Astrological Energies May 30 to June 5, 2011

NorthPoint
Astrology Journal
Written by Pam Younghans
Photo: Colorful auroras raining down last night outside of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (photo taken May 28 by Zoltan Kenwell)

WHERE TO START! We have so much planetary activity this week, it's hard to know exactly where to begin. It's a bit like looking at a full menu, with so many different dishes to choose from.

First one catches the eye, then another. Do we want something savory or sweet? Do we start with something light and then dive into the main course? And how many side dishes do we order, knowing that we don't want to overload our capacity?

LET'S CONSIDER our main course first -- the Solar Eclipse on Wednesday. Although this is a partial eclipse, it still represents a singular opportunity both to resolve old patterns and to begin anew.

The singularity of this eclipse, and adding to its significance, comes from the fact that this is a "new" eclipse. Eclipses most often follow a 19-year pattern, which means they occur at the same degree of the zodiac and on about the same calendar day every 19 years. Every so often, we have an eclipse in a new location, where there was not an eclipse 19 years ago, or 38 years ago, or even further back.

This week's Solar Eclipse at 11 degrees of Gemini is one of those "new" eclipses, stimulating a new zodiac degree and providing the impulse both for resolution of karmic issues and for launching new enterprises related to the energy of that degree.

So, what does this degree of Gemini represent?

SABIAN SYMBOLS are symbolic images representing the themes activated by each of the 360 degrees of the zodiac. Here is the (slightly abridged) interpretation for the degree of this week's Solar Eclipse:

"Liberation from the ghosts of the past. We carry the ghosts of our former lives and the memories of collective social patterns with which we have identified our egos. Every new beginning is surrounded with ghosts (or personal and social karma). Whoever seeks to be truly an individual must be liberated from the past. What is needed is total liquidation of the past."

Eclipses are always related to our karma in some way, as they occur when a New or Full Moon is within a certain proximity of the North and South Node (karmic indicators in astrology). When we have our usual pair of eclipses every six months, we have the expanded opportunity to move forward on our path of highest growth and to resolve the issues that have been obstacles on that path.

WEDNESDAY'S Solar Eclipse, carrying the theme of "Liberation from the ghosts of the past," takes that possibility for karmic completion to new levels. And, with the eclipse in Gemini (which rules our thinking and communicating), we are specifically looking at leaving behind any remaining negative thought patterns, such as worry, anxiety, impatience and pessimism.

As we use the energy of this eclipse to release the mental habit patterns that have interfered with our progress, we are replacing those circular thought patterns with a greater reliance on intuition and our guidance from unseen realms. We are developing a stronger trust in ourselves and our ability to handle challenges as they arise, rather than needing to fret in advance about what might happen.

SATURN ACTS as our anchor at the time of this eclipse, forming a harmonious trine aspect with the Sun and Moon on Wednesday. This stabilizing influence should assist us in having the discipline and objectivity we need to make practical changes in the "real" world. We can choose now, with Saturn in Libra, to come into better balance internally, which will then have the effect of also harmonizing our external world, especially our relationships.

This eclipse marks a new beginning and a new opportunity. It is about changing our perspective, which in turn changes our reality. We are moving from the cause-and-effect way of molding our lives, and into creation through Resonance. Like a tuning fork, we are learning to hold a higher vibration that raises all we touch to a new and higher level. And, our thoughts, ruled by Gemini, are key to shifting into that higher frequency.

THIS SOLAR ECLIPSE is the first of our trio of eclipses, to be followed by a Total Lunar Eclipse on June 15, and another Partial Solar Eclipse on July 1. These three are linked energetically, and increase the potential for major shifts to occur during this time.

As inhabitants of planet Earth, we continuously receive light and energy from our Sun, which is also reflected to us off the surface of the Moon. This light and energy contains information from the other planets in our solar system, and from anything else in space that interacts magnetically with our Sun. We know that physically, the light and warmth from the Sun makes it possible for life to exist on our planet. That solar energy also supports us and sustains us on unseen levels.

DURING AN ECLIPSE, that continuous flow of information and energy is interrupted, leaving us more "on our own," in a sense. It is during eclipses that we can become more aware of what is really going on internally, and can gain new insights into issues we have either consciously or unconsciously been working on. This temporary void can be very beneficial, but being "alone with our thoughts" can also be somewhat uncomfortable, since we may find ourselves having to face issues and emotions we have been avoiding.

An eclipse is like turning off the radio for a while, when the music has been constantly playing in the background for the past six months. The silence takes some getting used to. It allows us to hear our thoughts and feel our feelings in ways we may not have before. And, if we have been successfully pushing some of those thoughts and feelings aside, the space and silence of an eclipse can be a catalyst for important changes.

WITH THREE ECLIPSES occurring within the course of 31 days, our mental, emotional and physical bodies will be going through many adjustments in a short period, as three times we first accommodate the interruption and then the resuming of energy flow. We may stumble around a bit in this energy fluctuation, especially if we've already been feeling off-center. And Gaia, being an energy-based being like ourselves, also goes through her adjustment time when we have eclipses.

More to come about these eclipses in the next few Journals!

OTHER IMPORTANT planetary events also occur this week, our "side dishes" on the menu -- dishes that on other weeks might have taken the role of main course. In particular, Neptune stations retrograde on Thursday, and Jupiter leaves Aries and steps into Taurus on Saturday.

When a planet slows to change direction, as Neptune does this week, its energetic influence is increased. In the positive, Neptune represents themes of compassion, spirituality, imagination and intuition. In the negative, Neptune can also correspond with disillusionment, escapism, hypersensitivity and a lack of practicality.

The square between Neptune and Mercury on Friday indicates our thinking may be a bit foggy as we finish the work week, and that we will be challenged to move into a high-heart perspective and to trust our intuition over our logic. Expansive thinking and new ideas will also be assisted on Saturday when Uranus sextiles Mercury.

JUPITER ENTERS TAURUS after a very short, whirlwind trip through Aries. Jupiter spent just slightly over four months in the sign of the Ram, pushing us to run faster and jump longer, and to do it Now.

Jupiter is the largest planet in our known solar system and, accordingly, expands whatever he touches. As he moves into Taurus and gets settled in over the next few weeks, he will begin to emphasize our need for peace, comfort and security, and encourage us to connect more regularly with nature. We may also find ourselves more willing to spend money on things we want, purchases that add beauty to our lives or support us in practical ways -- or, preferably, both.

My hope is that with Jupiter settling into Taurus, we'll have a little bit more breathing room energetically, since Taurus moves at a much slower pace than Aries. At the very least, this change should help us stay more grounded during the heightened energies of eclipse season!

TELECLASS RECORDING: Remember, if you were unable to attend my recent teleclass on the eclipses and other upcoming planetary influences, you can still purchase the recording and slideshow! Just send me an email and we'll make arrangements.

Blessings,

Pam

NorthPoint Astrology Blog: Please check out my blog for updates at http://northpointastrology.blogspot.com/ -- I look forward to your comments! To request a personal astrology reading, please e-mail Pam at pam@northpointastrology.com. Or, see the "Readings" page at www.northpointastrology.com to learn more. Please feel free to share this NorthPoint Journal with people you think may enjoy it. When doing so, please forward it in its entirety, including our contact and copyright information. Copyright NorthPoint Astrology 2011. All Rights Reserved.