The
riddles of reflection are action through stillness, and generation through
receptivity. When we reflect on an experience, we are not actively engaging in
the experience. Instead, we are attempting to perceive it from new angles. The
roots of the word, reflection, mean “to bend back,” as still water bends light
in such a way that objects are mirrored, rendering their appearance - and our
experience of those objects - changed. Choppy water, on the other hand, breaks
up the reflection, making the reflection of the object difficult to perceive,
and thus leaving us to look directly at the object itself, without the bend of
fresh perspective. Mercury’s direct motion, the final exact pass of Uranus
square Pluto, and ramping up to a solar eclipse make 2015’s solar month of
Pisces an excellent time to allow action to arise from stillness, to allow
creativity to arise from receptivity, to bend time, to refract light, to
reflect.
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reader, if you find these monthly reports helpful, please consider making a
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CLeaning up Mercurial Messes: 2/11/15 - 3/3/15
After a
three-week retrograde, Mercury stationed direct the morning of Wednesday,
February 11th. Give the guy a week to get back up to normal speed, and then you
can heave your post Mercury retrograde sigh of relief. Mercury will be
traveling forwards through the shadow of his retrograde through the rest of
February and into the first few days of March. In the next few weeks, you’ll
receive opportunities to act on the insights you received during the actual
retrograde (1/21 - 2/11).
What
“A-ha!” moments have you had in the past few weeks?
What
communities are you connected to? Do they expand & energize you?
What
have you learned about the interconnectedness of our species in the past few
weeks?
What
role/s do you play in that interconnexion?
Sun in Pisces: 2/18/15 - 3/20/15
The
constellation of Pisces: two fish swimming in opposite directions, an image of
ambivalence. Like all things, ambivalence can be healing or destructive,
depending on how and when it is applied. The second riddle of this month’s
report is this: Ambivalence arises from strength, but can cause weakness.
The
roots of the word, ambivalence, literally mean to be strong in two conflicting
ways. One fish taps into its own strength to swim upstream against the current,
while the other fish, in swimming downstream, taps into the strength of the
current itself. In the Pisces solar month, we must both find our inner strength
to face the challenges of reality, and simultaneously let go and allow reality
to guide us. To do the latter, we must first engage the former - i.e, face
reality and then give into it. Otherwise, we run into the danger of the Pisces
shadow - not looking at life’s actual flow, escaping, and manipulating others
(other people, other substances, other stories, etc) into making the current
“nicer” for us.
Pisces
is a water sign, and in astrology, water symbolizes emotions. As demonstrated
by water’s reflective abilities, we receive a clearer image from calm waters.
Sometimes we need to feel those stormy, choppy, swirling and wild emotions, but
our perspective is inherently unclear in those moments. Tranquility breeds
clarity, but there is a fine line here - healthy water is always moving, even
if its movements are subtle. For truth of perspective, aim for a serene flow.
In what
direction are your life’s events & opportunities guiding you?
What
are your responsibilities in these events & opportunities - What can you change?
In what
ways do you need to let go, and give in to what is - What can you not change?
What
brings you to an inner calm and quiet?
Saturn square Neptune: Reality and dreams in the boxing ring
This
Pisces solar month begins two and a half minutes after the Aquarius new moon,
imbuing the whole month with a sense of our interconnectedness, and with a
contemplative quality, which is further accentuated by a square between Neptune,
strongly placed in their home sign of Pisces, and Saturn in Sagittarius. That
tender (or tenderizing) aspect shatters illusions, making the need to accept
reality and the responsibilities that come with it - while still maintaining
your faith, hope and vision - all the more pressing. At this time, it is
essential to let go of regrets, what-if’s, and should-have’s. Let your past
actions and decisions dissolve into the past. This will free them to help you
move forward from where you are now. The wisdom of this configuration is this:
Hindsight
is not always 20/20.
We can
color the past with the rosy lenses of false perfection. Reality is now, and if
you look honestly, you will find both suffering and peace in each and every
moment - past, present and future. Acknowledge and respond to both your current
suffering and your current ease, and above all, work to manifest your dreams
into this earthly timespace, and then accept their inevitable imperfections.
