Sun & Mercury Retrograde in Aquarius

Sun & Mercury Retrograde in Aquarius

Light. We are awestruck by the fervent light of sunsets. We are mesmerized by the quivering light of fire. We turn on electric lights to stretch our days, and make the night disappear into the forests and heavens. Light is pregnant with poetic impact. It conjures a sense of all things right, good and magical. We think of it as awareness - the “light of consciousness.” We can visualize light in our minds, but we don’t know exactly what light is... or what “mind” is. Light is made up of photons, but we don’t know if photons are particles (matter) or waves (energy) or both. Mind is made up of... thoughts? dreams? emptiness? consciousness? something as yet unnamed that may be matter or energy or maybe both? This month, the planets urge you to mind your thoughts, illuminate the shadows of your understanding, and screw some fresh light bulbs into your noggin.

A brief word from our sponsor:

My next quarterly workshop (3/1/15) on the planetary energies (eclipses and outer planet squares, oh my!) of the coming spring - and herbs to support an evolutionary path through said energies - only has a couple spots left. Sign up here, or contact Homestead Apothecary to get first dibs on the June 23rd class on summer’s planets (Virgo download and Venus retrograde) and herbs - and check out Homestead’s other fine offerings while you’re at it.

Sun in Aquarius: 1/20/15 - 2/18/15

Aquarius is a sign that enjoys surprise doses of the unfamiliar, the unusual, the unsettled and unsettling. With the Sun - our “light of consciousness” - transiting through this iconoclastic portion of the zodiac, it behooves us to stimulate our minds by expanding our community, meeting some new people, and shaking up our routines a bit. Your signpost this month is energy.

Do your activities energize or drain you?

Do the people in your life energize or drain you?

Do your ideas & perspectives energize or drain you?

Aquarius is a particularly frisky sign at the moment because its two rulers just went through some major changes around the winter solstice. Uranus, ruler of earthquakes, electricity and “Eureka!” moments, stationed direct then, which frees us to take tangible actions on our major insights of the past six months. Meanwhile, stodgy ole Saturn, ruler of boundaries, responsibilities, limitations, and authority, entered boundless and ebullient Sagittarius a couple days later. This means it’s time to climb some mountains, strive for some grander things in life, take a look at the big picture, declare our truth - and live by it. These major planetary changes are igniting Aquarius with renewed brilliance.

What is your truth?

What is your experience of reality?

Do you enjoy the reality you find yourself in?

Does your reality leave room for others - their truth, their perspective, their presence?

If your truth is inaccurate, how does that effect your reality?

Mercury Retrograde in Aquarius: 1/21/15 - 2/11/15

Too much smooth sailing would be boring, and so un-Aquarius-like. We need something to shake things up a bit. A Mercury retrograde cycle in the sign of Aquarius is just what’s needed to add a bit more mental voltage to our Aquarius month.

Let’s get the general Mercury retrograde advice out of the way: Mercury retrograde cycles are famous for disrupting the flow of modern life, but a few general precautions will help you get through this planetary bump in the road with a little more grace. First of all, as with any bump in a road, SLOW DOWN. If you slow down, you can be more flexible, catch some striking scenery you’ve been flying past without noticing, and thus appease our nimble trickster god. Some other Mercury retrograde rules of thumb are back up your communication devices (computers, phones, etc) and tune up your vehicles (bikes, cars, etc) BEFORE Mercury stations retrograde (1/21), and give yourself extra time to get around, and maintain a state of openness when miscommunications and transportation failures arise during Mercury’s retrograde.

As with any planetary event, there is something to learn during this Aquarian Mercury retrograde cycle. Learning is easy if you have an open mind, but we cannot learn if we are rigid in our perspectives. Aquarius is a fixed sign, ruled both by re-volt-ing, en-light-ening Uranus and conservative, limiting Saturn. If you wish to adhere to what you already know and believe, be prepared to suffer and cause suffering to others during this Mercury retrograde. The other option is to experience the liberation of allowing your mind to be blown apart by the illuminating insights available during this retrograde. Now more than ever, these insights come from our interactions with others. Then watch your creativity soar to exhilarating heights you never knew were possible.

