In previous articles I have written about the nature of the Mercury retrograde cycle that we are in right now. And we are in the exact middle of that phase right now. This phase is called the Inferior conjunction of the Sun and Mercury and occurs on August 16, 2011 at 23° Leo. For those who are interested the exact time is 6:04pm PDT. This is a very important point for those astrologers who watch cycles closely, for this is when a ‘seed idea’ is born into our psyches. Thus it is like a New Moon in the sense that it is a true beginning of a new framework or thought-form that will grow and develop over the next 6 weeks. Any New Moon is also called a ‘dark Moon’ because in a physical sense we can’t see it, and in a symbolic sense, we do not yet know what the nature of that newly born seed is. We are, for the most part, in the dark. So, it is very helpful now to pay close attention to what you are thinking during the next several days. Since Mercury is still retrograde, some of the ideas will quickly fall away, but not all of them. With time, one of the ideas will emerge as an important one to follow up on and take seriously. It will still go through many changes as the idea moves more completely into one’s conscious mind, but engaging in this process will be worth the patience and effort.

Astrology offers an interesting view of the mind. In our modern culture, we usually think we are in charge of our thoughts and believe further that new thoughts come from within us, from our own brain. I’m not sure why this belief is such a rigid one, since I know many scientists who have wondered aloud where such and such a thought came from. Their answer is that they just had an inspiration (breath), which is true. But where did it come from? Astrology suggests that perhaps it comes from outside us. It presents a picture of a dynamic, creative and flowing world that is full of mystery and even magic. All we have to do is allow the new moments to freely enter and take root in us. This is one of those times. We can help ourselves by simply taking time to notice, feel, and sense what might be emerging. Maybe it comes through a dream, a message from a friend or even a casual remark made by someone you overhear in a mall or restaurant that you immediately feel is expressed ‘just for you.’ This is the kind of openness we need to feel the inherent mystery and meaning within each moment.

But there is more going on at the same time. There is another cycle which is coinciding with the Sun/Mercury one. On the same day, August 16th at 5:08am, about 12 hours earlier, there is a Sun/Venus conjunction. This conjunction is called the Superior conjunction, which means that it is occurring while Venus is in its direct motion. The Venus cycle is much longer in duration than the Mercury cycle. It is approximately 19 months long as compared with Mercury’s 4 month cycle. The Superior conjunction is similar to a Full moon in that it brings things to some kind of fulfillment, completion, manifestation and clarity. The cycle actually started on October 28th last year (2010) and occurred at 5°Scorpio. For those of you who can find transits for your chart, if you look and see where that point connects to your chart you will learn a lot about the meaning of today’s set of transits. Perhaps a relationship that began at that time is coming into greater clarity and fulfillment.

Here we are talking about Venus, which rules relationships, attitudes and values toward people, money, investments, beautiful things such as jewelry, etc. Many people who began dating someone are finding out now whether or not they want to move to a new level in the relationship. Others are discovering that the relationship is not what they had hoped for and are ending relationships. It can go either way at times like these. What is certain is that something that is related to Venus is coming to some kind of fruition.

So, what does it mean when these two different cycles occur at the same time? It is a rare phenomenon and represents both beginnings and endings. As I talk to people about how they are doing right now, much more than usual, a silence comes over them as if to say, ‘I’m not sure,” but there might be some big things right around the corner. It is important to remember that the merging of cycles like these are less about the events that happen themselves and more about how we are affected by them internally and where they direct us to move in the near future. One thing we can determine now is that if something is working well, we can assume it will continue to do so and if it isn’t, either something is wrong and needs to be corrected or there is a large misunderstanding that will need to be reassessed.

This is a very potent time as we can get our bearings and discover both where to go as well as what to release. It is a time for creating priorities in the areas where we have greater clarity while being open to taking new directions if this is what is in the offing. In other words, there are conflicting flows and degrees of turbulence and confusion that do typify this unusual cycle. So, if you find yourself in confusion and uncertainty, you may need to wait until thing become clearer when Mercury goes direct on August 26, 2011. This is when the new ‘seed idea’ can begin to emerge and turn us toward the direction we need to go.

It is at crucial times like this that a consultation with an astrologer can be helpful. The art of the astrologer is to apply the archetypal forces of the moment toward a particular individual.

As always, we would love to hear from our readers as to how they are being affected by the present transits. Please let us know what you think.

Best wishes,

Jim Sher

We are about to see some significant changes coming in the near future, but right now, you may find that things may not be moving as this often happens when a planet slows before it changes direction. Right now, though, two planets are about to do this, which makes things even more interesting. Both Venus and Jupiter are turning back to their usual direct motion on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010. When this occurs the days before the change are often intensified, but without any significant changes actually developing. In fact, there can even be frustration due to the fact that there may be a strong desire for change, but very little chance of anything happening. It doesn’t mean that changes aren’t coming though, because they are, but perhaps not quite yet.

We have nearly completed the necessary re-evaluation of our values, relationships and philosophies and have begun to sort out our priorities and the direction we want to move toward, but we may still be in the dark about how and when this will happen. This is because the new cycle has not been born yet. Specifically, let’s take a deeper look at Jupiter. It will turn direct at 23° of Pisces but it will return to the sign of Aries on Jan. 22, 2011. When it does it will trigger a complete shift for us as Pisces is the archetypal end of cycles and Aries is the fiery engaging of the birth of a new cycle. We had a taste of it last summer, but when it does return to Aries this time, it will be moving very quickly and fly through it and move into Taurus by early summer. When Jupiter is both in Aries and moving at a fast velocity, things happen very quickly and sometimes, with little thought. We may find ourselves flying by their seat of our pants. But, that’s not how things are feeling now. In fact, for many people, it can be hard to imagine the scenario I am painting. That’s OK, because right now all we can do is take what comes and work with that.

