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.

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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?

Sun in Sagittarius, Jupiter Stations Retrograde

When you read the word, ECOLOGY, you probably think of the natural environment of the Earth, which may then lead you to feelings of anxiety, frustration, or grief. But before the emotions, before the association with the global environment, there was only the word, ECOLOGY. Say it out loud and repeat it a few times, fast and slow. Notice its inherent musicality, its implied lilt and melody. Now consider the implications of ECOLOGY’s roots: the study of home. This month, take a look at the interrelation of your mind, body, beliefs, and life. Observe - and perhaps revise - your ecology of mind.

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Sun in Sagittarius: 11/22 - 12/21

At this point in the Sun’s yearly journey, we leap from the destroying and empowering depths and darkness of Scorpio to the exhilarating heights and unbridled freedom of Sagittarius. It’s time to ask the big questions of life, to search for meaning, to cast off some constraints, and revel. That would be the whole story if the Sun traveled in a void, but there are other forces acting on this solar month. Some of Sagittarius’ fire will be earthbound and even subterranean this time around, but you will still find yourself mulling over such questions as these:

     Are your philosophies in alignment with your values?

    How does your ecology of mind compare to the ecology of the Earth?

    What are the most meaningful experiences you could choose to engage in this month?

    What are the most meaningful experiences you could choose to engage in this lifetime?

    What do you really believe?

    Are your beliefs limiting or liberating?

The Anchored Vision Lunation Begins: 11/22, Culminates: 12/6

The Sun and Moon conjoin in the first degree of fiery Sagittarius, closely sandwiched between the two earthiest planets: Saturn and Venus. This gives the imperative for beliefs based on values, and anchored in reality. Neptune in Pisces squares the Sun and Moon, further emphasizing the shattering of illusions, and the need to let go of that which simply does not work, or no longer belongs in one’s current phase of life. This new moon configuration suggests we allow ourselves to dream, to suspend our normal beliefs for a moment, and allow our minds to travel into vaster potential outcomes than we usually dare to consider. The formula is: As belief expands, so too does reality.

    What is working in your life? - How can you further nourish those aspects?

    What in your life is falling apart, dissolving, dissipating? - How can you surrender to that process?

    What elements of your life do you whole-heartedly believe in?

    What visions are worthy of manifestation?

    Suspend belief: If you believed anything was possible, what could unfold in your life and in the world?

This lunation culminates on December 6th with a full moon in Gemini. At this point, Mercury - the ruler of that Gemini Moon - conjoins the Sun in Sagittarius, highlighting the experience of these two opposing signs as a single axis. Fact and detail can thus inspire a fresh sense of the big picture, while the gestalt can bring heretofore unnoticed minutiae into focus. This full moon chart also shows a loose grand fire trine between the Sun, Mercury, Venus, asteroid, Ceres, and planetoid, Pholus in Sagittarius, with Uranus in Aries and Jupiter in Leo. This configuration offers great opportunity, but also inspires compulsive over-doing and over-committing, with a tendency to compensate for the attendant stress with over-consumption. There is also a strong imperative to get out into deep nature. The high road in the first week of December is this: Spend some time in the mountains or woods, and let yourself dream big. Then jump back into your hectic life, and make some more informed and wise choices about what to commit to and what to let go of.

    What opportunities are showing up for you at this time?

    Which of those opportunities bring you the most joy, or feel closest to your heart?

Jupiter in Retrograde: 12/8/14 - 4/8/15

Jupiter is far enough out in the solar system that his annual four-month retrograde cycles don’t directly effect the everyday functioning of our lives. This is one of those more subtle, internal influences from the Cosmos. This year, however, Jupiter’s retrograde station is significant because it occurs while the Sun and Jupiter are in mutual reception - each planet is traveling through the other planet’s home sign. This increases the fusion of their energetic pairing, and also implies that our experience of the Sun (i.e. life force) will also hit a slump around December 8th.

    How do your involvements, creations, and joys inform your beliefs?

    What have you been giving a lot of energy to since mid-September?

    Are those involvements bringing you joy, and are they in alignment with your beliefs?

    If so, how can you bolster your faith in those involvements?

    If not, how can you let them go?