The most basic principle of the planet Mercury is this: The quality and accuracy of our perception shapes our experience of reality. With Mercury in community-oriented Aquarius, we also enter into the territory of collective perception. We tend to seek out communities that support our current view of reality, but this retrograde cycle suggests it’s time to seek out people and communities that both challenge and recharge our view of reality.

What communication and perception issues have cropped up since the second week of January?

Do you feel stuck - in your life, in your creativity, in your relationships, in any way?

How might your perspective be keeping you stuck?

Which people that you associate with support your current view of reality?

Do these relationships energize or drain you?

Which people that you associate with challenge your current view of reality?

Do these relationships energize or drain you?

The Aquarius Lunation culminates in Leo: 2/3/15

The Aquarius lunation begins on 1/20/15, with Mercury at a standstill, conjoined with Venus opposite Jupiter, Mars conjunct Neptune, and the South Node conjunct Uranus. These combinations suggest it’s time to expand our consciousness to include others’ perspectives, deepen our compassion for ourselves, and release perspectives that put us in fight-or-flight mode. This new moon would also be a great time for an intentional, cleansing and self-loving, candle-lit bath.

What is the difference between action and re-action?

What is true liberation?

If liberation begins in the mind, what perspectives might set you free?

How can you love yourself more?

By the Leo full moon on 2/3/15, Venus has conjoined Neptune, while Jupiter is conjoined by the Moon and opposed by the Sun. Hopefully, you’ve practiced self-compassion (foundation), and are now ready to feel deeper levels of compassion for others (castle). For best effect, make sure your castle is built on a good foundation. You may feel pulled between your joy and your responsibilities, between yourself and your community, or you may feel like your mind is being blown at every moment. At this point, we are more than halfway through Mercury’s retrograde period, signifying it’s time to start experimenting with some of what we’ve learned in the past couple weeks.

What and who brings you joy and energy?

What and whom do you love?

What and who do you feel loved by?

What and whom are worthy of your energy?

Scorpio Solar Eclipse, Mercury Stations Direct

Have you ever looked through a gauzy thin veil? Try it. Put on a thin veil, walk around, observe your world, and then look in the mirror. The world is visible to you, although somewhat altered, while you, yourself, are obscured. Now try (or imagine trying) the same thing with a thicker fabric. Depending on the fabric, you can either just barely see your world, or not at all, and you yourself are completely invisible in the mirror, save for the knowing of some presence. The Scorpio solar month is famous for its’ “thin veil” - a time when our three dimensional, material “reality” mingles with ethereal dimensions, thus increasing the occurrence and gravity of mysterious and synchronistic events. What is actually happening is you are more able to witness, be seen by, and interact with layers of reality that are in fact always there.

Sun in Scorpio: 10/23 - 11/22

During the solar month of Scorpio, we find ourselves in mid-autumn, when leaves mimic the colors of sunset. Each wind storm thins out the foliage, increasing our view of the sky, helping us remember how small we really are beneath the vastness of that limitless ceiling. It’s a time of nostalgia, of reminiscing about the fun and follies of spring and summer, and of remembering places, experiences, and people - including our own past selves - no longer in our lives. It’s a time of conservation and retraction, a time to let some things go in order to conserve our energy and focus more deeply as our bodies slow down for the winter.

    What & whom do you remember fondly, including parts of yourself?

    How can you honor the people and experiences of your past?

    What are the trunk, root, and main branches of your life?

    What are the leaves you need to let go of in order to nourish that trunk, those roots and branches?