Venus has moved back into Libra, but most of its retrograde passage has been in Scorpio and that’s where it will return on Nov. 29, 2010. In a recent class, we examined the nature of the sign of Scorpio in great detail and it was fascinating to see what students expressed. Scorpio is the sign that is often given the worst rap. Some common stereotypes for Scorpio are jealousy, possessiveness, domineering nature, and so on. But Scorpio calls us to do something. It calls us to transform in some important way. We do that by intensely feeling and looking at some aspect of ourselves and other people with whom we are connected and this can make us feel very uncomfortable. I refer to taboo areas, painful ones, etc. and while we are called to move into this territory, we can desire to avoid it at all costs at the same time. It is the avoidance that brings us trouble. So, this Venus retrograde asks us to feel/examine our inner feelings and outer approach to matters that can transform us if we are willing to look deeply within, to see our projections onto others rather than blaming them for what we see.

This is where astrology, in my view, must be seen as being of great psychological importance. The planets do not ‘make us’ do things. They do not function as cause. If that were so, it would have to mean that we are only capable of being ‘effects’ of these outer forces that are making us do things as if we are puppets unable to act freely and consciously. All this changes however, when we cease to think of the planets as forcing us to do or be something and instead regard it as ‘calls to consciousness’ as we meet life in a more self-aware way. Venus retrograde in Scorpio asks us to acknowledge our ‘shadow’ or unconscious material so we can respond to life challenges in a new way. This does take us into ‘dark’ areas of our psyche, but if we can face these phantoms, we can become armed to deal creatively with them and our life improves greatly. I know that many of you have been experiencing some of these things and that it can be very private parts of ourselves that are being looked at and hopefully integrated, but if possible, I hope you might share some of what you’ve been going through with the readers. If it you feel it is too private to post but would like to express it to our readers, you may email me and ask me to post it in my name so that your words are more confidential.

I would also like to announce that the next newsletter will be our first monthly newsletter. It is a greatly expanded one that will delve into the nature of the sign of Sagittarius and the transits of the coming month. Articles will be written by graduates of the School and are looking to be great ones.

I hope that if you enjoy the monthly newsletter that you will forward them on to friends and encourage them to sign up. We are trying to increase our subscribers so the newsletter can steadily grow and improve.

Thanks.

In my discussions with friends and students, what is being expressed most of all is the sense that whatever I am focusing on now is quite important. There doesn’t seem to be time for ‘casual’ or ‘insignificant’ matters to be considered. We may not want to waste time on areas of our life that do not require our attention. And, if we do engage in such things, we may be more peeved about it than usual. The meetings we have with others seem to be necessary now and we may sense that they are likely to have deeper implications towards our future. We spend time thinking about the best approach rather than to just ‘dive in’ nonchalantly. If so, this is a good thing to do, because whatever we do set into motion now is indeed significant. Yes, more review may be inevitable, but that need not be thought of as a problem. What is developing actually is the possibility of a new ‘intention’ or ‘direction.’ We may find ourselves considering turning towards a new set of potentialities and while we cannot know if they will bear fruit or what kind of fruit they will produce, we do sense the need for a new direction to either be taken or at least be considered.

The meaning of the upcoming conjunction of the Sun and Mercury is that a new ‘seed idea’ is being born which simultaneously is being created by something old that is finally coming to a head. There is an odd sense that it is partially like a New Moon (the beginning of a new cycle) and partially like a Full Moon (the culmination of an already developing cycle). I know it may feel strange but you might like to reflect on what is developing for you right now to see if something from the past is coming together as well as something new being considered. Whatever you find out, it is likely that this is a very potent time, full of newly emerging opportunities. Of course, often we find that before something new can be born, something old must either die or change form significantly, but that’s just the way of things.

Two Ongoing Conjunctions As Well

Right now, due to the combination of faster moving planets slowing down or retrograding, we are in the midst of a ‘dance’ of two conjunctions that usually last for only a short time. This time they are dancing together for a considerable amount of time.

Venus dancing with Mars – usually Venus moves quickly past Mars in its normal transit since it is a very fast moving planet, but right now, because Venus is slowing down in advance of its coming change of direction (turning retrograde) on October 8, 2010, Venus is in a two-month conjunction with Mars. It began in mid-August and continues through mid-October. Although Venus and Mars are associated with love, romance and sexuality, it goes deeper than that. Venus is the symbol that rules the law of attraction, which can be defined as what we want to bring toward us and what we want to push away. Mars is the principle of self-assertion and how we go after what we want. Right now we are becoming clearer about both what we want and how we must approach getting it, if we are to be successful. Combined with the Mercury retrograde cycle we may be determining what these strategies need to be.

Jupiter dancing with Uranus – this dance is lasting many months. Specifically, it is in effect from mid-May 2010 to late January of 2011. This is due to the fact that they have conjuncted and are now retrograding together moving back and forth between early Aries and late Pisces. I have written extensively about this exciting combo. It is bringing forth all sorts of new paradigms, ideas, and insights. Because it is lasting so long, though, my sense is that it will deepen the profound possibilities that can come forth now. While it brings with it a lot of instability and uncertainty, it is going to be well worth it. One friend said that she is living hour by hour right now, as anything can happen and she can’t tell where things are going at all. This level of uncertainty is good for us though, however scary it can be. Learning to live in the moment is so important for us. Why?