   

Tension in the Heavens:

December is classically a tense month in our society due to familial and consumeristic pressures that clash with our animal bodies’ needs to be slowing down for the winter. This December will have an extra oomph of stress from the heavens as Uranus makes another exact square to Pluto on December 14th. This is the fourth of five exact passes between revolutionary and impatient Uranus in Aries and exacting, destroying and regenerating Pluto in Capricorn, spanning from 2012 through 2015. These are slow planets, so you’ll feel the intensity of this energy throughout December. Venus squares Uranus and conjoins Pluto on December 20th. On the low realm of the spectrum, these aspects can inspire greed, hunger for power, and a belief that whoever does not share our value system is wrong. On the high end of the spectrum, this influence can help us commit more deeply to what we believe will have lasting importance in society, help us value the good of the past while still allowing for change, and teach us about the transformative powers of love. As always, how you experience this energy is your choice.

    What are you slowly and steadily constructing that is transforming you and your life?

    What are you impatient & frustrated with? - How can you relinquish control there?

    What does liberation mean to you, in your life and in the world at this time?

    What is the difference between power and control?

    How can you inspire and attract others with the power and beauty of your values?

Wrapping up Saturn in Scorpio: 10/6/12 - 12/23/14

We are coming to the end of what I refer to as “The Scorpio Era.” Since October of 2012, we’ve had a mutual reception of Saturn in Scorpio and Pluto in Capricorn, Mercury retrogrades in Scorpio, and eclipses in Scorpio. For one more month, as Saturn completes his transit through Scorpio, we’ll be rooting through our deeply held pain and insecurity around authority, sexuality, gender and power. We have one more month to find and tap into that personal agency and authority that stems from our deepest knowing. We have one more month to turn around, face our shadow, and embrace the strength and beauty of that inner beast. One of my favorite ways to tap into the subconscious is automatic writing. Set a timer for two minutes, and then answer the questions below, two minutes per question. Keep your pen moving on the paper throughout the two minutes, even if it’s just writing gibberish or repetitions.

    What/who does your shadow look like? - Bonus: Draw a picture or make a collage.

    What does your shadow say?

    What does your shadow want?

    What is your shadow’s power?

Coming Soon:

Next month’s report on the solar month of Capricorn will offer insights into the major shift of Saturn into Sagittarius, and the energetic imperatives of the 2015 calendar year. Feel free to like & repost this report as you see fit. Until next time, wishing you a heart-ful month.  Thanks for reading,

Rae Diamond

Aries Lunar Eclipse, Mercury Retrograde, Autumn Equinox 2014

In autumn, the slant of the light produces a familiar glow that signals a confluence of gathering and dissipating activities. Animals store food for the winter in their bodies and homes while leaves and fruits fall from plants. Throughout nature, decisions are being made - what goes and what stays? What continues to live, and what dies?

Sun in Libra: 9/22 - 10/23

Autumn begins on September 22nd, as the Sun enters Libra, the sign of the scales. Typically, during the solar month of Libra, our primary aim is to bring our lives into balance. After the expansive, try-anything, do-everything energy of spring and summer, our energy starts to flag. We need to decide what is worth continuing, and what needs to be let go of. We’ll have some help in that process this month as Venus, the ruler of Libra and clarifier of values, travels close to the Sun - i.e. our light of consciousness.

     What relationships, activities, communities and places do you value most?

     How can you let go of that which means less to you with grace?

     What is your relationship with your own dignity?

     How can you honor the dignity of that which you commit to and that which you move away from?

Autumn Equinox & Pluto stations Direct: 9/22

The autumn equinox also occurs on September 22nd. After six months of the days being longer than the nights, nature brings light and dark into balance for a moment. It’s a brief still point, but it’s also a tipping point. From this day on through the next six months, darkness will be stronger than light. In a culture that equates light with all things good, and dark with all things bad, we may have to face some fears and resistance to this change.

     What is the wisdom of darkness? What does it teach us?

      How do you move in the dark? What senses become more acute when you cannot see?

     What treasures might you find when you explore the shadows of your mind?

One more key event on this particular autumn equinox day is Pluto, the planet of power through transformation, stations direct in steadfast and ambitious Capricorn. Pluto stationed retrograde in mid-April, indicating that deeper shifts have occurred within us, rather than in our outer world. On this equinox day, the scales start to tip in this way as well - the deeper truths revealed in the past five months can now be put into practice. The transformation process of Pluto in retrograde is often subtle, and only fully understood in hindsight. However, these questions may help you identify some elements of your current process of deep change, and therefore how to implement these shifts more consciously.

     What deeper power have you tapped into since mid-April?

     How has your relationship with your own and others’ authority shifted since mid-April?

