo, Gemini or Pisces will also be affected.

I will be going deeper into the chart of this eclipse in next week’s article but I would like to mention the Saros cycle that this eclipse activates. It is called 14 North and is considered to be an indicator of odd or strange effects. Specifically, it can bring about a time of confusion in personal relationships (Venus and Neptune dancing together), unexpected happenings in financial matters, and even a degree of disappointment and despair. However, it may be more of a feeling from within than a reaction to a specific event or happening. This is not a time to make important decisions as one’s response may not be accurate, due to confusion, miscommunication and even delusion from others. By the way, this is also not a good time to make significant decisions due to Mercury going retrograde.

As in all matters, sometimes we are forced by life situations to make decisions whether we like or not, so if you are faced with that necessity, then use as much caution as possible and if possible, see if one can delay having to finalize the matter.

Next week I will be going deeper into both the Mercury retrograde and Solar Eclipse areas.

Scorpio New Moon – 2011

 

I want to take a break from the Pluto series to talk a little bit about the Scorpio New Moon. It began last week on October 26th, 2011 at 12:55pm PDT at 3° Scorpio. As many of you know, Scorpio is the sign of the harvest, a time when we are surrounded by varying forms of death as we now can sense the approaching winter and the need to prepare for it.

It seems I cannot completely escape the Plutonic theme as this New Moon is in Scorpio which is ruled by Pluto and in this New Moon chart Pluto sextiles the Sun and Moon as well.

Pluto and the Principle of Dormancy

The seasons represent physically as well as psychologically the Sun’s vibrant energetic movement. In spring, the Sun awakens from its winter slumber and begins to pour forth in innocent exuberance, creating feelings of hope and optimism. In the summer, that solar energy reaches a peak and we can hardly remember when it was cold and nothing could grow. Now, as the fall season fully arrives, we are reminded of the cycles of life, that death follows life just as life follows death. What this tells us is this: the life-death process is one process, one principle, unified as the one true Life principle.

So, what is happening to the solar energy now? Is it dying? No. Energy cannot die. The life-death principle shows that the movement of the seasons reflects two sides of the same coin, always interconnected and flowing back and forth in their yearly dance. The outflow of energy that we see and feel in the spring and summer now reverses. Symbolically, it begins to draw inward or downward into the ground. Vegetation dies and becomes the fertilizer for future growth. The seeds created by the life force of summer enter the ground, nestled safely within the soil, lying quietly while waiting until they are called back into action in the coming spring.

Dormancy, then, is not a lack of energy as much as it is a refocusing of energy into the creation of potential. No, we cannot know what the growing energy of this dormant period will produce or yield. That’s for next year’s growth process to tell us. But, this period is as important as any other as the vitalizing force is drawn into the underworld so that our inner world can come alive again and grow outwardly during the next cycle.

In last month’s article in the Libra New Moon, I said that protests would grow. This was due to an exact square between that Sun-Moon conjunction and Pluto. And indeed, that monthly cycle did birth what was called the “Occupy” movement. It was and is inevitably unfocused, diffuse, chaotic and without any clear goals. It represented the first outward expression of citizen discontent about the abuses of the banking system and the super-rich’s abuses of the financial system. In many respects it is the opposite of the Tea Party and other regressive pressures aligned with Christian fundamentalism. Right now, the movement seems to be in a very messy, incoherent stage. But in my view, this winter, the coming dormant period, will cause the participants of this movement to take a look at what they stand for and refine their message, so that by the time, next spring arrives, it will probably be much more focused and clear. Then we will see the first real conflicts emerge.

What is the nature of this conflict? One of the interesting statements by Steve Jobs was that he believed that the terms or labels of ‘conservative/liberal’ or ‘Republican/Democrat’ were obsolete, outworn and completely false. Instead, he believed that the forces in this country should be seen as either constructive or destructive. He apparently even spoke to Rupert Murdock privately about this as he took Fox News to task about this. He referred to them as one of the most destructive forces in America today. I would term this slightly differently and call these forces ‘regressive or progressive.’ Obviously, the anti-science view of the fundamentalists I am terming regressive, to say the least.

Next summer we will have the first of seven squares between Uranus and Pluto and right now this is what is setting up. What I believe is that a titanic struggle between old and new paradigms is coming between the forces that want to take us back to the 1920′s and earlier and those that want to look afresh at all of the economic and political models, to question them fundamentally. There is no clarity about this yet, but those who can extrapolate can see it coming just around the horizon.