Because the only ‘real’ life we can ever have is in the eternal moment of the now. The present transit between Jupiter and Uranus can be exposing us to this, whether we like it or not, and if we go with it, we may discover that we actually like it. It is where we can be so open that we ‘Feel’ the Life force so vividly that we find that we are in a state of constant inspiration. Anything can happen and sure enough, it does. It is where we can do the impossible or, more accurately, what we had thought was impossible.

Finally I would like to mention that this is a good time to be open to not only learning something new, but perhaps more significantly being open to a new paradigm. One helpful definition of the term paradigm is this – “A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the person and group/community of which they are a part.” A paradigm shift is meant to be a fundamental one and can lead to a ‘new way of Being-in-the-World.’ Because the conjunction is in Aries, some people will be only focused on themselves, what they want and desire, etc. Others will be concerned with the importance of personal rights and freedoms which we can already see developing with the growth of anti-government sentiments. But to me, the highest way this transit can manifest is for each of us to find ways to become more connected to what we know in our heart is what we are here are earth to do. We can claim the right to be ourselves in the fullest sense while also understanding that no person is an island and that we are a part of a larger Whole that gives us life and sustains us. These can be very exciting times with loads of new opportunities, but before this can show itself, we may have to prepare for the death of the old cycle. I believe that this is what the retrograde back into Pisces between Jupiter and Uranus actually signifies.

As always, I and the readers love to hear your thoughts about this article and anything on your minds that is in some relevant to what’s happening now. So, please feel free to write in.

Astrology is best understood in terms of cycles, rather than regarding events as individual and isolated moments that are not connected to anything. Sometimes it is difficult to see these cycles operating, but one of the ways we can do so is when we are able to connect the transits occurring at present with previous cycles. Perhaps, I can describe this better by giving a specific example.

My natal Venus is 20° Cancer, which means that the recent Solar eclipse, was in close conjunction with that planet in my birth chart. I know that most of us think of Venus as an indicator of love and relationships, which is certainly true. But Venus is more than that. It rules our sense of the aesthetic and the way in which art, music, design, etc., connect us with the divine principles operating in the universe. Gurdjieff referred to this principle as “objective art.” This form of art is designed consciously by the artist to create a specific effect in the observer that speaks to not only the mind, but to the heart as well. It can even help us integrate the two, allowing us to experience something that takes us into new territories as we can apprehend something that speaks to our Soul, rather than to mere parts of our being.

In astrology, I often look for what I call ‘sensitive points.’ Today’s article is about this. A sensitive point is created in more than one way, but the one that applies to the recent eclipse is a very significant transit that occurred in 1993. I am referring to the conjunction of Uranus and Neptune, which last occurred in 1993. Its location was in the area of 20° of Capricorn. This means that the recent eclipse was in exact opposition to the newly born cycle of Uranus and Neptune that happened 17 years ago. This conjunction only occurs every 160-170 years, so it is very rare. Many generations can pass by without anyone experiencing this new birth or ‘renaissance’. The one word that best describes the meaning and effects of this conjunction is the word ‘Renaissance.’ By the way, the previous conjunction before the one in 1993 occurred in 1821 at 3° of Capricorn, which is also being activated by the present transits in the early degrees of the cardinal signs (Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn and Pluto).

Back in 1993, I was very aware of this conjunction and since it was opposing my Venus, I suspected I might be in store for some big changes in my relationships. This did not happen and I often asked myself what had happened. Why didn’t anything more obvious or noticeable happen? Well, one thing did happen, but it didn’t seem to be significant. I began taking harp lessons which I continued for about 6 years until I could play in front of people and have some fun. I was learning to play on a beautiful Dusty Strings harp that was perfectly made for Celtic and ‘troubadour’ music. I really enjoyed this, but still I wondered why something bigger didn’t occur. I knew that conjunctions mark beginnings so it can often be that the full importance of the new cycle isn’t revealed until later, which turned out to be the case for me.

Well, a Solar eclipse is exactly one of those periods where the ‘seed’ that was planted at the earlier conjunction 17 years ago can begin to come to some sort of fruition. I know that this is exactly what is happening to me now. The realizations I’m writing about in this article have only come to me in the last few weeks or so, although it feels like I’ve understood it for a long time. More specifically, what I’ve been focused on the last few months has been the reading of three books by Kathleen McGowan. Her books have covered many things, including the hidden role of women in history over the past 2,000 years, the nature of the Divine Feminine and the possibility of  ’sacred marriage’ (hierosgamos) and finally she presents a revision of the life of Jesus and his relationship with Mary Magdalene. To me, she goes way beyond the silly book by Dan Brown called “The Da Vinci Code.” She did a far better job of imagining a new scenario for what early Christianity might have looked like and connected it with aspects of early Christianity that Brown simply didn’t understand. In her third book, called “The Poet Prince,” she examines the historical period of the 1400′s in Florence, Italy, when there was a tremendous outpouring of art and philosophy that later became known as the Renaissance.

What captured my attention the most was the story she told about Marsilio Ficino. I had read many of his works before, but had not fully grasped the nature of the contributions he made to Western thought. He was an astrologer and revolutionary philosopher who was responsible for the translation of the ancient text called the “Corpus Hermeticum” which brought forth ancient Greek philosophy that was developed even before Socrates and Plato. What he was really doing was re-interpreting Christianity itself and revealing its connection to both ancient Egyptian and Greek thought. His works, in fact, were direct attacks on the Roman Catholic Church of his time and the form of Christianity that existed then. Ficino was not alone, however. Along with his patron, Lorenzo de Medici, his friend Sandro Botticelli, he and many others such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were instrumental in transforming the lives of the people of Florence, which was then extended to all of northern Italy and in time, to all of Europe. This group of true artists changed the world and still are affecting us today.