The Transformation Lunation Begins with a Solar Eclipse: 10/23

Both the solar and lunar months of Scorpio begin with a partial solar eclipse in the first degree of Scorpio, with Venus also entering Scorpio that day, close on the heels of the Sun and Moon. This eclipse is not a particularly strong eclipse, but it is significant because it beautifully illustrates Scorpio’s main theme of death - as the seasoned last eclipse in this sign for over eight years - and rebirth - for the first degree of a sign always embodies the freshness and naivety of rebirth.

Venus’ presence in this configuration helps us to rebirth that which we value, and let go of that which matters less to us. The operative word here is matter. Astrological information and the questions that arise from that information can put us in a cerebral state of being, but transformation - literally, the changing of the form or matter of something - requires that we translate idea and inspiration into creative action. Ideally, the physical matter of our lives reflects what actually matters to us. Neptune trines this eclipse from Pisces, highlighting the sacredness of the necessary sacrifices we make at this time, and reminding us to be mindful and grateful in our lettings go.

    What has changed in the form of your life, relationships & body since November of 2012?

    What grace do you receive when you let go of that which no longer lights up your life?

    How might letting go help you connect with infinity & with possibilities otherwise unavailable to you?

Mercury Stations Direct in Libra: 10/25

The quick little trickster of our solar system stations direct in mid-Libra on October 25th, enabling you to move forward with the transformative and balancing realizations that have struck you since he stationed retrograde in early Scorpio on October 4th. Mercury represents our style and finesse of perception, communication and movement. When he appears to move backwards (retrograde), our assumed perceptions are challenged, which forces us to communicate more clearly, and to move through the world with renewed awareness. This particular retrograde cycle marks another death and rebirth imperative - because it began in early Scorpio, conjunct the degree of the 10/23 eclipse, because it is the last (death) of Mercury’s retrogrades in water signs for over three years, and because he stations direct in Libra, close to the degree of the dragon’s head, which represents the evolutionary ideas from which rebirth arises.

    What “A-ha’s” have you had since October 4th?

    How do those realizations help you to think, move and communicate differently?

    How do these shifts in perception bring you into balance?

    How do they help you to change the forms of your life, relationships, actions, and speech?

Some Saturn insights:

Meanwhile Saturn, the structurer, continues his trudge through the depths of Scorpio, having entered there in October of 2012. Each of the Scorpio eclipses in the past several springs and autumns have been like storms to this slow and steady traveler - electrifying, drenching, cleansing, and muddying. Each of Mercury’s autumnal retrogrades in Scorpio (since 2012) have altered Saturn’s steady course as the journey’s goal shifted somewhat each time. With only a couple months left in Scorpio, Saturn receives a couple bursts of inspiration in mid-November as Venus and then the Sun conjoin him for a moment, softening and then lighting the depths of Scorpio’s intensity and Saturn’s determination. This is a perfect time to attend the Saturn and his Cycles workshop (clarifying Saturn returns & more) on Saturday, November 15th, from noon til 3pm. It’s also a good time to ask yourself these questions:

    What stability & structure have I lost since 2012?

    What truer stability & structure have I gained instead?

    Are the structures of my life in alignment with my values and purpose?

Neptune stations Direct: 11/15

The last significant event of the Scorpio solar month occurs when Neptune stations direct in early Pisces. This indicates we have opportunities for insight into the Neptunian and Piscean themes of mindful awareness in favor of illusion, and sacrifice as a prelude to redemption.

    What have you sacrificed since early June?

    What redemption do those sacrifices offer you?

    What illusions have shattered since then?

    What awareness & inspiration have you received in the wake of those clarifications?

Coming Soon:

Next month’s report on the solar month of Sagittarius will help you gain insight on Jupiter’s coming retrograde cycle, and support your alignment with the evolutionary cardinal T-square, instigated by another exact pass of the ongoing tense Uranus/Pluto square. Thanks for reading,

Rae Diamond

Sun in Taurus 2014, Mars Stations Direct

Normally, the Sun’s transit through Taurus is a time of profound embodiment, rooting and settling. However, there is no place for the word, normal, in Spring 2014. There are times and places that exist as thresholds between this reality as we understand it, and something else. We are in such a time-threshold now, in which we can allow the known to become mysterious, and simultaneously welcome the mysterious into our conscious understanding.

