Yes, you will need to move fast to keep up with the
energetic imperatives of Spring 2014, but
things aren’t likely to move much farther ahead quite yet. Yes, there is big change happening, but things will feel full of sameness. Yes, you are a special individual person, but you are also a part of something greater -
a species, a living planet, various relationships, various projects, etc. Yes, you must work hard right now, but you must also rest and make sure you are
nourished physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and spiritually. The
theme of Spring 2014 is: Yes, but...
Aries solar month: 3/20/14 - 4/19/14
When
the Sun transits through Aries, it’s time to shake off the winter slumber, wake
up, be fully alive, & most importantly, realize that you are alive. Stop
for at least one little moment during this solar month, & think to yourself,
“Wow, I exist! I am!” It’s time to shake off that dreamy Pisces oneness,
& be a unique individual with desires and drives. Take those comfy Pisces
dreams, & courageously put them into Aries action. Yes, that’s what we do during the Aries solar
month, but this year, things are a
little different.
What
have you been daydreaming about, envisioning, exploring in your imagination?
Does
any of that seem worth bringing into material reality?
If so,
what are some initial steps you can take to manifest those dreams?
Is
there anything you would like to do that scares you?
Is that
fear keeping you alive (the useful
purpose of fear), or is that fear holding you back from living?
Spring 2014
A chart
cast for the Vernal Equinox indicates the energies we’ll be feeling throughout
the Spring season. Yes, there are
challenges this season, but there are
meditations and herbs that can help support you through these challenges in my
quarterly mp3, Aligning Heaven & Earth, Spring 2014, available at the
bottom of this page for a mere $5.
The Season of Conflicting Elements:
Spring
is a time of arising energy - sprouts popping up out of the ground, slumbering
animals waking up, etc. It’s fiery by western elemental standards, but in this
spring’s chart, half of the main “planets” used in astrology are in water
signs. Water has a descending character to it, & is a tangible, material
element. Fire, on the other hand, is more mystical in nature, and functions as
a liaison between this realm and the beyonds. Yes,
our spirits are awake this season, but
they also continue to dream. Yes, we
act with faith, courage & determination, but
this season, we are tender warriors & tentative pioneers.
How can
you act effectively while acknowledging your emotions, even in tender
situations?
If
courage is acting from the heart, while being aware of what you fear, how can
you be courageous this season?
The Season of Mysterious Time:
Time
always moves mysteriously, and this Spring, we’ll be able to feel that mystery.
Practically speaking, with both Mars & Saturn retrograde, & the Moon
& Saturn mutually applying to a conjunction, patience is key this season.
Saturn & Mars are the two great material realm “accomplishers” of the solar
system. With them both in the realignment & revision stage, we will still
be working hard, but things may not amount to much. Some lessons can only be
learned through trial and error, and this will be a season of a lot of lessons
learned. By summer, you’ll know what works and what doesn’t, & you’ll know
it well, and once and for all.
Yes, you’ll work hard out in the world, but the
real “progress” will happen within. Sure, be frustrated. Be annoyed. Be sad
that your dreams will take that much longer to come into manifestation. But
after you’ve had your tantrum or weeping fit, roll up your sleeves, get to
work, and be glad that once the season’s passed, you’ll know more clearly where
you need to be directing your energies. You’ll know who’s on your team, and
who’s not. You’ll know what paths not to take again because for you they’re
just dead ends, and that will free up a lot of energy that is otherwise wasted
on the various “what-if’s” that float about in your mind.
With
pragmatic Mars retrograding in idealistic Libra, expect your visions &
ideas to go through practical applications and tests. It’s a time of bursting
bubbles in all things Libran - who you’re friends are & are not, whether
your politics are plum, level & square or not, whether things are balanced
in your life & in your relationships, & for artists, whether your
artistic goals are appropriate to you & feasible.
What
tools do you have for tapping into patience (e.g. deep breaths, a mantra, etc)?
In what
areas of your life are you experiencing a sense of time moving quickly? How
about slowly?
Have
there been times when those areas of your life seemed to move at a different
pace?
What
does that teach you about your experience of time?