Let me describe briefly what Hermeticism is. It is a philosophy that combines science and spirituality as well as other divisions in human thought into one discipline. Its purpose is to lay a foundation that can lead a person towards a spiritual path that is non-dual in nature, a unity state of consciousness that assists a person to truly align with the Divine spark within. This can be thought of as the definition of Wisdom. The Hermeticists combined astrology, numerology (the study of sacred number) and other systems of symbology and mythology into a system that can change the way a person thinks, lives and perceives the world. The system is integrative and holistic in nature and ends the separation between body, mind and heart. Astrology, then, can be seen as an aspect of the hermetic traditions and as such, reveals itself to be a tool for transformation of one’s consciousness and the expansion of a person so that the highest potentialities of a person’s birth chart can be realized. In fact, this view regards astrology to be a map of potentials, rather than an indication of a singular Fate.

So, what does this have to do with Venus and the Solar eclipse on my natal Venus? What this eclipse did is activate the transit of Uranus/Neptune opposing my natal Venus that occurred in 1993. As I look back on it, this transit changed my whole sense of relationships, art and most of all, my aesthetics. I just didn’t realize it at the time. It broadened my life in ways I couldn’t see back then. I have now remembered that this is when I began an intense study and practice of the ancient Greek hermetic tradition. I just didn’t think of it as being related to Venus. I began a study of the connections between astrology, numerology and the Tarot. Everything I was doing was somehow related to every other thing. It felt like a whole new world opening up for me.

Uranus brought about an openness to radically new ideas, and an attraction to new ways of knowing that are integrated and holistic in nature and which lead to a new way of understanding people and the world we live in. Uranus can take us to new modes of thinking that are non-linear and even outside the usual time constraints that we hold so dear.

Neptune brought a sense of divine love, a divine way of relating and even a new way of living that is full of joy and happiness. Neptune pushes us to a greater participation in our world and unconditional acceptance and love for each person as well as for the world itself. It touches our hearts and teaches us that the loss of ego does not diminish us in any way. It can never take us away from what in us is real or authentic in us. What it does do is dissolve the thoughts and considerations that divide us, that prevent us from being and feeling all that we can be and enables us to identify ourselves as citizens of the world, solar system and even the galaxy.

The fact that I am writing about this so openly is the result of the recent eclipse and its effects. I am aware that the symbology of Venus can take us far from the limits of our small and restrictive definitions of love and expand our hearts to where we are able to live in a state that takes us beyond our limited sense of self. This is when life can really be lived, in a way where our hearts are full and where being fully alive is an everyday occurrence.

This new state is when we are able to live in a state of Love and know that it is the highest expression of the Sacred. This was the spirit of the Renaissance in the 1400′s, which our world today so badly needs. It is seen in the great paintings of Botticelli and in the profound hermetic philosophy that Ficino translated and found in the Corpus Hermeticum. And perhaps more importantly, it can shine a light for us now and create conditions where we can experience the spirit of that very renaissance. Let’s hope for the emergence of a Renaissance in us and a new expanded vision of what is possible and even necessary, for us and for the world. May our experience of Venus go beyond the focus on ‘getting what we want’ from a relationship to an understanding that real Love is a condition that has nothing to do with a person, but is actually a state of consciousness that is an aspect of Divine Love.

As always, I hope our readers will continue to write about their experiences of this eclipse and perhaps also their thoughts about this article. Perhaps I am being taken away by idealism and imagination. OR, perhaps I am beginning to sense the existence of the divine spark that is in the center of my being and in each of us. I’d love to hear more from you.

About the Matter of Love

Pluto and Venus, as a planetary pair, are often written about as ‘intense attraction.’ It can certainly be that, but then it can also sometimes be viewed as ‘fatal intense attraction.’ That’s Pluto’s way of turning things into black/white or all or nothing situations, which can lead to very negative emotional states. This does not have to always be the case. The moment we decide to enter our own ‘underworld’, and become conscious of the nature of our ‘obsession’, Pluto changes from being just plain crazy to something potentially very deep and transformative. The present transit is most likely to be too short for this to occur, but it’s worth mentioning as a red flag of warning and simultaneously, a potential great opportunity for growth. It’s always best to take a deeper look when attraction becomes so intense that we can’t think of anything else. It means that a projection is occurring. If we can discover the nature of this projection, it can lead to a release of charges that brings the Life force into us.

Another way to say this is to look at Pluto as a great force of release of the false and inauthentic in favor of the real and authentic. That’s what happens when we let go of the projection. It also means that one becomes able to truly see and relate with another person. So often in life, we think we are in relationship when we are not. It is as if the relationship with our own projections have taken over and blocked us from seeing the one we love. Pluto can assist us to create real relationships when we are willing to see the projection and let go of them. Finally, the ‘Plutonic process’ is about destroying the armor that most of us have encased around us.

The Cardinal T-square of this Summer

Although I’ll be writing more about this as we get closer, it may be helpful to begin to take note of what is coming beginning this summer. This very difficult transit runs from June to September of 2010 as well as in early 2011. It is composed of Pluto squaring an opposition between Jupiter/Uranus and Saturn. This type of transit last occurred in 1931. It is likely to affect our financial system, especially the huge banks and the problems created by our huge debt. But it also will force us to look at the fundamental tension between the Aries and Libra polarity. This polarity is two sides of a set that can be described as self/other, me first/ we first, my needs/our needs, etc.