What this Scorpio New Moon Means for Us

I offer to my readers my thoughts about the power and importance of dormancy. It is the process that inquires internally to reach greater clarity, to understand what has not yet been seen, and to take stock of things in preparation for the future birth of the new cycle. This is the time to feel the coming winter in ourselves and begin to identify the forces within that now will begin to grow, if we can look inside. We benefit from paying attention to our inner drives and motivations and reflect on what we discover. We can ask ourselves what do we need to learn including how we can shine the light of our own ‘inner Being’ onto the world.

This is a potent period, not a dead one in the sense of no energy or life. In fact, this is what the transformation process is about. Without self-reflection, who are we? Are we not mere robots or automatons if we do not engage in this very fruitful aspect of every cycle?

I hope some of you might share your thoughts and experiences of this potent cycle.

Pluto in Capricorn Series – Part II – Libra

 

In the first part of this series, I examined the general nature of Pluto transits. Now, I am going to spend several articles on how Pluto is expressed in the three previous signs so we can really examine the likely meaning of Pluto’s present transit in Capricorn. This article will discuss my view of the meaning of Pluto’s transit through the sign of Libra. You might want to read the first article of this series, if you haven’t done so, since it will help you understand the basis for all that I will be presenting here. You can read the first article of the series here:

Let me begin by giving you some dates. Pluto entered Libra in July of 1972 and remained in the sign of balance and harmony for approximately 12 years. In late 1983 and then again in the summer of 1984, Pluto entered the sign of Scorpio, which is the sign it rules and is therefore especially strong. Pluto stayed in Scorpio for about 11 years and entered Sagittarius in 1995. Pluto remained in Sagittarius for 13 years and in early and then again in late 2008, Pluto entered Capricorn, where it is today. What is interesting to note is that Pluto has a very elliptical orbit and therefore can be in a sign for as much to 30 years as well as move through them quite quickly, such as what you see here. The fact is that Pluto takes about 248 years to orbit the Sun, but spent only 35 years in the three signs I have just named. Thus, Pluto took only 14% of the time it takes to orbit the Sun, while traveling through 25% of the space of that orbit. What this means is the effect of Pluto is greatly intensified as it travels through the signs of Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius.

Pluto In Libra

This generation is here to learn, and then teach us about a new way or form of relating in partnership. Wherever Pluto resides is the territory where we must face the problems and abuses of previous generations and then from that knowledge, create an entirely new paradigm ‘out of whole cloth.’

Let’s look at history – until the 60′s, marriages were expected to remain together, no matter what was happening. The actual quality of their marriage was not taken into account for most people. This led to all sorts of problems, but it did tend to keep families together and therefore there was more stability, or at least there seemed to be. Thus, the divorce rate was quite low. On the other hand though, deep states of repression and its resultant depression were equally high. This situation couldn’t last forever and when Pluto entered Libra, the inevitable compensation and balancing began. Suddenly, freedom from the bondage of feeling forced to stay in unhappy marriages arose and with it a tremendous rise in divorce began. This is exactly when the Pluto in Libra generation was born.

This generation found itself facing an unprecedented number of divorced families. Even if a particular child lived with both parents, it was common for them to know many friends living in divorced families. Many children were splitting their time living with two separate parents and even two separate families, which occurred when their parents remarried. So, what kind of expectations did they grow up with? Here is a sentence I have heard very frequently from adults born with this astrological signature: “I don’t have any models for what a good marriage or partnership looks like.” They are right. Most of them don’t. At first, this may feel like a curse, at least for many. But it can be more than that. It is also a chance to create new forms of relationship as they must now do. This is exactly how Pluto works. Something outworn and outdated must first be released so that a totally new paradigm can emerge and be created. This is of course when Pluto expresses itself in a progressive way, taking humanity to a new and higher level of functioning in relationship. By progressive, I mean more open, spacious and authentic. Marriage and partnership has a chance to become true cooperation and even collaboration of two or more people, each of whom is able to be authentic and fully themselves (Aries – Libra’s opposite sign). This, I believe, is the nature of the paradigm shift that is possible for the Pluto in Libra generation as well as for those who follow it.

As always, just as there are progressive forces, there must be regressive ones that oppose all forms of change. These forces consistently glorify and idealize the past, for which they deeply long to return. These forces want to bring back “Ozzie and Harriet” and the Cleaver family for to them, those were the good old days when families ‘got it right.’ Only this was never true. For a great many people, it wasn’t true at all. In order for these times to ‘seem’ good, massive denial of one’s true thoughts and feelings was necessary. It was all about image and conformity to the societal expectations of the times. False fronts abounded and dominated the societal landscape. I used to listen in on my mother’s weekly bridge group. It was most illuminating. I heard what the four women really felt about their husbands and men in general. There was deep resentment, but also something that the women reading this article may enjoy and get a quiet smile from. These women “saw” their men. Their men had no idea what their ladies were feeling and expressing to each other, except for a very few. Yes, there was confusion and uncertainty, but there were many moments when the natural ‘female wisdom’ shone through and not always in a positive way. There is the “Kali – the destroyer” aspect to the female psyche that men would benefit from being aware of. I can’t go into all of this here, but this is when I saw that women were sometimes playing with their men just like a cat plays with a mouse.

