When is Deadlock Really Deadlock?

There are quite a few very interesting transits occurring right now, the strongest of which indicates delay and even deadlock, but some of which also indicates progress and movement as well. I find that this is when astrology can really help us understand not only what is happening in the present, but also be able to extrapolate on where things might be going. Let’s get specific.

1. On Monday, April 26th, 2010, Saturn opposed Uranus. This transit has been in effect since it happened for the first time on the day when Obama was elected President, Nov. 4, 2008. His entire Administration up to now has been ruled by this significant planetary transit.
2. There is a Full Moon on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 5:18am PDST. The Sun will be at 8° Taurus and the Moon will oppose the Sun at 8° Scorpio.
3. Finally, there is the Inferior conjunction between the Sun and Mercury (the conjunction when Mercury is retrograde) also on April 28 only three hours after the Full Moon.

These three transits then are happening so close together that they are, in effect, acting as one very significant transit.

The headline in the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday morning, April 27th was “GOP unites to block Finance bill.” In the article we discover that the vote was regarded by most observers as political theater. On one hand, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said that “a party (meaning the Republican Party) that stands with Wall Street is a party that stands against families and fairness.” In rebuttal, Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell states that the GOP believes that the Democrats plan does not do enough to ensure that the government would not again foot the bill for bailing out institutions deemed to be ‘too big to fail.’ Isn’t there a way for these two viewpoints to come together? It does seem a bit crazy to think that there’s no way for something that both sides could embrace.

The average citizen can only read this and wonder what is going on. It is next to impossible to be able to tell exactly what each party stands for and against. There is certainly the sense that Congress is almost completely deadlocked. It has been during the entire period when Saturn is opposed to Uranus. The general and simplistic meaning of this transit is that the forces of change (Uranus) are going to be met with resistance (Saturn). Most of the time, after a long and drawn out fight, the forces of change will probably win.

But deadlock is not the only way a transit like this can manifest. It is also true that any important changes should be examined carefully before being enacted, which means that the Saturn force is needed. It does have the potential to bring about a more studied approach rather than a knee-jerk reaction to the impetuousness of Uranian need for sudden change. I would offer the idea that frustration builds up over time when people feel that needed changes are, for some reason, not being made. This is when a transit like this one can become so difficult.

Increased Polarization

The fact is that transit oppositions often bring about increased polarization. This allows for a revealing of the different viewpoints around any issue. In other words, people do differ in their respective approaches to social and political issues, but most of the time, there is not great emphasis on this. When oppositions or squares occur, the situation changes and great emphasis on the differences become much more pronounced. This is especially true when there is great frustration around the issues.

Look at what is happening in Arizona, where the most severe immigration bill in U.S. history has been passed. This bill is quite complicated, but it directs the police to stop anyone who they deem as a possible illegal alien and to demand proof that they are in the U.S. legally. It even goes so far to allow citizens to sue the police if an officer does not enforce this new law. There are many legal reasons why this bill is unlikely to ever become law, but that isn’t stopping the state of Arizona from attempting to enforce it. Obama has already ordered the Justice Dept. to investigate the law to determine if it is unconstitutional. The oddity of this law is what is so striking. How can a police officer determine who they can stop or question without using race or ethnicity as the primary factor? It is illegal to do so. Yet, the Arizona lawmakers contend that there is a way. Now, the State of Arizona has actually asked the U.S. Justice Dept. to help them determine legal ways to implement and enforce this law.

Is this law not an expression of huge frustration and polarization? It has already increased the polarization, not only in the U.S., but also Mexico. Some in Mexico are already concerned about legal tourists from Mexico being harassed or detained. Many are calling for boycotts, a reminder of the boycotts of many organizations who refused to have any conferences or conventions in state due to Arizona’s refusal to enact the Martin Luther King holiday.

Yet, the point of this is that when people are extremely frustrated, they will often call for extreme actions or draconian measures, if only to bring greater attention to a problem that has been ignored. The polarization this brings about then demands that whatever issues are being brought forth now be addressed and confronted. Thus, a re-balancing or equilibrium can result from that.

How Can Individuals Can Handle This?

While it is quite interesting to look at how astrology is affecting events in our nation or the general collective, it is perhaps more relevant to my readers to look at how we can use this information to help us learn and grow as we handle these same transits on a personal level. The real purpose behind my mentioning the way that events manifest in the outer world is to help us extrapolate on them and apply the principles we can learn from them to our own lives and situations.

This is a great time to pay close attention to whatever polarities are operating for us now, whether they are in our relationships, career or life goals. We can begin to inquire into questions such as where do I feel conflicted, what do I need to bring to some form of resolution, what must I make an effort to clarify, etc.

The Next Full Moon and the Mid-point of the Mercury Retrograde

Since a Full Moon can bring things to a head or fulfillment, this is a great time to become clear about some area with which we find ourselves struggling. The fact that we are also experiencing the Inferior Conjunction between the Sun and Mercury, suggests that the idea(s) that will help us most are likely to be new and/or inspiring ones. At this stage of the Mercury Retrograde, more will still have to be reviewed, but at the mid-point of this cycle, something old is ending and that simultaneously means that something new is emerging. So, if you are connecting with a new idea, concept or approach to an area of your life, it is good to be open to it, while continuing to investigate and learn more so that one is able to make the right decision as we move forward.

Please feel free to express your thoughts to this article and to also let the readers know how you are being affected by these transits.

Thanks.

