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

The Mixed Tone of the Times – A Mixture of Energies

To this writer, we are in a very confusing period where there are certain indicators of emerging movements forward, while at the same time, there are other indicators that suggest the opposite. What this usually means is that both are true and that all we can do is attempt to move ahead on the projects we have decided upon and then to be willing to adjust and even change direction if it becomes necessary. Let’s take a deeper look.

The Sun/Moon cycle

On Friday, May 1st, we experienced the 1st Quarter Moon as we march forward to the Full Moon on May 9th. This is called the waxing Moon and is an indicator that energies are growing and developing. Also, we are in the sign of Taurus which represents the fullness of Spring and is often associated with slow and patient advancement. In addition, as mentioned in previous newsletters, Venus (which is now direct) and Mars are dancing together as they advance from Aries into Taurus. All these things create a feeling that this is a great time to get moving again and make things happen.

The Other Side of the Coin

Mercury goes retrograde on May 6th

Already Mercury is barely moving as it slows in advance of its change of direction on May 6th. Mercury retrograde, which occurs every 4 months, is a time for review of our plans and a time when old ideas can be seen as either something to be changed or held onto as those ideas have already stood the tests of time. But even more important than this is the movement of Jupiter into a conjunction with Neptune. It’s first introduction seems to be the utterly confusing swine flu scare.

The Swine Flu: a Sign of the Times?

Is it a real global pandemic or something that will pass with a few deaths and nothing more? We don’t know, at least not yet. Schools are being closed, many functions and trips cancelled, and no one knows whether or not this is an over-reaction. This is classic Jupiter conjunct Neptune. Neptune confuses, obscures, and creates a fog of uncertainty around the issues of that period of time. The Iraq war was declared when Jupiter was conjunct Neptune’s north node, and we all know how much confusion, uncertainty, and even deliberate deception was going on then. I’m not saying anyone is deliberately lying in the swine flu fear, but it’s true that the entire planet is strongly affected by the fear of this pandemic. It is my educated guess that the feared pandemic will not occur. The massive fog is, I suspect, clouding our judgments and blowing things out of proportion. I certainly hope this is true.

The essence of this is that it is not a good time to make any final decisions. We’re not able to be clear at this time. When Mercury, often called the ‘trickster’ in ancient mythology, is about to go retrograde, decisions made now are questionable as they are subject to review. And with the Jupiter conjunction to Neptune, which officially begins on May 27th, there can be confusion and unrealistic optimism. It is also my belief that the economy and financial problems this country is facing has not yet faced the severity of the situation. Much more is likely to be revealed and there are other banks and financial institutions that we will discover are in greater trouble that we thought.

At the same time that there is confusion and uncertainty, this is not a time to operate from fear. Should we move forward slowly, carefully, and prepared to change if we learn something new? Yes, of course. But when we are informed of the nature of the mixed signals we’re getting, we would be wrong to think that we shouldn’t take advantage of the opportunities we are encountering and visualizing.

The Economy

Right now, Venus is finishing its square to Pluto, which rules debt, bankruptcy, re-structuring, and mergers and acquisitions. We’re seeing the bankruptcy of Chrysler and its reorganization with a real possibility that GM will be forced to do the same. And the U.S. government may take it over. Obama is already forcing the issue and dictating terms. The fact is that no one knows where this will lead. My biggest concern is that if indeed these huge corporations are as badly run as it appears, what will the affect be if the government takes them over? How big will the government’s involvement be? Who will take care of the debt? How deep will it be? How much will it affect this country for many years to come? At best, the government is taking a huge risk, and it will take quite a bit of time to really know what all this will mean. As I’ve mentioned for several years, 2010 is a very difficult year as there are four planets forming a T-square configuration that can create huge crises. The fact is that before we actually enter that period, we have this confusing, optimistic period of Jupiter conjuncting Neptune that could easily bring about decisions that will only make matters worse as they are made in an idealistic and confusing time.

I’ll be writing more soon about the Mercury retrograde.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Westside Beginning Astrology class: There is one open slot for anyone interested in learning astrology. The class is on Thursday evenings. If you think you might be interested, please contact me as soon as possible as the class has begun. Makeup lessons are available at no cost during the first session. The cost is $150 for each 6-week session.

All the best,
Jim Sher