Then it’s time to hang on tight for what can only be a wild, wild ride.

I’m writing in the wake of last night’s full lunar eclipse in Libra (4/15 just after midnight on the West Coast), which came on the tails of Mercury & the Moon activating the current grand cardinal cross throughout 4/14. In human terms, that was a LOT of tension to withstand. A friendly astrological tip for you, dear reader, is this:

Quick Tip on 4/16:

The Moon in Scorpio activates a brief grand water trine with Venus in Pisces & Jupiter in Cancer on the morning of Wednesday, 4/16. This configuration offers a healing release of that eclipse and grand cross tension. Trines tend to feel so pleasant that we often don’t act on them, but you will benefit from doing any of the following:

<> Sleep in & pay attention to your dreams (drink mugwort & vervain tea to help both soften & remember those dreams).

<> Improvise in any media - music, visual art, dance, writing, etc.

<> Go see a healer of your choice (referrals here) - LMP, acupuncturist, therapist, etc.

<> Engage in a gentle consciousness practice, such as pranayama, qigong, or meditation.

Solar month of Taurus, 2014: 4/19 - 5/20

Taurus wants peace, quiet, and the ability to enjoy whatever comes in through the physical senses, including the joy of right work. But there is little peace to be found in this solar month unless you go out & steal it, & that is exactly what I recommend you do, friends. GET AWAY some time this month - get out in nature, get into a sensory deprivation tank, get into your creative zone, get outta Dodge - unless you want to be eaten alive by the wild energies that will be only to happy to drag you hither and thither. Make time for you.

Change: One of Taurus’ least favorite things

On 4/20, Jupiter in Cancer activates a pretty exact T-square configuration with Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn, just before the next exact pass of Uranus squaring Pluto on 4/21. This configuration of Uranus & Pluto has been active since 2012, & will continue to instigate profound change in us as individuals, as communities, as a species, & as residents of this changing planet through 2015. Both of these planets want change, but they are functioning on different levels and time frames - Pluto’s slow but effective overhaul of the core structures of things, including the rooting out of dead wood does not blend easily with Uranus’ revolution my way now. Jupiter’s presence in this configuration reminds us to advocate for our needs, and to learn how to both give from and receive deeply into the heart. He offers a welcome reminder that even as we make these radical shifts & calculated transformations, we also need time for snuggles, meals, & things soft, safe & cozy.

What do you believe you need? What do you actually need? How do you bridge that gap?

What/where/who is HOME to you?

What’s the progress of your massive overhaul (look back to 2012 for a sense of this)?

Have you revolted in some way since 2012?

    If not, are you conforming to the point of squelching your truth?

    If so, has the dust settled enough that you can see what to make of the rubble?

The next day, on 4/22, retrograding Mars in Libra squares Jupiter, & then opposes Uranus & squares Pluto on 4/23. This is the thick of the spring’s grand cardinal cross. Although Mars adds further tension to this configuration, he also offers much balance - because he is in Libra, the sign of the scales; because he evens the score of two retrograding planets (Pluto stationed retrograde on 4/14 & is still relatively motionless), & two direct planets; & because there is a stabilizing, albeit uncomfortable, element to a grand cross. The four opposing energies actually hold us up if we let go of our attachments to specific outcomes.

How do your relationships affect the changes you are making/experiencing?

How are your relationships affected by the changes you are making/experiencing?

Which relationships are family relationships? What does family mean to you?

What is center for you?

How can you stay connected to that center in the midst of all of these tugs at your energy & attention?