The Season of Tension & Growth:
Also
apparent in the Vernal Equinox chart is a tense & wobbly T-square
configuration between Pluto in Capricorn, Uranus in Aries & Jupiter in
Cancer. This configuration will grow increasingly exact over the next five or
six weeks, and will culminate in a Grand Cardinal Cross once Mars in Libra
enters the configuration in mid-late April. This T-square is less hectic than
the Cross, but gives a sense of “something missing” that makes it difficult to
maintain balance. Here’s the big question with this configuration:
Are you
attending to your needs for nourishment, tenderness and safety, even as you
strive & evolve?
Total Lunar Eclipse in Libra: 4/15/14
By the
time this lunar eclipse occurs, the T-square mentioned above is nearly exact,
Pluto has just stationed retrograde, and the Grand Cardinal Cross is beginning
to form. The combination of these three events & other elements in this
chart suggest it’s time to surrender to being torn asunder. We live in a
culture that fears, avoids, and resists death, so we tend to fight even
metaphorical deaths. This lunar eclipse chart suggests we surrender to some
such “death,” & allow ourselves to be torn apart so we can reassemble ourselves
and our lives in a truer way.
The
Moon is closely aligned with the Dragon’s Head in Libra. The quick
interpretation here is let your heart lead. With the Moon in a Neptune-infused
Libra, your heart is not likely to speak in clear, succinct sentences. Yes, the world will be clamoring for your
attention, but quiet your mind, &
allow some inner sense of things to direct you. There are many ways to do this,
from following the breath, to engaging in some creative endeavor, to taking a
silent walk in the woods, to running with total focus on the alignment of &
signals from your body, etc. Yes, you
will be busy, but take time out in
mid-late April to find your own personal stillpoint, & the wisdom that
arises from that state of quiet.
What
will bring you into truer balance - in your life, - in your relationships, - in
your work, - in your family & home, - & in your mind?
How are
you a part of the interconnected web of humanity & beyond?
Who
supports you, & whom do you support? Is that in balance?
In what
ways does your work feed you? If it doesn’t feed you at all, why do you do it?
How can
you bring more reciprocity & win/win situations into your life?
Octave Alignment:
The
personal/mundane and communal/spiritual octaves of the mind - Mercury &
Uranus, respectively, are closely conjoined in this chart in the sign of Aries,
ruled by retrograding Mars. This suggests we have access to profound insight at
this time. Keep your mind open to new inspirations, and new ways of looking at
things.
What
does this situation look like from the perspective of the other people involved?
What
does this situation look like from the perspective of an outsider?
What
does this situation look like from the perspective of the Earth itself?
How can
this situation be perceived in a way that benefits all, & does the most
good?
How can
I communicate that perspective effectively?
The
personal/mundane and communal/spiritual octaves of grace - Venus & Neptune,
respectively, are also conjoined in this chart, in the sign of Pisces, ruled by
Neptune. Venus is the depositor of both retrograding Mars (depositor of the
Sun), & the eclipsed Libra Moon, & she is also trine Jupiter, and
sextile Pluto. Here’s where we get that surrender from. Surrender to this time
of being torn apart. Although our society tells us to hold on tight, to keep
ourselves, our relationships, our work, our homes - everything - under control,
the planets are telling us to let go of the illusion of control. In truth, the only
thing we have the ability to control is the flow of our own minds - i.e, our
consciousness. The rule of thumb is let go of anything that impedes your
control of your own mind.
How can
you practice surrender while maintaining compassion for yourself & others?
Are you
trying to control something that is not yours - e.g. another person, a large situation, etc?
If you
let go of those situations, what does that do for your ability to control the
flow of your own mind?
Are
there any balls in your juggling roster that you can drop, either temporarily
or entirely?
Coming Soon:
Next
month’s posting will cover the next exact square between Uranus & Pluto,
the Annular Solar Eclipse in Taurus - the second to last eclipse we’ll have in
this axis for nearly a decade, & the completion of the Mars retrograde. As
for this month, consider how you may release what holds you back in an honoring
& sacred way - this is the true meaning of sacrifice. Such sacred release
leads ultimately to sacred embrace.
For more personalized insight, you may schedule a private astrological consult, healing session, or healing intensive in person, over the phone, or via Skype. Feel free to like,
forward this page on & repost it as you see fit. Until next time, wishing
you insight & heartsight.
Thanks for reading,