I am mentioning the above because this sort of thing occurs only under very repressive conditions. Pluto falls away from its real and constructive purpose when control issues take over. This is when it becomes dark, manipulative and scary. When a person is driven by fear, this is when the best side of Pluto brings about a deterioration of the human being in favor of its more animal aspects. This is when everything is reduced to ‘survival mode.’ In other words, this is when we lose our true humanity and become unable to see wonderful possibilities that lie right in front of us. To get to a higher expression, we must replace fear with a willingness to progress into an unknown future that is truly new and, of course, unknown. If it’s truly new, then it is impossible to know in advance what it is likely to look like. To want to remain in an idealized past is itself repressive, since Plutonic forces are intending to take us directly into an unknown future. This is why courage is necessary. We cannot know what the future brings, so to embrace it, we must be willing to expose ourselves to the unknown.

For our Pluto in Libra generation, this is what they must do in the arena of relationship and partnership. Instead of fearing new forms of relationship because of emotional wounds from one’s own family and the lack of positive role models, they must develop the courage to create new models with a quality that embraces the authentic being of each individual engaged in the relationship. This will be a totally new model, made out of ‘whole cloth.’ It will look like a win-win relationship where collaboration replaces compromise, which, if you think about it, is a lose-lose situation.

It may feel risky as new models always do, but if you can engage in this creative process, you may find that you are guided by the transformative and wise energies of Pluto that harkens us into an unknown world that is potent and evolutionary for you and your partner, as well as for the entire human race. When it comes to relationships, you are our pioneers.

Part III of this series will be on the subject of Pluto in Scorpio.

As always, I hope this article will promote discussion and sharing. Please feel free to post your thoughts so that others might hear more on the ideas presented here.

Pluto in Capricorn Series – Part I

 

In the past few months I have been taking a hard look at the coming square between Uranus and Pluto and in this newsletter have given a special focus to the Uranus aspect of this powerful transit that will last through 2015. In this series, I will be turning towards Pluto and its nature so we can build a solid view of what the coming transit may look like. Whenever we have such profound transits, the truth is that it begins several years before the first aspect actually connects. This phase can be a bit hard to see, although it becomes much clearer once the transit fully begins. At that point, we can look back and see that it really was developing during the previous ‘emerging period.’

This subject requires much more than just one article so I will divide it into 5 parts. In the first article of the series, I will look at the Pluto process itself. Many people who have only begun to be interested in astrology know that Pluto is associated with change and transformation. Now I want to look and investigate into what that means. What kinds of transformation are we talking about and how does that process work? Why can it be so difficult at times and how much control do we have over its process? In Part II, III, and IV, I will look at the nature of Pluto transits and go back and examine how Pluto was expressed in the three previous signs from 1972 to 2008 so we can really examine the likely meaning of Pluto’s present transit in Capricorn. Specifically, I am going to discuss my view of the meaning of Pluto’s transit through the signs of Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius. Finally, the fifth article of the series will go deeply into the nature of Pluto in Capricorn itself and what its square to Uranus is likely to bring about in our personal lives as well as how it may affect our nation.

Let’s begin by looking at the overall effects of any Pluto transits. (You can do a search at this website for more articles on the effects of Pluto in astrology). My personal experience of Pluto is that it is the force that drives a person or people in general to arrive at the ‘essence’ of something. Thus, one of the main keywords for Pluto is ‘purity.’ What makes something pure is that it contains no ‘extraneous’ material, nothing outside what it is. Pluto also describes the archetypal process of ‘casting aside’ all that is not part of its essential nature – its truth of being what it is. Many astrologers are familiar with the keyword of transformation when it comes to describing Pluto, but that does beg the question of what does transformation mean. This is what it means – it is a process that sheds the false so that the essence or truth can shine through, revealing the true nature of something. It cleanses and purifies, and often not in a gentle manner. It can lead us to the discovery of one’s true Soul needs. In fact, Pluto’s process does not seem to care at all about what you like or dislike. It simply does what is needed to be done, so that the Soul can shine through. Not surprisingly then, the further from essence we are, the harder a Pluto process is likely to be on us. The more we avoid or deny, the worse it can get as things must return to the truth of what really is and the ride back to that place can be a very bumpy one indeed.