The Liminal Lunation Begins on 9/23 (PDT)

The moon is new in Libra late the next night, on September 23rd. This means that autumn began under a balsamic moon, thus accentuating the elements of stillness, release and return throughout the season. The energetic imprint of the second degree of Libra, where this new moon occurs, is that of a threshold. Mars in Sagittarius is sextile the Sun and Moon in Libra, offering courage through conviction and faith. Mars is also square Neptune in Pisces, so you may find it helpful to retreat into nature - especially near water - for clarity at this time. This configuration suggests that something may need to be sacrificed. To sacrifice means to make sacred through release. To walk through that doorway, we must leave the old, known world behind. Neptune urges us to bid farewell to our known world with devotion.

     What two worlds do you currently stand between?

     Can you let go of the known world you are leaving behind with dignity and devotion?

     Can you step into the unknown world before you with courage and faith?

Grand Fire Trine: 9/25 - 10/8

In the midst of all of this letting go, we have a very different energy building in the form of a grand fire trine. Between the equinox and the first two weeks of October, Uranus, Jupiter and Mars will be in alignment in the three fire signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. Grand trines tend to offer great opportunities with a lot of momentum, but it’s up to us to act on them. There are down sides to this configuration, however. Watch out, however, for burning yourself out. There may be too many opportunities knocking at your door, and you may not be able to take them all. The high road with this configuration is to take creative and courageous leaps based on your convictions, but do take a moment to first get clear about what your beliefs actually are before you jump into the fire of commitment. Fire-prone areas of the world may also be in extra danger at this time.

     What opportunities are showing up for you?

     Which ones are most in alignment with your own philosophies?

     How can you maintain a balance between stillness and action at this time?

Full Lunar Eclipse in Aries: 10/8

Meanwhile, the distant rumbles of the full lunar eclipse in mid-Aries draw nearer. The Sun, north node of the moon, Venus, and asteroid, Pallas, are conjoined in Libra. Opposite them, the Moon, Uranus, south node of the moon, and planetoid, Eris, are conjoined in Aries. Mars and Jupiter feed the flames of this tense configuration while Pluto applies some torque from Capricorn. If you feel like you’re being scorched and torn asunder, congratulations - you’re in alignment. During a lunar eclipse, the shadow of the earth passes over the moon while it is full, and thus in the peak of its light phase. At the moment of greatest light, we experience darkness. It is in these moments of abnormality that we can gain insight not normally available to us. Here is what the planets ask us during this lunar eclipse:

     How can you exercise patience in the midst of strife?

     What practices, people, beliefs and values bring you into balance?

     If you allow yourself to be torn apart, how might you fit back together into a truer whole?

     What might be missing from your life that you can add only once you release something that’s in its way?

Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio & Libra: 10/4 - 10/25

In the midst of all of that motion and stillness, and all of that arising and descending, Mercury enters his final retrograde cycle of 2014. This particular Mercury retrograde period is intrinsically linked to the two eclipses occurring in October by timing, sign, and degree. This means we have access to greater insight and clarity during this difficult eclipse season if we practice accurate awareness, and then accept and adapt to what is happening within and around us. The combination of Scorpio and Libra suggests we work with these questions:

     How can you bring levity and grace to that which feels heavy and awkward?

     Which activities and relationships are you not fully committing to?

     Which of those activities and relationships are you willing to commit more deeply to?

     How can you respectfully let go of those activities & relationships you cannot commit to?

     If you are the one being let go of, how can you gracefully accept that loss, and adapt to your new reality?

     What rebirth may come in the wake of the endings you face?

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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

 

Sun in Sagittarius, Loose Water Trine & Cardinal Cross

Solar Month of Sagittarius, 2013

Sun in Sagittarius: 11/21/13 (PDT) through 12/21/13

What comes into your mind when you read the following word?

REWARD

Spend some time with your answers (aside from any answers involving wanted posters from old Western movies or desperate lost pet flyers).  I’ll ask you again in the spring, & you’ll then find your answers to be quite different - richer & deeper in meaning, & with a sense of a vaster timespan.

On a similar yet different note, one of the things I get asked the most as an astrologer is, “When will things get better?”  The only honest answer to this question is, “There is no such thing as better.”  I’m a professional, so I have a better bedside manner than to say that directly to someone struggling with the beasts of life.  But these planetary reports are truth time, so it’s safe to say:

Things will not get better because there is no such thing as better.  Things will change, & hopefully we will evolve both as individuals & as a species so that we perceive & experience these changes in a more open way.