About Writing (and a little on Mercury Retrograde)

I know the title of this newsletter article is strange. But partially because I really love the strange and also because the entire writing process for me and many others is so doggone hard, I thought that I’d express some of my thoughts about the writing process itself. Then I’ll get into the subject of the Mercury retrograde cycle we are about to enter. After all, Mercury is concerned with communication, so why not talk about that very thing.

When I’m staring at the intimidating blank page, everything I thought I was going to write about suddenly comes into question. Is it really the thing I want to write about? Will people like it or find it relevant? How should I go about saying it? And why am I picking this topic and not something else that is equally important or interesting? Then I usually go blank until my thoughts seem to always come back to one basic question. Why am I writing this at all? What is my motive? Then I just go – Hmmm! Part of this question includes looking at not just why I find the subject interesting, but more importantly, why might the reader find this interesting. But the irony is that since I’m not a mind reader, I don’t know, and cannot know, what the reader will find interesting. At this point the mind goes quiet and I just sit. I gradually become quite simple with myself and ‘feel’ my own desire to have an adventure. That’s how it starts for me along with the hope that some of my readers will also have an adventure with me.

One of my favorite writers, Malcolm Gladwell, who wrote a book called “What the Dog Saw”, summarized his thoughts on this very subject as follows: “Good writing does not succeed or fail on the strength of its ability to persuade. It succeeds or fails on the strength of its ability to engage you, to make you think, to give you a glimpse into someone else’s head – even if in the end you conclude that someone else’s head is not a place you’d really like to be.” Having said all this, I can only add my hope that you may enjoy a short adventure into the mind of an astrologer who enjoys giving you a glimpse of what is in his head.

Mercury Retrograde

Many people nowadays are aware of the Mercury retrograde period. It occurs every 4 months or so and lasts for approximately 21 days, more or less. Sometimes, I think of it as the ‘scapegoat’ of astrology since so many blame events in their life on this astrological transit. Caught up in the blaming aspect, we can lose sight of the fact that this period is actually quite important, valuable and necessary.

Here are the details: Mercury went retrograde on Saturday night, April 17th, 2010 at 9:06pm, PDST at 12° of Taurus. It continues its retrograde movement until Tuesday, May 11th where it returns to its regular direct motion at 3:27pm at 2°40′ of Taurus. Anyone whose natal chart is activated by the area that is affected by this cycle, will be noticing its effects with more emphasis.

The value of all Mercury retrograde cycles is that it is necessary for us to review and look more deeply at some area of our life involving our thinking and communication with others. The regular motion of Mercury is quite rapid, often moving at a faster speed than the Sun. As such, our minds race forward and if it weren’t for this cycle, we could not only get way ahead of ourselves, but not have the chance to be aware of the need for reflection and reevaluation. This is exactly what is needed for the next three weeks. However, it is also true that this can be an especially active time, even though one would prefer to have time to kick back and ponder. This is due to the fact that another aspect of this period is that one is often going to feel a need or demand to finish a cycle. Often it is accompanied with a feeling that it absolutely MUST be finished. So, we have two contrary forces operating at the same time, rest and reflection - opposed by the need to make an effort to complete some cycle or project. Meanwhile, there is a greater likelihood of things breaking down or needing to be fixed, while simultaneously feeling the need to move forward rapidly, which, of course, is usually not possible. Lovely, isn’t it? So, what are we to do? Patience is what we need here, accepting, if we can, what we are able to move forward on and what are not. Not so easy, though, if you have a very demanding boss who knows nothing of Mercury retrograde and can’t stand hearing ‘excuses.’ That’s one of the problems of living in a culture that does not have a clue about timing.

Since this cycle occurs in Taurus, patience becomes even more necessary than ever. The strength of Taurus is thoroughness, steadiness and not missing the little details that are, in fact, so important. So, this particular retrograde cycle may feel even slower than most of them. If we can accept this, any developing frustration will be mitigated or even non-existent. It can also ask us to closely examine our underlying values so as to help guide us to a deeper understanding of what we really do care about and where we want to spend our time the most.

One astrological aspect this Mercury retrograde cycle will be making is a square to Mars. This will amp up the desire nature and increase our tendency to push-push, no matter what the obstacles. It could even heighten the tendency to become angry and hostile if frustration builds to the breaking point. So, it is going to be especially wise to remain calm no matter what is going on at work, on the road, or in any communication. I’ll be saying more when we get further into the retrograde cycle, especially when we reach what’s called the Inferior Conjunction between the Sun and Mercury, which will occur on April 28th at 8° Taurus.

Soon the Game Will Change

For the past 12-18 months, the underlying transits have all  had a very Saturnian nature. For one thing, Saturn has been in aspect to both Uranus and Pluto for this entire period. In its negative aspect, Saturn can increase one’s pessimism, emphasize what is not possible and all the reasons for why something will not work and provide the sense that life is hard and full of challenge and limitation. An example of this, in my opinion, is the Tea Party movement, which has primarily an anti-tax message. The interesting thing is that taxes for those earning less than $250,000 a year, is less than it was. Also, although there is more we need to know about the details of the bail-out program, it does seem possible that the actual cost will be less than expected. I’m not sure yet what is driving this movement, though in the coming year, I suspect we will learn a lot more about this.

The truth is that Saturn does approach every matter with realism and caution, but this can be helpful. It can temper us, prevent excessive enthusiam and focus our attention on taking care of our obligations (debts). Because Jupiter has been absent from this underlying transit, Saturn has had the dominant influence over us. It is this that will be changing very soon. In late May, Uranus will change signs and enter Aries, which will quickly be followed by Jupiter in early June. On June 6th, Jupiter and Uranus will conjunct in Aries and the energies of life will begin to feel quite different than it does now and do so almost immediately.