Aries is the archetypal sign of the individual with an adventurous spirit looking for every opportunity to express itself dynamically and spontaneously. It hates it if it feels blocked or opposed in its attempt to do what it wants, when it wants and where it wants. This is the explorer seeking out unchartered territory and finding itself through its having to face real challenge.

Libra, its polar opposite, is concerned with ones desire to and be in relationship, the aesthetics and subtleties of that wondrous art of connecting and partnering with another person. Libra is the archetypal principle of justice, fairness, balance and the seeking of solutions to relationship or societal issues.

This opposition is going to create great challenges for this nation in particular, especially given the state of things already. Oppositions have the potential of bringing people or a nation together, but only after the tension is used to resolve whatever conflicts are emerging. Individuals can take on the task quite readily, but nations usually go through a much more difficult process as the initial stages of the transit brings about more polarity, not less. The purpose for this is to enable everyone to concerned to become more aware of what the dividing issues are. When there is true discourse, discussion and debate, creative solutions that neither side could find on its own, are discovered. When there is no attempt to see the viewpoints of the other side, obviously the opposition will result in stalemate, frustration and anger. Is this not the state of things right now in our political system?

I’ll be observing and commenting on this much more in the coming months and hope you will choose to join in with me. It should be very interesting times that are approaching.

I want to encourage readers to respond to the article you’ve just read. I will be making more of an effort to write responses to your questions and comments whenever I can, so I also want to invite my readers to check back and see more reader comments as well as my own. This forum is not meant for people who agree with me only. It is important nowadays for people to air their different viewpoints, especially if it furthers discussion and debate. The purpose of discourse is to reveal something new, whether it be new information or a new way of looking at some idea or concept. This is the great value of any opposition.

However, please do not post ‘ad hominem’ attacks (attacks against a person rather than an idea) against me or any person making comments. There is too much of this in the national discourse and it blocks real discussion. I will not post any comments of this type. Stick to the issues and this blog can become interesting and fun. Thanks in advance for your comments.

Of course you’re asking what this means and I must tell you a brief story. Last night in class, a student expressed the fact that she has a very hard time understanding and talking about Pisces. Then, another student who has the Moon in Pisces in her birth chart, said, “I know, even I do too!” The reason for this is that this sign is such a dissolving archetypal form, that it defies and must defy simple verbal definition. It literally rules the principle of imagination and idealism, so no wonder that when we approach trying to describe it, we find that we must do so by using images, story, metaphor, and so on. The symbol of Pisces is literally two fish looking at or opposing one another, and yet tied together somehow. This immediately evokes the image of contradiction and to those familiar with archetypal transformational symbols, the notion of reconciliation of opposites. Another story that might help is the woman who called me a few days ago and asked me what was ‘up with the stars’ last Sunday. She said she was watching all of the Dr. Drew Celebrity Rehab shows that were on that day. Well, sure enough that was the very day that Venus aligned with Neptune. So why did this show pique her interest? Because Pisces/Neptune rules both drug addiction and the possible rehab/recovery process. But let’s go deeper. Sure, it tests us in intense ways, but it also takes us into a place where we must learn to have compassion for both ourselves and others. I know several people who participate in 12-step programs and do not have specific addictions. For them it is a way of participating in a spiritual process with others who must move towards being able to reach into one’s very bottom of despair, hopelessness and fear and come out the other side as a transformed person. It also represents ‘every-persons’ connection with one’s own human vulnerability, imperfection and even sorrow…. It is sometimes a specific sorrow that pertains to something that has happened to us, but often it is more of an existential sorrow that does not connect to anything we can clearly identify. And it can connect us with whatever we consider to be God, the Divine, or Life itself.

Archetypally, Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac and this itself is quite helpful to us as we attempt to understand this mysterious sign. We can think of life as a building up process that moves us from Aries to the next to last sign, Aquarius. As we grow in concern from oneself, to one’s family, to our relationships with others, and then to society in general, we must finally arrive at Pisces, the symbolic end of the cycle. Because it represents the ending, its aspects must include surrender, letting go and a sense that only we, as individuals can regard the entire cycle as meaningful or not. Sometimes, we see that Pisces can be morose, negative, hopeless and even depressed. It can do all it can to escape the harshness of life and even the sense that it is all meaningless since we all die anyway. But this is exactly where Pisces can ennoble us and take us to new territory. What we are really needing to surrender is our ego attachments to a dying cycle. In doing this we may discover that it is not ‘we’ who are dying, but our identifications that are coming to their inevitable end. Thus, it is Pisces wherein we may encounter our own immortality, but not without a crisis first. That crisis is the result of our having to meet our own mortality and surrender to its inevitability. As we surrender our identifications and even identities, we find that what we are really doing is letting go of all the things we are NOT. It is only then, that we are able to witness what is left when all that we are NOT has dissolved.

One of the ways this can happen to us is through an encounter with the harsh aspects of life. What do people face when they are either in some sort of recovery or in close connection with someone who is? They face BOTH sides of the life cycle. First there is the fear, disgust, desire to flee that always comes with an encounter with people who are at ‘bottom.’ But then, at least for some, there may come the other side, where unconditional love is felt and experienced. It is where we let go of our judgments of self and others and arrive at a deep and profound acceptance of all that is Life. It’s amazing highs and gut-wrenching lows. It is in Pisces where every part of human life is validated, confirmed, and then appreciated and seen as necessary. Not only do we realize that there cannot be highs with lows, but more significantly we see that life without ‘everything-in-it, could not exist. This is the mystical experience of total immersion into all of Life and how we are transformed by this degree of Divine Love and Total Acceptance.