But for now, we are many planets, eclipses, & sensitive points deep in truth-telling, transformation-inducing Scorpio, in the throes of an on-going tense configuration of outer planets, decades away from gaining our bearings after the 2006 discovery of Eris (named after the goddess of strife!), & about to enter into an inner planet retrograding bonanza.  This age we find ourselves in, friends, is challenging.  But the coming solar month may feel just a tad softer than the previous month & the proceeding months, so whoop up & enjoy your holidays - or your avoidance of them - as the case may be... because we’ll be entering a dense time this Winter Solstice.

The Sagittarius solar month begins on November 21st with a close alignment of the recently stationed retrograde ruler of Sagittarius, Jupiter, dark moon Lilith & the Moon in the lunar home sign of Cancer, all widely trine Saturn, Mercury & the lunar north node in Scorpio, & recently stationed direct Chiron in Pisces.  This is a loose grand water trine, reminding you to manage your emotions this month.  Here’s how this planetary set-up asks you to do just that:

Cancer conjunction:

What happens when I deepen my faith in the support of the Universe?

How do I see my needs evolving, & how can I plan to support my future needs, rather than my present desires?

What needs am I afraid of acknowledging?  Am I projecting these “unsightly” needs onto others?

Scorpio conjunction:

Am I responding appropriately to my needs, & to the needs of those I’m closest with?

Am I effectively communicating my needs, or am I expecting others to just know what I need & provide it for me, like a mother for an infant?

Where do my needs & my deepest desires meet, & where do they diverge?

What are the most important responsibilities in my life - those things that having attended to them will allow me to die in peace, when my time in this body comes to a close?

Chiron in Pisces insights:

Which situations in my life will shift with the salve of FORGIVENESS?  Hint: Consider those wounds that will never go away in your most intimate relationships, & in your family.  Forgive the unforgivable, & see what happens.

Am I being compassionate enough - with myself as well as with others?

With the Sun in Sagittarius, the glues that will hold you together this solar month will be to maintain your optimism, deepen your faith, & do some behind-the-scenes work on taking right risks on yourself & your future.  With Sagittarian ruler, Jupiter in retrograde, you may find it difficult to act outright until the spring, or if you do get big plans set in motion now, expect them to revise, revision & realign in the coming months.  November closes with Venus in the shadow of her coming retrograde in Pluto-tinted Capricorn, & Mercury out of his recent retrograde in Scorpio.  One in-depth chapter closes, & another one opens.

In the first week of December, things lighten up a bit as Mercury enters optimistic Sagittarius on the 4th, & Mars enters Libra on the 7th.  This follows closely on the heels of the December 2nd Sagittarius new moon, so you’ll leap into a more hopeful, fresh start feeling around then. 

Mercury in Sagittarius:

What happens when I “zoom out” the camera of my perception in the various situations/relationships in my life?

What philosophies glue my experience of reality together in a way that inspires me to feel a vaster faith in the Universe, in humanity, & in myself?

Mars in Libra:

Am I compromising when a need to relinquish is necessary?

Am I standing up for myself when it’s necessary to stay my ground?

Am I doing the above in direct, effective & appropriate ways?

On the December 17th Gemini full moon, electrifying Uranus grinds to a halt in the sky as he stations direct.  At this point, the on-going Pluto/Uranus square - that challenges us as individuals & as a species to evolve the greater structures of our lives & governments while also managing outbursts of revolt against constrictions & jolting insights that rock our sense of reality - is now a grand cardinal cross, with Jupiter in Cancer & asteroids Vesta & Ceres in Libra.

Uranus stationing direct:

How have my revolutionary visions shifted since mid-July?

What is my inspiration now?

What is my muse now calling me to do that requires a new level of courage?

The cardinal cross:

How can I better balance activating my personal vision with nurturing & tending my most important relationships?

What can I do to live in better harmony with the earth, tending & stewarding this precious home we share with many other beings?

Am I being disciplined in my attention to the vaster shifts I’m making in my life?

Am I acting on my insights, & bringing them into reality in a way that accounts for the greater context of our shared reality?

Phew!  That’s quite enough.  We’ll get into the Venus retrograde in Capricorn (December 21st, 2013 - January 31st, 2014) in next month’s report.

If you’re the gift-giving sort, please note that I now have sweet little gift certificates available for any of my services, or as credit towards art, both commissions and ready-made.  Instructions for purchase can be found at the bottom of the astrology, CoAlithesis & Alithesis pages.

For more personalized insight, you may go here to schedule a private astrological consult, a healing session ($45 special on first-time treatments until 2014), or a healing intensive.  Consults & healings are both available in person, over the phone, or via Skype.  If you enjoy these reports, please forward this page on & repost it as you see fit.  Until next time, wishing you an inspired & expansive month.  Thanks for reading,

Rae Diamond

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