The
great summer sea voyage of 2013 continues with another watery month. True, we have some islands popping up
in our midst, enabling us to rest & replenish now & again in the
warming sun as it creeps out from behind the drifting & shifting Cancerian
clouds into its full & fiery Leonine blaze. Now, more than ever, your heart is your compass, &
synchronicity is your guiding star.
With Venus entering Virgo shortly before & the full moon exact only
a couple hours after the entry of the Sun into Leo, the month promises to be
full-throttle, with a need to push outwards & upwards, & all the while,
managing both the details & the big picture. Ready?
Set? Here we go.
But
first, a public service announcement: Come see my last art show in Seattle, up at
the Columbia City
Bakery through 7/27. It’s a magical retrospective of my
favorite works from the past decade.
I’m moving to California, so some prices just might be negotiable...
The mind grinds to a halt in the last few days of the Cancer
solar month as Uranus (insight) stations
retrograde on 7/17 & then Mercury (perception) stations direct on
7/20. In addition, we have no
major planets in air signs for a while, so we must rely on our emotions (half
of the major planets are in water signs) to guide us. Although we’re in the bright days of summer, we are feeling
our way through the darkness of our subconscious. As for Uranus’ retrograde (7/17 - 12/17), whatever your big
push for freedom is, allow it to change form as needed, perhaps in sudden &
even shocking ways in the coming months.
With Mercury’s shift into direct motion, you can expect things that have
felt hung up to get rolling by the end of July. The best question to answer as Mercury finishes his
thrice-long swim in Cancer is:
In what
ways are my perceptions based on my past experiences, rather than what is
actually happening here & now?
The grandest version of 2013’s Grand Water Trine is exact during
the week of the 15th, further activated by Mars towards the end of that week,
just before it morphs into a Grand Sextile at the end of the month. This
is a use it or lose it opportunity.
Maybe you’re trusting that everything will take care of itself, or
day-dreaming a lot, or feeling swept up in shifting emotional tides. That’s all well & good, but there
are profound opportunities showing up during this time that do require
action. The general rules of thumb
to follow are:
1,
Think bigger. Dream bigger. Explore with & expand from your
heart.
2, Put
effort into manifesting what has deepest meaning to you, but be patient as this
may require more time than you had anticipated, & you’ll need to stay open
to surprising turns & detours.
3,
Leave space & time for dreams & meditation. Notice & welcome synchronicity, & above all, allow
life to surprise you.
It’s a
tricky balance of trust, effort & all the while leaving
space for magic to come in to play.
7/27
through 7/31 are massively potent days with Mars activating a T-square with Pluto & Uranus, & the
extremely rare occurrence of a Grand Sextile. These two configurations offer a nice blend of the kind of
discomfort that forces growth with the kind of ideal conditions that allow for
growth. Once again, I remind you
to seize opportunities that come your way, & give them your all.
The
Grand Sextile is a double grand trine, forming a six-pointed star. Consider that astrology is based on how
the planets appear from the perspective of the earth. Hence, on Monday, 7/29, the
earth will be surrounded by a six-pointed star - a potent mandala for
those of you who enjoy meditating on images & yantras. One triangle is the grand water
(emotions) trine, made up of slow & fairly slow moving planets (giving the configuration more potency
because it lasts longer). The
other triangle, facing in the opposite direction, is a grand earth
(manifestation) trine, lasting only that day. The most basic interpretation of this energy is we are
granted the ability to manifest our dreams. Sounds good, eh?
As always, however, there is a potential dark side. You must first make sure you are
dreaming the dreams that are right for you:
Have I
been ignoring my needs or the needs of my family in my strivings for personal
freedom & attainment of major goals?
How can
I advocate for myself & make sure I’m being nourished, even as I strive for
freedom & for the attainment of major goals?
What
are my Big Life Dreams, & what will it take to actually manifest them?
Are my
dreams my own, or have I taken on the dreams of my family, of society, or
otherwise obscured my true desires?
What is
my body actually capable of doing from this point on, in regards to these aims?
Do my
dreams, & my plans to manifest my dreams feel deeply nourishing to me?
Am I
dreaming as big as I can, while remaining within the realm of what is actually
possible to manifest?
Am I
walking my talk? How can I better
walk my talk?
Is
there anything (dream that doesn’t fit, a used-up relationship, work that no
longer nourishes, etc) I need to sacrifice in order to attain those dreams that
are truest & most important to me?
Let’s
take an energetic look at the concept of sacrifice, which is a strong element
in this grand water trine, & further potentized by that edgy T-square. Sacrifice entails a massive release of energy
- giving up something big, but also giving up the energy it took to hold onto
& maintain that big thing - for the purpose of honoring something even
bigger than that which was released.
There is, in this act, the opportunity to break a curse, to break free
of bondage, & to open to a reality that may actually surpass the bounty
& beauty of our dreams. One
final set of questions, then, to ask yourself throughout the remainder of July
is:
What am
I holding onto that is holding me back?
How do
I feel bound, or perhaps even cursed?
What
might happen if I gave up something/someone I never thought I’d give up?
What is
the newness that is aching to emerge?
What nourishes that newness, & what squelches it?
What do
I love that loves me back? What
stands in the way of that exchange?
In
regards to this issue, you can keep that old saying in mind: If you love
something, let it go. If it comes
back to you, it’s yours. If it
doesn’t return to you, it never actually was yours. Sounds like another version on the theme of trust, eh?
The
first half of August gives us an opportunity to assimilate the shifts
instigated in the latter half of June & all of July. How do you assimilate? Rest! Be present, & above all, BE. There will be plenty to do in late August. Take some time out in solitude at the
New Leo Moon on 8/6 to connect very intentionally with your heart, perhaps
through some creative outlet.
Express yourself to yourself, & see how you’ve changed. Notice:
What
brings you joy now that you are who you are in this particular time &
place?
Well,
friends, thanks for reading. Next
month’s posting will go into the nitty-gritty of another round of T-square
activity, & more. Until then,
please wish me luck in my move to California, & drop me a line if you know
of a nice cottage for rent in Oakland or Berkeley!
For
more personalized insight, you may go here to schedule a private astrological
consult, or an Alithesis healing session in
Seattle (July 18th is my last available day). In August, I’ll be available for phone consultations &
for Alithesis house calls in the Bay Area. By September, I’ll be practicing in Oakland, CA. Until next month’s posting, carpe
diem! Please forward this
posting on & repost it as you see fit. Thanks for reading,
Rae Diamond
rae13diamond {at} gmail.com