Jupiter is about expansion and freedom, while Uranus is concerned with independence, individualism and in Aries, great spontaneity. Together, they are likely to drive the Saturn restraint and caution out of the building. This is one of those transits that everyone will be able to experience personally. It will brighten things up a bit, but also create a great sense of volatility and unpredictability. I’ll have a lot more to say about this transit in the coming months and into the next year as well.

As always, I invite you to respond with your own experiences of Mercury retrograde and urge you to return to the blog from time to time to see what others are saying. I will try to respond to reader questions as much as possible. And if you also would like to share your own thoughts about your process of writing, please feel free to share. I’m sure many of the readers will appreciate it.

Enjoy!

Opening Hearts & Changing Minds

Although you will be reading this newsletter after the New Year, marking the beginning of 2010 (I’ve heard one should pronounce it Twenty Ten), it is being written a few hours after the Lunar Eclipse (Full Moon) on December 31, 2009. By the way, it is considered to be a Blue Moon (meaning that there are two Full Moons this month), but as far as I know that fact has no astrological significance. The fact that it is an Eclipse, however, is another matter entirely. That’s what makes this Full Moon significant. It is occurring at 10 degs. of Cancer and Capricorn and it strongly affects any planets one has at 10 Aries and 10 Libra as well. A Solar Eclipse (New Moon) will occur in two weeks on January 14, 2010 at 25 degs. of Capricorn, so the eclipse of today is a harbinger of things to come.

There are a lot of writings out there about eclipses and some are quite negative. I do not regard them so simplistically and certainly not uniformly negative. As many of you know, I refer to them as “inertia changers,” meaning that the series of lunar and solar eclipses that occurs every 6 months create conditions where we are asked or sometimes forced to look and deal with life conditions in a totally new way. Depending on how one’s natal chart is affected by a particular eclipse, we can have life-changing events occur to us. These can, on occasions, be difficult or disconcerting, but often they are not. They are simply changing the game, and sometimes even the rules. The truth is that we need these eclipses because we can be lazy and often get into a rut, resisting change even when it may be good for us. It is our nature to resist the new.

A Lunar eclipse which occurs at the Full Moon is when the earth is between the Sun and the Moon. Here is an incredible website that will show you what this looks like as well as the coming solar eclipse: http://shadowandsubstance.com/. (Thanks to Jim Schultz for this amazing website). My view of any lunar eclipse is that it allows us to open to our own unconscious and actually feel freer from its pull. Now, how this can occur differs for each of us. Sometimes it can simply be experienced as an opening of our hearts to new possibilities. At other times, though, the inner changes are accompanied by a cathartic event, sometimes, explosive, that results from an upsurge of unexamined aspects of our psyche that need to see the light of day. Just as a fever often rises before we can get well, the lunar eclipse amplify feelings so that we can actually ‘feel’ them, perhaps more deeply than ever. The heart opening result is often the same whether or not the change occurs peacefully or more severely. We are free to feel something that we have not felt and make conscious decisions from a very new place. Will these decisions work out? Not automatically, of course. But our hearts are open now and we will do well to allow them to be so, no matter what the outcome may be.

This is especially true for a second astrological reason. Along with Mars, Mercury is now retrograde as well. It went retrograde on Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 21 Capricorn and will go all the way back to 5 degs. of Capricorn on Jan. 15, 2010. We are accustomed to the retrograde Mercury cycle as it occurs every 4 months or so. We are capable of intuiting it because, frankly, it’s part of our DNA. Whenever Mercury is retrograde we have to review, re-think and re-evaluate some aspect of our lives. We need to do it as we have overlooked something and can now discover what is missing. Again, astrology writings are rife with negative takes on Mercury retrograde, but the fact is that we need them. Our minds have been racing forward, tying to accomplish more and more, but now is when we have to slow down or even stop, catch our breath and take a second look. We need to see something new before we can successfully move forward. Also, in the middle of the cycle there is the Inferior conjunction which will occur on Jan. 4 at 14 Capricorn which makes some new ‘Seed’ idea emerge within us and which may start us in a new direction. Sure, this new direction may be unwelcome. Whether we ‘think’ of it as welcome or unwelcome is indicated by how it affects our personal birth chart, but it is always revealing something that we must take into account and with which we must work.

When we look at the meaning of these two astronomical events happening at the same time, these coinciding phenomena strongly suggest that we be as open as we can to something new that is just now beginning to emerge. It hasn’t fully revealed itself yet. In fact, there may be many more things that will unfold before all of what’s developing will be fully seen. The fact is that January of 2010 is very busy with astrological signatures. We are all under very shifting sands right now, much of which we will not be able to act on as of yet. In other words, dealing with the shifting sands will also have to include actively ‘sifting’ through all that is emerging, looking for gold, for new opportunities while simultaneously letting go of what is falling away. We may find ourselves in a mysterious mixture of new and old. This could frustrate us, if we become impatient, but this is just not the time for clear action. Perhaps, the only actions we can be clear about are the ones that are happening TO us and which we know we must respond to and act upon. Allowing things to grow as organically as possible is always a pretty good axiom to live be, but right now this seems especially true. We are now dealing fully with both Mercury and Mars being in retrograde motion, deepening the review process.

