As we cross the threshold into this period, the transition from the critical state of Virgo to the world of total relatedness has begun. Mercury and Venus both entered Libra on September 14 and as this period progresses, there will be increasing emphasis on the need for fair and balanced interactions with others. As Saturn turns direct on September 18 at 13∞55’ Capricorn, we may be reminded just how important it is to make the effort to maintain good working relationships. The level of harmony amongst the beings of the world is reflected outward in how well the structures of society hum along in service to all. Saturn relates to these structures as well as the laws of manifestation and limitation. Stationing direct in the sign it rules intensifies Saturn’s archetypal force to the point where we may not be able to ignore issues arising at this time. The Saturn archetype is felt as pressure. When it is activated this strongly, the pressure is unmistakable. Wherever we are being most challenged to step up and take responsibility, to accept the restrictions of our circumstances, to put in greater effort to reach a new level of connectedness with whatever we are doing, or to overcome our resistance to doing what we should be doing, is exactly what Saturn wants us to pay attention to right now. No distractions, no excuses, and no whining.
This potent archetypal window may represent a lot of hard work but if done with humility and integrity, it could also yield much needed progress or rewards. Saturn has been retrograde since April 29, internalizing our approach to its areas of concern. Now that Saturn is in direct motion, the internal work done may start to manifest in our lives. September 22 – 25, Mercury and Venus, still travelling in tandem, form a square to Saturn, which remains laser-focused within one degree of its station from mid-August to mid-October. This square in cardinal signs indicates initiative and enough tension to kick our proverbial ass into gear, which may come in the form of ‘get real’ feedback. Plans that may have slowed for review during Saturn’s retrograde months may now pick up and move forward, and perhaps be revitalized through teamwork or strategic partnerships correlating to Saturn’s connection with Mercury/Venus in the sign Venus rules.
As discussed in the last AstroCast, the square between Jupiter and Neptune has been the dominant aspect of 2019. After having been strongly activated by the four planets in Virgo last period, the two titans of the cosmos reach their third and final exact square on September 21 at 16∞59’ Sagittarius/Pisces. The Jupiter/Neptune cycle mirrors the Sun/Moon cycle in that each conjunction occurs in the sign immediately following the sign of the previous conjunction following the natural progression of the Zodiac from Aries to Pisces. Just as the development of the individual can be traced with a sense of continuity through the progression of the signs, so can the development of society and culture. The Jupiter/Neptune cycle therefore represents the evolutionary movements in our collective way of life that subtly take hold over time and become ubiquitous. These planetary energies subtly correspond to changing feelings and attitudes about our culture and what type of society we create. These incremental changes then become the stepping-stones for greater revolutionary leaps.
The current Jupiter/Neptune cycle commenced with their conjunction on December 21, 2009 at 24∞ Aquarius. Reviewing what has transpired in our culture related to the Aquarian archetype since then, a direct correlation can be seen in the exponential growth and maturing of our online life. 2009 was the year Internet use reached 25% globally, thus establishing it as a force for instant communications and commerce. It became our “global village” where distance and time disappeared as we instantly connected with other parts of the world. The cyber currency Bitcoin was born in 2009 and worldwide use of social media skyrocketed due to internet-connected mobile phones. Yet as our borders dissolved electronically so did we yearn to be free to cross any sovereign border without restraint. This Jupiter/Neptune cycle therefore has also corresponded to many physical borders being breached by floods of mass human movement.
We have now reached the “crisis of consciousness” moment in this cycle. Three-quarters of the way through and headed into its waning phase, we are at the point where we digest and integrate the essential lessons of the cycle. Issues such as the refugee/migration/asylum crisis and the “Brexit” calamity in the European Union are forcing us to look at what kind of global village we want to be. Should we only experience this phenomenon electronically or can we take that Aquarian, futuristic, humanitarian idea and manifest it out in our physical world? And what about the dark web? Nefarious activity has taken root in this virtual world of ours with widespread criminal activity, incendiary socio/political fake news, and governments conducting cyber espionage, mass surveillance and bulk collection of personal information in the name of national security. It is clear this cycle has corresponded to a transformation of our collective way of life. As we embark on the last phase of the cycle, we now need to determine what we want to live with going forward and what needs to go. Visionary and constructive conversations about this topic may pick up September 24 – 28 as both Mercury and Venus form a sextile to Jupiter.
On September 23, the Sun enters Libra and the chart for the moment of the Equinox reflects the archetypal tone of the coming months. In addition to the astral conditions described above, Venus and Mercury are segueing from their square to Saturn into one with Pluto, further amplifying needed depth of focus in our relationships. On September 28, the Moon conjoins the Sun at 11:16 a.m. to form the New Moon at 5∞20’ Libra. With four planetary bodies now strongly vitalizing the sign of total relatedness, we may see where we are challenged to be at ease with others. Libra is known as the sign of the Diplomat but that doesn’t mean fear is not activated when we reach out to those who mystify us. It does mean however that we intrinsically know doing so is vital to our mission of evolution. With such radical diversity of individual expression it sometimes takes great effort to accept others as they are, and even more to be genuinely at ease with them when they are quite different from us. Libra is where real partnership begins. It teaches us that when two or more are unified in purpose, the power of the new multi-player entity we form is much greater than the sum of its parts. As a society we may not be there yet, but at this crossroads of our journey we have an opportunity to choose an ethos of acceptance, inclusion and unified community involvement. All it would take is honestly recognizing the fears that are blocking us from doing this, and then to do whatever is needed to transcend them so we are able to unconditionally love the Being behind the mask that scares us. That is what total relatedness is about.
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