What
work is required to manifest your dreams?
What
are the first steps you can take on that manifestation journey?
How can
you weave your dreams more fully into the fabric of humanity?
Another Aquarius Lunation Begins: 2/18/15
Two
Aquarius new moons in a row and a Mercury retrograde in Aquarius mean it’s time
to think about our interconnectedness. We live in an individualistic society,
which can obscure the inherent interdependency of humanity. The fact remains,
however, that we are a species.
The
biologist, E. O. Wilson has observed that ants - a species whose colonies work
as an interdependent whole - are a major evolutionary success, as evidenced by
their many centuries of life on this planet, while the success of humans - a
comparatively new species - is yet to be seen. Ants also have an extreme hierarchy
that mirrors our 1% vs. 99% global economic disparity. This is the evolutionary
strategy of a species without compassion. With both Aquarius and Pisces
highlighted this month, we need to consider innovative possibilities for our
species that are compassionate in their interdependency. Aquarius can envision
egalitarian methods. Pisces teaches us that each and every one of us is both
capable of giving and worthy of receiving compassion. The questions here may be
a bit tough, but soften your heart with some self-forgiveness and self-love
first, and then give them a try.
What
happens in your heart when you hate your “enemies?”
What
happens in your heart when you love your “enemies?”
How are
you reliant on the people & communities you dislike?
How are
they reliant on you?
Uranus Square Pluto Exact: 3/16/15
The
final of seven exact squares between Uranus and Pluto occurs on Monday, March
16th. For a thorough report on the overall timing and thrust of this
configuration, please read this article. “Final exact
square” does not mean that after March 16th we’ll be skipping through the
garden with the conflicts of the gods behind us. Uranus and Pluto move slowly,
and will maintain a pretty tight square throughout 2015, and will slowly move
out of this configuration for another couple years after that.
Because
Pluto deals with transformation on the death and rebirth level, this last year
of the closest passes of Uranus’ square invites a transition from the death
phase to the rebirth phase. Consider what major parts of your life -
relationships, places, parts of yourself, experiences, people, etc - have died,
either literally or figuratively since 2012. The more you release, the more you
will be replenished, so use this last exact configuration to more fully let
those deaths go, and train your awareness on what is in the beginning stages of
rebirth. If you feel stuck in the death phase of this cycle, that indicates there
is something you’re holding onto. Let go. Pluto does not take, “No,” for an
answer.
Although
both planets are calling for transformation, there is great friction in timing
and style. Pluto in steady-as-she-goes Capricorn is working on deep, slow levels
of tearing down, building and overhaul, while Uranus in quick-tempered Aries
wants drastic, immediate and liberating results. Yes, you need freedom now, but
you also need to build something solid for the future. If you choose to play
only one side of this configuration, then something outside of yourself - the
government, a passing car, a person, your job, the environment, etc - will play
the other side. BE the change, rather than having it thrust upon you.
Are the
structures of your life in alignment with your beliefs?
What is
your brilliance?
What
are you on fire about?
How can
you channel your brilliance & fire into creatively illuminating others?
How is
your balance between freedom & responsibility?
Are you
using your power & authority (yes, you do have some - own it!) with
integrity?
Here’s
one last thought to ruminate on: Reflections (past) are projections (future),
inverted. The Pisces solar month indicates a time of dissolving and integrating
the past so that we can be reborn at the vernal equinox. The past feeds the
future. When we hold fast to the suffering of our past without learning from
it, we invite more suffering. Alternatively, when we transmute our past
experiences into strength and wisdom, we nourish our future. Each moment is an
opportunity for this transmutation.
Coming Soon:
Next month’s report on the solar month of Aries
will offer insights into the first eclipse in the Pisces/Virgo axis since 2008
& the next lunar eclipse in Libra. Feel free to like and repost
this report as you see fit. Until next time, wishing you a heart-ful
month. Thanks for reading,