I find times like this to be exhilarating in many ways. Not because I’m clear, but because I’m not. When I’m clear, it’s due to the fact that I know ‘what is what’ and what needs to be done or what I want to do. That’s great, but I also know that it is at times like the one we in now in which change is happening. Doorways are just now appearing, though perhaps seen only dimly. Our hearts are opening to new possibilities, but we are just beginning to feel this. We can only decide now to let them grow, for they will do just that. All we have to do is allow whatever is emerging to be acknowledged and let the big decisions wait until much more is known.

The “Jack and Jill” series will return in the next newsletter with a specific article on “Jack.”As always, your replies are appreciated. Those of you who have never replied, I encourage you to let me and our readers know what your thoughts are. You can remain anonymous if you like or use a different name if you prefer. My hope is for the newsletter articles to stimulate your thinking and to help you look at your life in a slightly different way. That is what is fun for me.

I know sometimes I am asked questions by my interested and insightful readers. I will try to answer some of them, but please forgive me if I am not able to attend to all of them.

Have a very Happy New Year and a successful one.

All the best,

Jim

Mercury Turning Direct and a Few Retrograde Stories

Mercury will return to its regular direct motion on Tuesday morning, September 29 at 6:14am PDST. It will have moved backwards from 4 deg. Libra to 21 deg. of Virgo. Right now it is already barely moving so this stationary position may be affecting us in that our minds too are slowing down and possibly repeating or going over some of what we have been thinking about. The main effect though is that we intuitively know that the ‘thinking’ process, which is emphasized during this retrograde period, is about to end so that we’ll be able to resume our usual way of dealing with life.

I’ve had the chance to hear quite a few stories about the retrograde period. Some are posted on this site. In addition I’d like to share one specific example, primarily as an example of the value of a Mercury retrograde period. Yes,  there are the usual stories of Mercury retrograde causing delays with the mail and other deliveries, computers crashing and cars breaking down. They do seem to happen at a higher rate at this time. But as I’ve often said, there is an important advantage to this time as well.

This story is from someone who had been having a seemingly insolvable physical problem for over two years. Several diagnoses were made but none of the treatments worked. It appeared that there wasn’t going to be a solution, resulting in the necessity of having to live with a great deal of pain. It was in the middle of the retrograde period that a visit to the Doctor changed everything. Suddenly the Doctor ‘changed his mind’ and came up with a different diagnosis. He wasn’t sure if he was right but he gave a medication that would prove once and for all whether or not this ’new idea’ was the correct one. If the meds worked, then he had found it. Well, the medication did work and within a few days the condition that had chronically bothered the patient, was eliminated. This is but one example of the way in which Mercury retrograde can work in our favor. A completely new idea comes in and is discovered to be the right one. The truth is that our minds can easily become stuck in the rut of the same thinking. We go over and over the same thought-forms and somehow hope that this time a different result will occur. This is why ‘they’ came up with adage that insanity is doing the same thing over and over hoping for a different result. Mercury retrograde allows us and can even force us to consider some issue in a completely different manner that suddenly will open us up to new possibilities. This is why this period is so important and helpful.

At the same time, progress may not occur in the usual way. We can feel quite blocked if we try to ‘force things’ at this time. We do best when we take what we get and remain alert to any openings, because we can’t act on what we don’t see. I think one of the most difficult things about this time period is when we think we’re done, have had enough and the cycle is still not over. We become impatient and frustrated. This, in fact, may be where many of you are right now. But what I’ve noticed quite frequently is that if we think something is over before it actually is, we lose an opportunity. Here’s why. It is often at the end of a cycle that the most important realizations come to the fore. They occur when we least expect it. It is because we’re not done at all. We just ‘think’ we are. So, what causes us to feel done?

When we are feeling done it means that our usual approach to solving a problem has been completed. We think we’ve exhausted all the possibilities. We’ve thought and thought and what’s come up has come up so we’re done. But something important has not yet occurred. It is only when we have exhausted all of our usual thoughts and patterns that something truly new can come in. What we really need is something completely new. Since many of us may resist the new thought which can be ‘too far out of the box’ for us to consider, we simply won’t allow anything new to emerge. It is when we’ve exhausted all of the usual ways of approaching an issue that we are finally ready to receive a completely new approach.

So, in this last day before Mercury goes direct, I want to suggest that you not let boredom or tiredness prevent you from being open to a completely new idea or way of thinking. If you can refrain from the ‘belief’ that you’re done, maybe something amazing can occur. And when Mercury does change its direction early Tuesday morning, be ready for a shift in your energy. It’s fun to notice the new feeling.

Always love your comments to my post, so feel free to write your own story.

The New Moon & the Inferior Conjunction between the Sun and Mercury

Within a short two day period we will have two significant transits each of which mark an ending of one cycle in preparation for something new to be born. There are differences between the ways these two will operate, but there’s a reason why many of you may be feeling like something is coming to an end, so let’s get to it.

The New Moon

At 11:44am PDST on Friday September 18 we are having the New Moon at 25 degrees of Virgo. It is in a very tight conjunction with Saturn which makes this cycle a focused and potentially very serious one. Saturn can be so exacting and demand that we approach every matter with so much realism that it feels cold, impersonal and severe. Yet, I used the word ‘demand’ for a reason. Saturn does not ask or request. We can interpret it that way if we want to, but the fact is that when Saturn is in charge, it will control the situation and demand that we show up fully, balance our accounts and if necessary pay for our mistakes. If a person has Saturn in significant aspect in their chart, they are going to be the responsible serious ones who make the sacrifices knowing that the day will come when everything balances out. They know that one must earn the reward in order to keep it. Saturn is exalted in Libra, the Scales, and so rules an impersonal justice that we may not ‘like’ but which we must handle. The coming month will have this theme as an underlying tone and since it is occurring when Mercury is retrograde it will ask us to take a look at any areas of our life where something that hasn’t been completed. In other words, it is an ending phase of a broader cycle. Endings are the phase prior to new beginnings and that’s exactly where we are cosmically.