Annular Solar Eclipse in Taurus: 4/28 at 11:14 PM PDT

This is the last eclipse in Taurus for about 9 years, so it mingles both the energy of completion and the new moon & solar eclipse energies of beginnings. It’s a partial eclipse, so it won’t be as dramatic as the lunar eclipse of 4/15, but the energy of that massive eclipse is still with us, coloring this transit. With earthy Taurus’ ruler, Venus, in ethereal Pisces, a mingling of realities is now available. Past, present & future are one. Dream & reality coincide. The impossible becomes real, & reality no longer makes sense. Tonight would be another good night for some mugwort and vervain tea, in order to gain insight through dreams.

What do you value, both in material reality & in more mystical & philosophical spheres?

How can you better embody your values in your day-to-day life & in your goals?

What do you enjoy? Do you experience enough &/or too much of what you enjoy?

How have your values shifted over the past year and a half to two years?

And then there’s the merry month of May:

May is a relatively calmer month than April... kind of... sort of... a little bit... Eclipses can be felt for - depending on which astrologer you follow - a few weeks or months before & after the actual event, so we’ll still be riding the wake of those wild April waves. Things won’t exactly be smooth, but they will be a bit less rough.

Mutual Reception of Venus & Mars, Venus goes wild:

Venus enters Mars-ruled Aries on 5/2, which adds a nifty twist to Mars retrograding in Venus-ruled Libra. The potency of that mutual reception is further deepened by the sun’s transit through Venus-ruled Taurus, in the wake of two eclipses in Venus-ruled signs, during the lunar nodes’ transit through Mars & Libra. But wait, there’s more: Venus opposes Mars & the moon on 5/11 while the moon activates the grand cardinal cross all over again that day, and then Venus activates the Uranus/Pluto square on 5/14’s full Scorpio moon & on 5/15. And, finally, Mars stations direct in Libra on 5/19. This is the stuff of astrology nerd phantasy. The mingling of these two energies is so thick at this time (again that mingling of realities) that the potential for change & growth in these areas of experience is astounding.

How is your balance of compromise and self-advocacy?

    Do you compromise effectively when necessary, or too often, or too reluctantly?

    Do you effectively stand your ground when necessary, or too often, or too reluctantly?

Are you a compassionate & mindful warrior for peace?

Mars stations direct: 5/19

Mars - our will, our drive, our decisiveness & our actualizing force - has been wandering backwards in cautious, thoughtful, noncommittal Libra since March 1st. It’s not the easiest of energies to mingle, but that’s how growth happens. During a planet’s retrograde cycle, it transits three times through a particular portion of the zodiac. In the first pass, issues arise (late December through 3/1) through our dealings with others & the the world at large. In the second - backwards - pass (3/1 through 5/19), those issues get revisited, but in a way that causes our perception of these events, relationships & issues to shift. In the third and final pass (5/19 through mid/late July) we resolve those issues through decisions we make & actions we take, based on the retrograde-induced shifts in our understanding.

How have your aims shifted since March 1st?  ... since late December?

Are your aims driven by your values & ideals or by basic needs?

    Can you incorporate both of the above realms into your drive?

How has your awareness of others deepened?

How has your awareness of yourself in the context of relationships deepened?

Have you learned the value of restraint (this is also a great question for artists to apply to their art)?

Coming Soon:

Next month’s posting will cover the next installment of Mercury’s unduly infamous retrograde cycle and a healing grand water trine, brought to you by the social planets, Jupiter & Saturn, & the philosopher planetoid, Chiron.

Upcoming Bay Area Events:

<> Second Fridays of the month, drop in for an energetic realignment during the saging hour, 12 PM til 12:50 PM, or schedule a private CoAlithesis session at Homestead Apothecary’s low-cost clinic.

<>Long tone choir gatherings are second Mondays of the month at 6:30 PM. Take part in a mingling of music & consciousness. It’s free, & all are welcome.

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,

Rae Diamond

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Spring 2014, Sun in Aries

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.

Please click here for the Aligning Heaven & Earth, Spring 2014 mp3.

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,

Rae Diamond