Now that Jupiter has entered Pisces and will soon be followed by Venus, we are going to each of us have a chance to experience this level of love and compassion. But it is also likely that we will also experience the other side as well. In Pisces, ALL of life emerges from the unconscious and while we face the harsh side of life, we can simultaneously also see, sense and experience the deep compassionate side as well. Venus and Jupiter are identified as the higher and lesser benefics, so when they come together, it is generally considered to be a very fortunate time. And they indeed are likely to be. But perhaps it is best if we do not forget that this period could easily take us into an aspect of life that asks us to surrender our judgments and ego-attachments and just BE. Just BE with oneself, with others and with Life. Relationships may indeed form now, but they may take on a tone that is less personal than Venus alone. Venus can be motivated by physical attraction and personal desire. It can express itself as love and beauty in a positive sense, but it is also the Evil Queen who spoke those memorable words – “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest one of all.” The coming Venus-Jupiter transit is going to have a concern for others that can go way beyond ego- gratification and exemplify the best of what Love can be.

Mundane World - It is likely that although most Republicans are wanting the health care bill to die, under the transits that are going in the next weeks, what is more likely is that the bill will be ‘resurrected’ in a new form. The Mars retrograde has brought about large changes but will probably not end the process completely. The next step will be to find some sort of compromise that at least can be embraced by a larger majority than before. It may be much smaller in scope than it was originally, but some sort of compassionate response will be more wanted now than ever. Also, I suspect there will be an increased willingness to take some actions that will relieve the sorrows of those of us who are the least able to take care of themselves.

As always, I hope many of you will tell us how you are experiencing the upcoming transits. We will all appreciate it.

Thanks,

Jim Sher

However, in this case, the conjunction of Mercury and Venus with Saturn is much more serious than it is usually. On Nov. 15th, Saturn will make its first of 3 squares to Pluto at 1 degree of Libra. This means that Mercury and Venus are ‘triggering’ the upcoming square to Pluto as it is only three degrees away from where it will take place. I will be writing much more about this difficult square in the near future, but it’s time to begin referencing it.

To introduce it, let me remind you of the last time that Saturn and Pluto were in aspect to each other. It last occurred from August of 2001 to May of 2002. The significant event of that period was, of course, the 9/11 terrorist attack. It set into motion a great many things – the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, the creation of the Dept. of Homeland Security, a tremendous increase in the national debt and perhaps most importantly, a change in the feeling of safety in this nation’s psyche.

For us to understand the inner effect of a transit, we must be open to examining the unconscious whether it be for a nation or for ourselves. Pluto rules the underworld and while it does include any area of life that is very powerful and intense, it is the planet that seems to be in charge of those deep inner processes that can either lead to very powerful transformation or a very intense experience that can be terrifying if we repress or seek to avoid what is coming up for us.

There is a debate going on in this country and in the world about how to deal with Iran possibly developing a nuclear device. The biggest fear is that the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmajinedad, in his hatred of Israel and the Jewish people in general, might attempt to wipe Israel off the face of the map. What is so interesting for astrologers studying Pluto’s effects is that Ahmajinedad’s family has Jewish roots. Take a look at an article on this. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/6256173/Mahmoud-Ahmadinejad-revealed-to-have-Jewish-past.html. Why is he hiding his past and what is the effect of that on his psyche?

This debate is already creating intense reactions from every political corner. Some have advised that the U.S or maybe Israel destroy the nuclear reactors, even though that could throw the entire region into war (even more than it already is) and also affect the world’s economy greatly as the price of oil could skyrocket in response to “Western aggression.” This is because Pluto rules immense power and the struggles for it, while simultaneously also pointing to the hidden, repressed areas of our psyche that are actually controlling our outer behavior.

The key for us personally is to discover ways to deal with these archetypes without having to resort to the use of power. Something else may be necessary. And this takes us into Saturn’s territory. Saturn rules those areas of our life that test us because it is where we feel weak, defensive and afraid. Therefore we can be motivated to ignore and avoid those areas. We are faced with the psyche’s tendency to create defense mechanisms as a way of avoiding something with which we don’t feel able to deal. So, when Saturn begins to square Pluto the best thing to do is to be willing to look within, to blame no one, and be willing to work as consciously as possible with one’s own defenses and resistances to truth. Truth here simply means seeing what is.

We may get by ignoring ‘what is’ during much of our lives, but when there is great tension, which is what happens during a square aspect, what happens is that every defense mechanism is triggered. And this occurs because Pluto AMPLIFIES the defense mechanism or resistances we’ve created and work so hard to defend. In other words, Pluto often makes things worse so that we are forced to acknowledge that which we wish we could avoid seeing.

The worst thing one can do during this kind of transit is blame another. That doesn’t mean one doesn’t have to deal with something that is dark, fearsome or violent. But how we approach it is what this transit is all about. The breaking down of resistances, while difficult in the short run, leads us to an easy flow in the area that has been hidden. It is what this transit is going to be about for us. We will do well to be willing to face things truthfully and to INCLUDE THE OTHER when we do. It is necessary to understand one’s opponent. That will tell us the best way to approach dealing with them, including looking to see if they are, indeed, a real opponent.