The key principle whenever we are in an ending stage is ‘letting go.’ It’s all we can actually do, but it is human nature to try to hang on as long as we can and resist surrendering to the inevitable. The conscious and aware use of this time period then is to consciously let go of what you already know in your heart is dying or ending. This is rarely done at once, but is a process. How easy or difficult that will be depends, of course, on what it is that might be ending, bit it is important to realize that it is not a trivial process. Often we hear people saying to a ‘friend’ that they should just get over it. As if they didn’t know that. The truth is that it is helpful to remember that one is a process and that it will work its way out organically, if we let it.

Mercury Retrograde and the Inferior Conjunction

With Mercury retrograde nearing its conjunction with the Sun we are also in the middle of a cycle where we need to complete something which will take us to the emergence of the new. On Sunday September 20th at 3:05am PDST retrograde Mercury will align with the Sun. This phase of the cycle is an important one but is often difficult to see. It is like a New Moon, often called the Dark Moon because one cannot see it. The Moon is so close to the Sun that its image is washed out. We cannot see the Moon until a day or two have passed when we can see the tiny crescent in the early evening sky. It is also considered a dark period because it contains the seed of a new idea. In fact, the nature of the Inferior Conjunction is that a new ‘seed idea’ is born into us. But like a seed that is planted in the earth, we may not know its nature until enough time has passed. It will need time before it can emerge.

Ten days have passed since Mercury went retrograde and we have had to review areas of our life where decisions must be made or reviewed. We have gone over and over our options and may now have to make decisions. This is when we may do this. And when we do, something new is also born. One business owner has to decide whether he must close his doors. The decision has been in the air for months, but now the time has come when waiting is no longer an option. When the decision is made, it will begin a new cycle for him with many more decisions to be made, but the critical moment has now arrived. This is the type of thing that may be occurring for many people. Others who have been able to see the trends coming their way are prepared to act and move forward in a new direction. Depending on where this occurs is one’s chart, the shift may be big or small, but no matter how subtle, it is helpful to notice what is happening in one’s thoughts right now. What you are thinking the most about this weekend is apt to inform you of something that will be emerging in the near future.

On September 22nd Mercury retrograde will conjunct Saturn bringing more reality into any situation one is facing. After this one will know pretty clearly with what one is dealing. Planning can then begin. Yes, Mercury will still be retrograde meaning that a bit more will have to be reviewed, but the new cycle will have begun and we will feel clearer than we may be feeling now.

Mercury goes direct on September 29th which will be when things are likely to be fully clarified, but we’ll deal with that then.

I have written quite a few articles on Saturn. Why? Because it is often regarded as forcing us to deal with something we wish we could avoid. But Saturn is also the archetype of subtlety. It asks us to master something. So the question to ask right now is this. What am I being asked to master? Know that when you face whatever is happening, one’s life will improve. Perhaps slowly, for the processes of Saturn do work slowly. But inevitably and inexorably. There is a wild and crazy truism about Saturn. The more we deal with it openly and truthfully, the less we feel its oppressive side. When we deal with it head-on, somehow it goes away and life move forward again with amazing ease. Dealing with Saturn is in fact the line of least resistance and the way to bring peace into our lives. I love and hate this irony.

The Saturn Opposition to Uranus #3- More Polarization

The coming week of September 14th – to the 20th is a very busy one astrologically. With Pluto turning direct last Friday, September 11th, we will have three major transits occurring this week each of which us significant by itself. By ‘significant’ I am referring to several key ideas. It is at times like these when new ideas are introduced into one’s life that can indicate a new path for a person. For example, each New Moon introduces something new for a person which will develop as the phases of the Moon progress. When there are three signatures of change in just one week, however, it indicates that the week could have a great deal of promise as well as bring about major revelations. I believe that is what is happening right now.

Let’s get into the details which are as follows:

1. On Tuesday, September 15th at 5:50am PDST Saturn will oppose Uranus for the 3rd time.
2. Friday, September 18th at 11:44am marks a very significant New Moon at 25 degrees of Virgo.
3. Finally, on September 20th at 3:05am we reach the mid-point of the Mercury retrograde cycle which is called the Inferior Conjunction.

Today’s newsletter article will focus primarily on the Saturn opposition to Uranus which has been strongly affecting our lives during the past year. Let me also mention to new readers that I often use political and current events occurring in this nation and the world to show how astrology is affecting us in a ‘macro’ way. Part of the reason for this is that some readers really do want to hear more about the way astrology affects mundane events in our world. Others, who are not particularly interested in outer events, can also benefit from this since it gives an archetypal look at the general nature of the astrological transits. Maybe we can apply the themes in our personal life in a more constructive way than nations can. A newsletter cannot show how a transit is likely to affect an individual, so perhaps readers can extrapolate from the general description as to how they are being affected personally.

I do have an idea I’m working on that may solve some of this problem and hope to announce it when Mercury goes direct in late September.

When an outer planet affects Saturn, some structure (Saturn) will need to change or be reformed. Saturn rules both sides of a difficult to understand dichotomy. On one hand, it reveals the structure that may need to change and does so in a very concrete and realistic way, while it also simultaneously evokes resistance to that change. This is an inevitable process and is a part of the way change takes place. It would certainly help if the agents of change and those who resist it could understand this fundamental fact. For if both sides did understand, the crazy emotions and fears that are being engendered in our political system, might be either reduced or handled in a more constructive way. Unfortunately this is not occurring in the U.S. right now, which brings us to what I believe the present Saturn opposition to Uranus is revealing.