How Does This Process Work?

The Plutonic process in psychological terms is what the entire field of depth psychology is concerned about. This field studies the relationship between the conscious mind and all of the psyche’s contents held in one’s unconscious. We know that human beings are actually ruled far more by our unconscious mind that we can even begin to imagine. This is the part of our psyche that provides our real motivations and even our goals and aims in life. But, for most of us, all of this is below our awareness. We live our daily lives under the false assumption that we are completely conscious of everything we do, every decision we make and why we do it. This now allows me to define the nature of the Plutonic process. It is the process by which we become aware of these subliminal levels which actually define who we are and allow us to become authentic beings-in-the-world.

The question we must look at now is this. How can we become aware of this field or level of our own psyche? How can the unconscious become conscious? The only answer possible is that this area of our psyche must be greatly magnified, amplified or intensified. When this happens we can become aware of what had hitherto been hidden from us. Sometimes, this happens by ‘force,’ or it seems to be because we are ‘pulled into our own inner world’ even if we truly don’t want to go. When Pluto is operating, events happen and we do not understand why. Then we must look and see why they did. What part did we play in their showing up the way they did? It is these so-called ‘fated’ events that force us to look at all of what we have refused to see. We may feel the world is conspiring against us, that things aren’t going the way we planned or the way they should. Life seems to have suddenly become dark, foreboding and disturbing. Carl Jung referred to this phenomenon as facing one’s shadow.

The Plutonic process is actually what therapy was originally intended to be. It was more than helping people solve personal or social problems, which is what social work and other counseling fields are concerned with. It’s not that this isn’t an important service; it is that the human being of the present moment in history has both the need and potential to go through transformational and therefore evolutionary changes that were not possible in the past. In fact, we need this more than ever.

What Happens When the Psyche Retreats from the Plutonic Process?

Astrology books are filled with data and keywords describing the negative side of Pluto. Here are some examples of these: Pluto is said to rule greed, the Mafia, organized crime, the ‘Underworld’, despots, ruthlessness of any kind, the super-wealthy, the oligarchy, tyranny and tyrannical leaders, the need to control others at all costs, deep secrets such as conspiracies, cruelty, and many more. This list should give you a good idea of this darker side of Pluto. The reason why these characteristics can apply is that all of these characteristics are what happens when we are cut off, separated from our own truth or nature. Pluto can lead to one’s knowing of our own divinity, but without that experience, we are going to engage in all sorts of projections of our own inner demons onto others. Our job is to work with them directly by acknowledging them as our own and becoming conscious and aware of them. But they’re not going to just disappear if we refuse to do so. They will appear through our view of and dealing with other people.

We Become Detached and Lose our Soul

When we cut ourselves off from our own inner world, we detach from both ourselves and others. People become mere objects to us and we can then easily blame them for everything. Any sociologist or historian will tell you that throughout history, when things go bad in a society, the poor are blamed. It’s easy to do and humans have done it for millennia. It’s the oldest trick in the book and you can count on it every time. Does this sound familiar?

The reason for this is that instead of facing the truth of something, we repress it instead. It seems that it is unacceptable to look at the whole situation and see all of the facets that go into making things the way they are. Again, this occurs at many levels, from the personal, to the national and all of the levels in between. We go into a dangerous state of detachment that is the death knell of one’s own Soul. So, when I say that the Plutonic process leads to the discovery or our divinity, I am also describing a process that leads to what some have referred to as an ‘ensouling process.’ We become alive in ways we did not believe was possible. That’s the bright side and purpose of this transformational process. There is much to gain when we face our inner world and its demons, but also much to lose if we are not willing to engage in this Plutonic process.

There are many levels of destiny. As a counselor and teacher I often focus on the individual and how we can participate in this process. But nations also have their destiny. There is a big difference though. An individual has the potential to claim higher levels of ‘Being’, but the whole of a nation must grow in a much slower way. It must suffer the consequences of not facing its shadow which leads to the slow learning from its heavy mistakes. Then generations go by and it seems that a new group of human beings must learn the same lesson again. For example, all of the laws instituted after the Great Depression were stripped in the late 1990′s and early 2000′s and within just a few years, nearly the same thing happened again. We don’t know where we are now in this process.

Pluto can take us into the depths so we can discover our own essential nature, a Soul that is divine in nature. From this evolutionary leap, life changes for us and we ‘die’ so as to be ‘reborn’ into Life, a fullness that can be truly joyous. But it takes courage and fortitude to enter this game and yet, if we don’t, we find that we still must face the negative side anyway.