What we see today in this country with the far-right gleefully enjoying every Obama failure, even if it harms the nation, is likely to continue to grow and hopefully be confronted for what it is. Is it not strange to see far-right conservatives who were the pillars of patriotism when Bush was President, now exude enthusiastic passion when Obama fails to deliver the 2016 Olympics to the U.S.? By not acknowledging Obama as a valid democratically elected President, is that not the height of being anti-United States? What is going on here? The answer is seen only when we are willing to go deeper and look through Pluto’s lens and see what is actually ruling the psyches of the people involved and more broadly, within the psyche of the nation as a whole.

If this is not made conscious, the polarization will grow exponentially. It is fair to debate issues and to disagree on policy, but when the OTHER is demonized, we have stepped into the worst of Pluto’s territory. Why? Because we then have to confront the very demons we have created. Yes, we have created. We may have opponents, but they don’t become demons unless we create them. One of the first things I read a long time ago that helped me understand this was the section of a book by General Patton. This incredible soldier respected his opposing General. He didn’t hate him. Sure he wanted to whip his ass, but that didn’t mean he had to hate his enemy. In fact, as many wise people have said, to hate one’s enemy is to become unable to deal with them successfully.

In the world arena, we need to understand Iran and what they want and need. It is then that we will be able to formulate an intelligent policy and execute it. The same thing is true as we approach very delicate and challenging issues in our personal life. Those who are the closest to us may suddenly do something that infuriates and upsets us greatly. We may even feel painfully betrayed. How we respond to such things is what matters. There’s a reason why the wise advise us to take the high road. It is only that action that prevents us from taking ourselves down into the filth of hate, blame and fury.

Saturn square Pluto will ask us to recognize what we can truly control and what we cannot. If we find that we cannot control another person or situation, then all we may be able to control in the end is OUR reaction.

Those who know me know I’m not crazy about my chart. I frequently indulge in a little “chart envy”, wishing it were possible to make a celestial nip/tuck with a placement, or five. I’ve yet to find any value to my Saturn in the 8th House, but with any luck I’ll live long enough to share something profound, or at least learn how to stop bitching about it. Fortunately, I’ve been given a golden ticket or two as well to balance out all the ick –that is, when I can actually see them in action, which I rarely do. How often do we notice when things happen so easily? It’s not uncommon to take the good for granted, and obsess over what’s wrong. These golden ticket are frequently found with what we call the easy aspects between two planets, like the trine. With a trine the connection is smooth and comfortable, creating a natural flow of energy — Think Slip ‘n Slide greased with Crisco. It operates with very little effort from the person gifted with the aspect, so many times they are completely oblivious to their good fortune, because they didn’t do anything to get the goodies. Imagine living a Paris Hilton life – here’s someone who was lucky enough to enjoy luxury and ease as a birth right, not something she earned. Granted, there’s no way to know how she feels about her life, but considering her surroundings, how could she really understand financial hardship or the necessity of work.

Trines are especially enjoyable when they’re between happy planets, like Venus and Jupiter. Everybody likes Venus and Jupiter! They’re what the ancient astrologers called the “Benefics” – Venus being the “lesser benefic” and Jupiter, the “greater benefic”. Venus is associated with money, beauty, things that bring us pleasure – the good stuff. Jupiter is expansive, nicknamed the “Santa Claus planet” for its ebullience, good fortune and generosity. Put the two together and you have a vast potential for piñata dropping bootie. Case in point: I happen to have an exact trine between the two. Now before you go all chart envy on me, let the record show I don’t have a Malibu beach house or a parlor full of gentlemen callers. Sadly. Even with the best of the best, there’s no guarantee life will be full of cash and prizes. But sometimes, if I take the time to notice I can see good fortune sliding to me in all kinds of ways. For example:

•  I find lucky coins on the street all the time. OK, pennies and quarters are not winning lottery tickets, but it happens a lot — so much that my sister ended up buying me a “Lucky Penny Piggy Bank”. It’s a big one. I’ve emptied it three times already.
• I’m really good at finding sweet parking spaces (a necessity in Los Angeles). My friends know this, so whenever we car pool everyone wants me as a passenger in their car to partake of my parking karma. 
• Once I ended up with FREE front row tickets to the one and only Barbara Streisand concert (back then) – they were worth $500. It’s too long a story to explain how I got them, but believe me, they landed in my lap. Since I didn’t really want to go, I gave them to two co-workers who were salivating over them. (And for the record, the clutch on my car had just gone out — $500 to fix — so I totally should have sold them, but it didn’t feel right.)
• Restaurant staff take extra special care of me. When a waitress asked me if there was anything else she could get us, I quipped “Yeah, you can get me an hour in the kitchen with the chef, so he can teach how to make those short ribs…” Well, I didn’t get that, but within minutes he was standing in front of our table where we could rave to him in person. And then later, the waitress delivered a hand written copy of the recipe long before the check arrived. My dinner date, a friend who worked at Bon Appétit, was incredulous – “LeeAnn, it’s Saturday night in the middle of a packed dinner hour and he took the time to write down a recipe for you. That’s huge.” Not as big as a Jupiter/Venus trine, baby!