The Culture Conflict Threatening the U.S.

The present transit is an opposition and like a Full Moon it reveals where we are as a people about some issue. Keywords for such transits are culmination and fulfillment. What was born at the time of the conjunction (like the New Moon) can now be seen in a stark and clear manner. Thus, an opposition goes way beyond politics or any political process. It also goes beyond the so-called health care debate, which in my view is not a debate in any manner whatsoever. The Obama speech on health care this week was overshadowed by the well publicized scene of Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina calling Obama a liar. He yelled out for all to hear- “You lie!” This is hardly by itself important. But that’s exactly what astrology can help us understand. At this time, that small scene tells us that something far bigger is being revealed. What he did is something not done in our political system. In England, it would not be a big deal. But here, it is a clear indication of tremendous disdain for Obama. It says that neither Obama nor the office of the President is worthy of respect. Yes, he apologized, but that’s not the point. Rep. Joe Wilson is not the point. This breach of Congressional etiquette shows us that behind his shocking words are tremendous fear, anger, resentment and a passion about something that is being cloaked in a political context.

Wilson, like many of the conservative base of the Republican Party is afraid that they are losing ‘their’ country. What could bring about such intense reactions? It is too simplistic to blame the media (Fox News and Rupert Murdoch in particular) for to do so is to avoid confronting the real depth of the fears that do exist in this country. This has been brewing, in my view, for 50 years. Ever since the revolutionary 60’s, there has been a portion of this country who have been scared and who further are also easily scared to heights unimaginable to me years ago. They are ready to be scared and watch TV hoping to be scared even more. Luckily for them, but not for the country, there are plenty of means at their disposal. When a person operates from or out of fear, ordinary logic does not work. No logic will appeal to their better sense. Wilson even admitted that he didn’t know what came over him. More importantly however, his words arose from the millions of people who are afraid just as he is. They are on the lookout. He, for a moment, was their speaker.

This one incident is the tip of a huge iceberg that the present transit is demonstrating for all to see. Unfortunately neither logic, debate nor rational discourse can touch this growing national emotional force that is beginning to culminate now. It is serious and in my view does threaten the ability for this nation to be able to come together for a single purpose. The transits coming soon (especially the transit of Uranus squaring Pluto) could literally bring about an increased desire on the part of some citizens to secede from the U.S. It is not inconceivable that this country could divide itself in the coming decade. That is itself an very shocking thought.

This speaks of a cultural phenomenon that is an underlying force ruling the political process today. If it continues, where can it lead? What is the natural outcome if nothing changes? Putting it even more bluntly, can the red states and blue states get along? Can the rural and urban areas see that they need each other? Can the religious right allow others to exist in “their” nation? This is what I am referring to when I speak of cultural polarization.

Saturn will oppose Uranus two more times before completing its cycle. It will oppose on April 26th 2010 at 28 degrees of Virgo and Pisces and finally on July 26th, 2010 at 0 degrees of Aries and Libra. This last opposition is highly volatile as the 0 degree of any cardinal sign marks the beginning of a new cycle and creates an influx of a tremendous amount of new energy. What we see emerging strongly now is going to continue to increase.

This Is No Way To End a Newsletter Article

It is never wise to end an article on a somber note. Also, it is true that oppositions occur all the time in life and can be handled in very creative and healing ways. In fact, it often takes a crisis of one sort or another to see the necessity of healing and the need for compromise or better yet as a close friend urged – collaboration. Oppositions ask us to see the other side and perhaps, to even respect it. That is the way we can not only temper our own arrogance and the belief that we are the ones who are right, but appreciate the viewpoint of another as an aspect of something whole and complete into itself. A viewpoint, no matter what it is, is incomplete. When will we as a nation understand this? There can be no liberal without a conservative and vice versa. Every dualistic thought is actually a set where the two sides obscure an underlying unity. When this is realized, something can transform. This is what oppositions can bring about. This is also how we, as individuals, can take advantage of an opposition. Whether a nation can handle such things in very stressful times, cannot be known. But it is certainly true that we as individuals can find creative ways to solve seemingly impossible conflicts and stresses.

Duality is something than may be transcended. But it has no chance of happening if one side denigrates and invalidates its brother or sister. Yes, its brother or sister. The relationship between two sides of one set is the same as a brother or sister. The moment a person realizes its dependence on the existence of two sides of one set, we are freed from the demand that the war between each side be enacted and re-enacted, over and over again. Am I being too idealistic?

Well, yes, maybe so. But with Jupiter conjuncting Neptune, I do have the right! This is a great time to envision a brighter future, even if it does seem unlikely. And perhaps most importantly- This is the way to end a newsletter article.

Mercury Retrograde of September 2009

Hello Everybody,

Happy Labor Day to everyone. This newsletter will be shorter than most, but more will be coming soon. I want to make a few comments about Mercury retrograde now that it is fully in its retrograde cycle.

We have passed the period when Mercury is stationary, a time that can be noticeable to us in that our minds can operate slowly and when we can even be stuck in a rut. That phase is ending now and we are now going to be needing to take care of things that have either been avoided or which we simply didn’t have the time to handle. Now we will need to focus on these things. if you haven’t backed up your computer lately, this is a good time to take care of this just to be safe.