In the next article on Pluto, I am going to describe the nature of Pluto’s transits through the sign of Libra. It will be followed by the next article of the series that will look at the transit of Pluto in Scorpio. I hope you enjoy this important series.

The Libra New Moon 2011

It has not been my custom to write about each New Moon, but the particular one we’re having is a very exceptional one and worth our attention.  The strongest New Moon is always going to be a Solar eclipse.  Some astrologers regard them to be 100 times more powerful than a regular New Moon. Since not all solar eclipses are the same, I don’t tend to think that way, but if a non-eclipse New Moon can be strong in its effects, then this is the perfect example.

The Libra New Moon is on September 27, 2011 at 4:08am PDT.  It occurs at exactly 4° of Libra. This means that anyone with planets or the angles (Ascendant or Mid-heaven) at 4° of any cardinal sign (Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn) will likely feel this New Moon the most. There are several indicators of what makes a strong New Moon.  The first indicator is if it occurs in any cardinal sign.  This is when the seasons change and marks a time of new beginnings or new cycles.  It is a time when we get a chance to take what we’ve learned from the past summer and start with a fresh outlook and a ‘let’s move forward’ spirit.

What makes this New Moon different though is that Pluto is in exact square to the Sun/Moon and Uranus is in opposition to it as well.  I have been writing about Uranus quite frequently as of late and will continue to do so, but with Pluto so closely involved I regard this New Moon as the beginning of the coming square between Uranus and Pluto which officially begins next year.  It has begun to show itself already, but I expect things to be much more lit up by one month from now. Let me cite just one obvious example.  Protests of all sorts are breaking out all over the world.  There is growing anger and frustration among those who have been harmed by the global economic problems we’ve seen since 2008.  It is interesting to note that there is huge conflict around who or what is responsible for the problems, but there is total agreement that something is deeply wrong.  It is this Moon cycle that, I believe, will spark even more anger and fuel many more protests.  There is the Arab spring, which now has turned into fall and there are the problems in Syria, Israel, and Egypt as well as throughout the Middle East.  And there is the looming threat in Europe over the possible breakdown of the Euro and the European Union.

I will be writing much more on Pluto’s role in this, but it is necessary to mention that Pluto, especially when it is in the sign of Capricorn, rules massive wealth, the oligarchy, and the increasing growth of the super wealthy class that has been gaining for the last 20-30 years.  In the U.S. the debate over who should be paying taxes is more polarized than ever as the Republicans call increasing the taxes on the wealthy a form of ‘class warfare’ while the Democrats feel it is the wealthy paying their fair share.  But we have also begun to see something else.  We have not had an election since the Supreme Court ruled that corporations are people, another example of Pluto transiting in Capricorn, and that they have the right to make political donations.  The coming election will not be like any other before it.  Money is being given at greater amounts and is also more secret than before. There are many articles in the media about how corporations rule the world, not countries.  Who is bigger?  Is it Goldman Sachs or any nation?  I will be developing this further in future articles, but I imagine that many of my readers know what I am talking about.

When Uranus is strong in a New Moon chart we can expect shocks and surprises that seemingly come out of nowhere.  What we can do when these occur is to take a really good look at what this shock reveals.  This is because that shock may be the ‘tip of the iceberg’ or a ‘canary in the mines’, type of phenomena.  One example in politics of this, at least so far, is the sudden drop in how well Gov. Perry is doing in contrast to the rise of Herman Cain after his win in Florida. By the way, at the same time Perry is dropping in the polls, the State of Texas seems to be close to granting refineries in the state a refund of $135 million which will result in even more money being taken away from public schools and other public services.

Now let’s take a look at some of the ways we may be affected personally by this Moon cycle.  Mercury is conjunct the New Moon so it will affect our communications with others as well as our thinking.  We may be subject to a significant change of mind about something, possibly due to new information.   But if your chart is strongly affected, you can expect some big surprises and of course, also new opportunities.  This is especially true with Jupiter returning to its trine to Pluto. For now, I would encourage you to watch the events of the next month carefully as they could indicate significant shifts in your direction or thinking.

I will be watching the developments of this Moon cycle closely and reporting on it as it may be a true harbinger of the emerging Uranus/Pluto square and worth extrapolating on it.   Also, if your chart is affected, I would suggest you check in with an astrologer who can provide insight as to the meaning of what is happening might be.

As always, we love to hear your comments so please feel to reply with your thoughts.

Good luck.

Jim Sher