OK, now I just sound like I’m bragging. I’ll share only one more – promise! Next to our office there’s a gas station / quickie mart. Recently I picked up a habit of heading downstairs for a morning coffee. The thing is, I’m not much the coffee drinker, but I love the instant cappuccino kind that comes out of the machine. (True coffee drinkers would say that is not coffee so much as it is a cup of melted Haagen-Dazs coffee ice cream, and they would be right. And it’s goooood.) Anyway, I’ve been hooked on this routine for a few weeks now, until last week when I bounced up to the melted ice cream dispenser to see “Out of Order”. I pouted and whined a little to the guy behind the counter (a very nice Indian man named Ray), who said they were out of “powder” but would get some next week. I checked back every day, hoping it would come in sooner, but it didn’t. More pouting, no whining. Finally one day I went down to buy a real coffee to tide me over, and when I went to pay he said “it’s on the house”. Wha? I stood there a little confused, while he went on about how he felt bad that I came in every day, and they didn’t have it yet, so not only was it on the house that day, but the coffee would be on the house every day until they got the machine working again. Bemused, and a little bewildered, I walked out sipping my steaming hot cup o’ good fortune, and I remembered that sometimes it’s good to be Paris!

Now, Venus is moving away from Mars, but as it does, they are both moving right into a square to the other planets dancing together.  Jupiter is conjunct  Neptune and it is these two giants that Venus and Mars are beginning to square. A square aspect brings tension and a lot of energy to any situation in which we are engaged. Perhaps there will be conflicts and difficulties as well. What will the nature of these be? Most likely they will involve confusion (Neptune), unrealistic expectations or hopes and conflicts over values and even spirituality.

I want to confide something to you. The planet I have the most difficult time writing about is Neptune. The reason is that this archetype is so enigmatic, inconsistent and subtle. Liz Greene, a Jungian therapist and astrologer wrote a very long book on this planet alone. The other thing I hate about it is that as one begins to describe its characteristics it always comes out negative. Here are some sample keywords – deception (to oneself and to others), disillusionment, disappointment, sacrifice, martyrdom, scandal, and so on. So, where can I go from here?

The fact is that the outer planets (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) are all archetypal forms that have not yet been integrated into the mass consciousness of humanity. This is why they often manifest more negatively. As we discover how we can work consciously with these, their positive aspects also begin to appear. So let’s look at what Neptune can help us develop. Neptune rules what can be called the ‘mystic understanding’ or ‘mystic experience’. It is not just a matter of thinking or logic. It is an experience that informs us of how we are all connected to one another and to the World itself. It dissolves the sense of separateness, which is something we’ve worked hard to create ever since we were born and came out of the primeval waters of the unconscious. Now, we have to dive back into a world that we worked so hard to leave? Well, yes, but we’re not the same as we were then. If we’ve developed a good, strong ego, Neptune can help us experience amazing heights of beauty, surrender, love and awe—-WHILE we remain working in our roles in life, fulfilling our dharma or duties (Saturn). The archetype of Saturn can help us remain grounded in life while simultaneously venturing forth into the aethers of our imagination and fantasy life. It’s where we wonder if our dreams may be far more real than we think. Maybe we create our reality from these dreams. Or maybe in another dimension, they’re really real. One can never be sure.

Right now with Jupiter conjuncting Neptune, high spiritual experiences are quite possible for us if we are so inclined. But so are high hopes and dreams that may not be possible. Should we try to actualize these even though we don’t know whether or not we are standing on solid ground? Perhaps we should. If we remain aware that we don’t know what the outcome will be, we can stand in the midst of uncertainty and the groundlessness of not knowing and we’ll be fine. We may be better than fine as we must not underestimate the importance of living in the state just described for groundlessness can inspire us and make us feel totally alive. In this state amazing feelings and emotions are invoked as our spirit is taken to wonderful heights…… while also knowing that we could fall to the ground if we go too far. The antidote for this may be ‘faith’ in its highest sense. A faith that lets us be guided in every step by an internal knowing  of what is right and best for us. It exists in each of us and the present Jupiter/Neptune transit can help us find it and put it to use.

With Venus and Mars involved, this theme is likely to play out in relationships. And not just romantic ones. It will affect all kinds. Taking a risk can be exciting, but if you can remain connected to the deepest part of yourself that does know the truth, that risk becomes something worth taking. When we stay connected to That, we can’t go too far off base and even if we do, we can look back and know that it was a great ride, worth every penny. There can be no disappointment when we have that attitude, right?

Hope you are enjoying your ride!!

Please check out this article — http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/20/markets/markets_newyork/index.htm?postversion=2009042013

April 20th was the first day the stock market was open since Venus went direct on Friday, April 17. All the dates in the above article represent the Venus retrograde cycle. The first sentence actually says — “Stocks tumbled Monday as the six-week old rally lost steam.” Venus has been retrograde for exactly six weeks. Then the author writes that — “It was the biggest one-day selloff since March 2nd.” Venus went retrograde on March 6th.

Of course, reasons will be given for this reversal, but how can the exact dates of both changes be accounted for without examining the astrological significances? The interesting part of this article is that the Bank of America reported positive earnings and they weren’t believed. Why are they only now being disbelieved?

For those watching the market, it will be important to see what happens this week as it will reveal much about the trends of things. I must add however that we are close to the formation of a Jupiter/Neptune conjunction. It takes place for seven months and begins in mid-May. This is an important aspect to watch as it could create a very hopeful and optimistic attitude. It may or may not be realistic, but only time will tell on that. What I do know is that this conjunction will likely represent a new reversal point, indicating another possible shift.

I know some of my subscribers watch the markets so I thought I’d pass this on.

I’ve received emails from many of you and want to thank you for your stories. I’m in the process of changing my website and hope to create an active section for these stories. Permission will be requested before publishing.

What we can learn from this present moment is that this is a good time to be realistic about money and relationships.

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