To clarify, this period is not a good time to begin a new cycle of any kind. It’s a time for review rather than for new starts. What often happens instead is that this can be a very busy time period if there are a lot of loose ends or cycles that need to be completed. This is what we will need to focus on doing and also taking time to look over any issues that need attention. If something new does arise, however, it doesn’t at all mean that it’s bad idea. In fact, you may be getting a glimpse of a newly emerging thought-form that will grow in the next few months. It’s just that before it can even begin to manifest, a lot more thinking will have to go into the process before one will know what will need to be done. More information gathering and planning will be necessary.

This Mercury retrograde is splitting time between two signs – Libra and Virgo. This suggests we will need to adopt an interesting way of being as Libra asks us to be fair and to seek ways to create harmony, but we also must take a practical and somewhat detailed look at whatever issues we are facing. This is especially true as Saturn is involved throughout the retrograde period. Saturn demands realism and a willingness to do whatever we must do in order to be able to successfully move forward after the retrograde period ends. There are important details to attend to and whether we like what we discover or not, we will be happier with future outcomes if we do whatever is necessary.

This retrograde cycle is apt to affect the health care debate significantly. Obama’s scheduled speech is interesting in that he will be presenting a new approach. Typical of Libra and Virgo he will be attempting to dance between the idealism of what he wants with the practical necessity that he get a bill that he can sign. Since he has made this such a high priority, his administration could be in jeopardy if no bill was passed. This issue is defining him. Tough spot to be in but that’s where he is.

As always I love to hear your stories about how the Mercury retrogade period is affecting you or those you know.

I also want to clarify something that I may not have expressed clearly in the last newsletter. If anyone desires to share their thoughts or opinions privately, you are welcome to do so. No private emails to me will be posted.

I would like to announce that a new Beginning Astrology class will be starting on the Westside. It will be on Thursday nights. Anyone interested in enrolling may call me at 818-501-7114.

Mercury retrograde periods are often a great time to get a consultation as many of you will be reviewing important areas of your life. Astrology can be a helpful tool at a time like this, so you may want to see how it can assist you.

All the best,

Jim Sher

Mercury Becoming Stationary

We’re in a very interesting time as Mercury is slowing down. In 2 days, on September 6th at 9:45pm PDST, Mercury turns retrograde and begins its 21 day retrograde cycle. What is happening now though is that it is slowing down considerably and will become even slower until it finally stops for a moment and turns the other way. To me, this period of time is so interesting because it can often be felt by each of us as it can be palpable in its effect.

As Mercury slows, the mind follows suit. Ironically, this can be helpful as it becomes easier to focus and stay on any subject we desire. But it also has a more difficult side, which can become especially noticeable a day before it changes direction. What can happen is that the mind can become stuck, just as a record can get become stuck in a groove, and find it very hard to get out of the groove in which it is stuck. This could result in over-thinking or even obsessing about something that would ordinarily pass in a few minutes.

Thus, it can be helpful to know about this tendency at this time so that if it does occur we can be forewarned and able to put what we are thinking about into perspective. Yes, it’s good to focus, but not to obsess or go over some trivial matter as if we had to decide our fate for the next decade.

This post is one of those times when I am asking readers to tell their personal stories about this 2-3 day period. I know many of our readers will enjoy hearing about what others are experiencing at this time. So, please make your comments and tell your story. I look forward to your responses.

Looking at the Depths of Saturn – The Wonder of Being Sculpted

Hello Everyone,

Now that Saturn has turned direct and it is a Saturday (Saturn’s Day), I thought it might be interesting to take a deeper look at the value and significance of the process that Saturn rules. I was walking at a park early this morning and many of the spaces were already being held in reserve. Rope or tape had been spread around the trees to mark the territory that was being made into “our space.” That silly little tape, which anyone could walk through, sent a very important message to all onlookers. It said — ‘this is our space, not yours.’ And everyone got the message. Most of the newly created spaces contained only one person, but that was sufficient to send the message that all agreed with by honoring without question. That little line created a boundary, an inside and an outside, and at least for a little while, turned that space into something very different from what it had been.

This is Saturn at work. It creates limits and boundaries within which we can live, grow, and gain something that is so important and unfortunately so overlooked. It is said that Saturn tests us, asks us to work hard for everything we earn, and can even deprive us of the ‘goodies’ we want so much. It can cause delays or even make some of the things we want impossible to attain. This is when we wonder to ourselves or out loud – “Why is life so cruel or so hard?.”

The answer may be found in the metaphor of the sculptor working slowly with a block of stone, making powerful strokes in one moment and very fine ones in another. When we look at a great sculpture we marvel and can be overcome with awe and respect. We praise the sculptor, but that isn’t all of it. We wonder at a profound level how this work came about. Was the figure already present, hiding quietly in the stone waiting for someone to find it and eliminate all that was blocking the ‘real’ figure from emerging? Was the artist doing all of it by him/herself or was the artist heeding a call that was demanding that the ‘essence’ lying dormant within be released from its prison? Perhaps it is the Saturnian process itself that is creating what we are becoming, though we hardly ever know it while it’s happening. Who can see the final figure until the Work is completed?

When we are contending with difficult challenges in life, we can become bereft of hope and overwhelmed with grief, pain, and wonder how any good could ever come of this. In no way am I saying that these painful periods aren’t real, but often when we reflect later we can see that the effect of that period was vital, necessary in creating the person we are becoming or have become. We don’t just learn from books but from life itself. I am suggesting that Saturn is actually creating conditions where our ‘essence’ can unfold. It is when we are tied or identified with what we are not, that we experience the taking away of these false masks as painful or even terrifying. While we are in the midst of the Saturnian challenge how can we be expected to see that our attachments are unnecessary appendages. It is hard to understand that life is actually assisting us to become ourselves. We can’t see it until enough of the false has been eliminated and the truer image of who we are begins to be revealed.

