AstroCast: June 5 - 11, 2017

In Jim Sher’s recent lecture on the Astrological signs, he talked about how each sign represents the development of the self through an evolutionary process. Referencing Dane Rudhyar’s approach that identifies the “gift” of each sign, i.e. what area of growth that a Sign can achieve, Sher explained how each one represents a stage of a being’s expanding awareness. This progression commences with Aries, when the “seed” of who we are is cast out into the world, and ends with Pisces, where all that the self has experienced is gathered back in and condensed into a new seed that will again be cast forth into the next spiraling cycle of growth towards self-actualization. This week we have the opportunity to experience a few of the shifts from one sign to the next to get a better sense of how they are operating in our own personal development.

On June 6th, Venus leaves the fire sign Aries and enters the second step on the evolutionary path represented by Taurus. But before going into what Venus in Taurus means, it may be helpful to reflect on what developed during Venus’s extended travels through Aries (over the last three out of four months due to its retrograde earlier this year). Venus represents an awareness of how we relate to others. In Aries, the focus pivoted to look consciously at the relationship with self. How have our values (Venus) changed as we developed a greater sense of self emerging into the world (Aries)? Were we able to gain some perspective on the importance of our own existence in the context of our relationships? Did we realize that taking care of oneself first could be as selfless an act as taking care of others? The lesson of Venus in Aries from the evolutionary perspective is that each self is too precious to be endangered and that the impulse to be reckless in our own caretaking must adapt (Aries’ gift) to protect the spiritual seed within.

The earth sign of Taurus represents a movement from the experience of the emerging self to one that learns how to see the self in relation to the natural forces and rhythms of life. Venus rules Taurus so is strong here, archetypally expressing a natural grace and sense of beauty in the process of building relationships. In Taurus from June 6th through July 4th, Venus here may correlate to increased attention on the value of things and a need to assess their usefulness. Under this signature there is a strong underlying need to prove even oneself as valuable and demonstrate an ability to handle life successfully. Archetypally, Taurus has a natural attachment to worth in the physical material reality, but from the evolutionary perspective it is only the beginning point for development in this space. The key to learning what to develop in each sign is to look at the side effects of its most natural quality. In the case of Taurus, attachment leads to suffering. Once this is seen, then it becomes the jumping off point to where it must go, i.e. from attachment to non-attachment.

Also on June 6th, Mercury changes signs offering up another potentially palpable shift in method of expression, in this case from Taurus to the third sign of the zodiac, Gemini. Mercury is also coming home to the sign it rules, so as with Venus in Taurus, Mercury in the air sign of Gemini represents a unification of the “what” and the “how” in our way of communicating and sharing information. At this stage of the being’s development it begins to experience itself in the relatedness in all things. Talking is definitely favored as a quick and effective way to transfer data. With Mercury joining the Sun in this naturally curious sign, the pace of life will likely quicken with rapid mental synapses processing information as fast as it can be consumed. Yet a glorification of mental agility is again only the evolutionary starting point to reach the true gift of Gemini, which is “the art of letting things happen,” to learn how to pause at the gate of knowledge and receive wisdom. As with each of the other signs, with the gift, comes the challenge – to quiet the mind long enough to see just how limited it is in the process of enlightenment.

The Full Moon on June 9th features the Sun in Gemini opposite the Moon in Sagittarius. This is the annual face off between the planets that represent who we are becoming and where we shine (the Sun) and the one that mirrors our deepest place of familiarity where we instinctively operate (the Moon). These planets are in the signs that represent development of the being through gathering of information (Gemini) and how we understand all that we experience (Sagittarius). Looking at the Gemini New Moon a couple of weeks ago with its imperative to learn Gemini’s challenge to experience stillness, we can better understand what this culminating moment of the lunar cycle may reveal. The ability to pause and gather awareness of ‘What Is’ rather than rushing through a stream of data input allows for deeper reality to sink in. (The Full Moon is supported in the “get real” department by its conjunction to Saturn.) Only in the stillness can we effectively integrate all experience into wisdom and then understand what our unique role is in the game of life.

Jupiter, the ruler of Sagittarius, stations direct less than an hour after the Full Moon peaks on June 9th. This giant planet has been gathering force for weeks leading up to this moment, appearing motionless in the sky. When planets change direction (from the point of view of the earth) they symbolically represent that perfect stillness achieved, and thus are at their most potent. There is a lot of turmoil on the world stage right now, with major violent attacks in many countries, deep divides in our processes of governance and great dysfunction in how we work with each other to, say, lead this planet into a sustainable future. The archetype of Jupiter in the sign of Libra represents the expansion of the movement to gain a sense of “ease” (Libra’s gift) and ultimately a totally accepted relatedness with others. Jupiter stationing at the moment of the Full Moon gathers together much bigger questions than whether or not the U.S. should pull out of the Paris Accord. It is asking us to come to develop a clearer understanding of just how out there the Big Picture really is. We must go beyond the fake news, beyond the power plays, beyond even the health of the planet, and try to understand the nature of resistance, i.e., that increased resistance often means that something truly new is emerging. Jupiter asks us to redefine what reality is, to see the highest truth possible at this moment. So at this Full Moon, we might ask ourselves what we believe in and on what are those beliefs based. In doing so, we may find an opening for our beliefs to evolve and increase our ability to live together with love rather than fear.

Shortly after the Full Moon and Jupiter station, Venus in Taurus and Mars in Cancer add to the bundle of aspects unfolding on the morning of June 9th that together are working to support the process of moving into greater awareness in our manner of relating. The sextile alignment between the archetypal lovers of the zodiac may liven up our interactions with others, generating a spark of creativity. Venus in Taurus symbolically is the ultimate environmentalist. Mars in Cancer highest expression would be to fiercely protect the family of man. In harmonious alignment, Venus and Mars could manifest as the emergence of individual actors (or organized units such as the states of California and New York) cooperatively asserting their agendas in a state of love and caring to sustain the efforts of the Paris Accord that offers a path for our planet and all in it to thrive. As a classic representation of the Venus/Mars planetary pair, Wonder Woman knows “Only love can save the world.”

Here’s the data (using Pacific Time and planetary positions rounded to the nearest whole degree, unless otherwise noted):

June 6 – Venus at 0° Taurus at 12:27 a.m.

June 6 – Mercury at 0° Gemini at 3:15 p.m.

June 9 – Moon opposite Sun at 19° Sagittarius/Gemini at 6:10 a.m.

June 9 – Jupiter station direct at 13° Libra at 7:04 a.m.

June 9 – Venus sextile Mars at 3° Taurus/Cancer at 8:41 a.m.