It was Carl Jung who when contemplating the nature of freedom wrote that – “the only freedom I have is to GLADLY do what I must do.” Yes, Saturn creates restrictions and we often rebel at these. But it also creates an arena for us to grow and develop mastery and is where we can be free to be who we truly are.

Let’s go back to the scene at the park. Now imagine all the guests have arrived and are entering the specially marked space created hours earlier by one lone person who was simply doing the necessary boring job of winding the tape around the trees. The family and friends greet and welcome each other happily. They feel a sense of togetherness because the only people inside are the ones that are part of their group. They are free to be themselves, even though within just a few feet there are other walkers, campers, etc. doing their own thing.

Freedom to be ourselves and to fulfill our real natures. Did you know that Stephen Hawking, one of the most brilliant of today’s physicists credits his muscular dystrophy with his becoming the physicist he has become? His near total physical restriction has ‘freed’ him to delve deeply into the mysteries of our world. He never would have been what he is without it. Odd? Strange? Of course, but here’s a thought.

Is it possible that there is an Intelligence, perhaps within us, that creates those experiences we need in order for us to become what we essentially are? Are we being guided in ways we might not be able to understand towards being what we are through those necessary experiences we almost always wish we could avoid? If so, perhaps we could call this intelligence Saturn. When you have a chance, take a look at images of Saturn with its amazing rings and notice what you feel inside when you do.

A Note About the New Moon & Mercury Retrograde

We are at the end of a Moon cycle and tomorrow, May 24 at 5:11am we have the New Moon at 3 Gemini. Mercury has passed the Sun and is finishing its Mercury retrograde period which will be completed on May 30th. This suggests that new ideas are emerging now and will be accelerating powerfully as the Moon waxes towards the Full Moon which occurs on Sunday, June 7th. We are able now to begin to work with any ideas that have been emerging inside and can know that many of them will grow organically.

I want to wish you all a happy and safe holiday weekend.

I know the economy is difficult so I am continuing the reduced price of $110 for a 60- 80 minute consultation. I welcome people who have never had an astrological consultation to give it a try as well as those of you who have.

If you haven’t already, please check out the website for Sher School of Wisdom at www.sherschoolofwisdom.org.

All the best,
Jim Sher

Jupiter aligning with Neptune – Is the Optimism Excessive?

It seems we are in a rather odd period of time where even though there is a great deal of uncertainty, the desire for good news is outweighing most everything else. I’m just not sure that the real conditions justify the optimistic assessments. Here is just one article I’ve come across that takes a look at possibility that we are in a state of unnatural giddiness:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/wall-street-dc-and-the-ne_b_201899.html

This is directly related to the coming Jupiter conjunction with Neptune. Although it doesn’t occur until May 27th, its effects have already begun. Due to the fact that these two giants retrograde back and forth together, this transit will last until early 2010, when Jupiter will move on into Pisces. Until then, this planetary combination unites the principle of optimism and expansion (Jupiter) with idealism and possible delusion (Neptune) creating a new bubble that could easily burst. The above article has some of the exact phrases that also describe this transit. Galbraith calls it ‘the pathological weakness of the financial memory.”

In my view, while not being an economist by any means, the needed reforms are not being considered. The economic model itself is being viewed as fine, but we just need to tinker a bit and save the financial system. It is my belief that in the near future, a great many lifestyle changes are going to be forced on the nation that are still being avoided. Also, many states, California included, are facing very difficult decisions as the budgets are being slashed. One of the biggest problems that voters are having a hard time facing is the real possibility that many local services people take for granted will be lost in the next year or so.

What’s also interesting to me is that many people I speak with, including some in the financial business, also agree with this assessment. I’m hardly the only person holding this view. So, perhaps, even when we know better, our desire to believe that things are improving is over-riding what we know to be true.

As always, there is another side to the Jupiter/Neptune conjunction. This is a great time for spiritual growth and for developing more compassion and joy in our everyday life. This aspect is the archetypal mystic, asking us to experience our connection to the Divine in each moment of life. We know we’re being touched by these forces when we feel that somehow each moment is magical and contains intrinsic meaning.

More on Mercury Retrograde

We’re nearing the middle of the Mercury retrograde cycle when we have the Inferior conjunction between the Sun and Mercury. I urge readers to look at the Mercury retrograde period differently from how it is often described. Yes, there can be delays in communications and things can break down. But something more important than that is happening. This is a time for letting go of things that aren’t working and embracing any new ‘seed’ idea that emerges. The time when the new idea begins is the Inferior conjunction which occurs on May 18th. It is similar to a New Moon in that one may not even notice the new idea at first. It’s helpful to be alert to what we’re thinking about at this time. Any new thoughts at this time could be indicators of a new direction for us. Yes, the idea still needs to be considered and adjustments may need to be made, but some of what’s happening now will be growing over the next two months until the Superior conjunction on July 14th.

Mercury retrograde periods are good times to take stock of things. If you feel a bit stuck, an astrological consultation may help you discover what new directions you might want to approach.

Announcements

I know the economy is difficult so I am continuing the reduced price of $110 for a 60- 80 minute consultation. I welcome people who have never had an astrological consultation to give it a try as well as those of you who have.

If you haven’t already, please check out the website for Sher School of Wisdom at www.sherschoolofwisdom.org.

All the best,
Jim Sher