Astrological Energies June 13 to 19, 2011

NorthPoint
Astrology Journal
Written by Pam Younghans
Photo: Northern lights seen on June 5 from Athelstane, Wisconsin (photo by Steve McDonough)

Warning: Grab your cup of tea or coffee -- It's a long Journal this week...

ANOTHER HIGH-ENERGY week lies before us (which means that a good night's sleep continues to be a priority!). The star of the show is, most assuredly, the Total Lunar Eclipse on Wednesday (1:14pm PDT), but there are many supporting players who will be drawing our attention as well.

These eight weeks or more, beginning in early May, are a crunch-time. We are cramming as much learning and releasing as possible into a very short period. Our three eclipses are providing the stage set and the main plot, while other planetary interactions fill in the background story and keep the dialogue moving.

OUR OPENING SCENE this week includes a flash-back to old thought patterns. Mercury is aligned with the South Node in late Gemini on Monday, potentially stirring up some anxieties and negative or circular thinking. If this occurs for you, breathe deeply, reroute your worry train, and consider that this is just a reminder of where we've been and what we are leaving behind.

On stage at the same time is a Chiron-Venus square, exposing relationship wounds involving who said what, what they really meant, what someone did or didn't reveal, and the resulting deception-distrust-victim-blame themes. With Chiron now in Pisces, our healing is not about ignoring our pain or allowing our fear of being hurt to interfere with creating future (or more intimate current) relationships. Instead, we are challenged to open our hearts and our minds (Venus in Gemini) and to accept that there is divine purpose behind even those situations that appear unfair or those actions that appear to be betrayal.

ASTROLOGER AND AUTHOR Martin Lass writes this about Chiron's work with us when in Pisces, defining our shared healing path now:

"The path to oneness is only attained when we can see that all things serve us in our lives -- that all things serve our healing and evolution of consciousness. All things are divine acts of love. The more we see and acknowledge the hidden purpose behind seemingly 'wrong' events and circumstances, the more we are inclined to open the doors that we shut so tightly in the beginning. The more we can do this, the more we regain trust in a guiding hand, trust in a universal plan, trust in a God, and trust in the omnipresence of love." (From Chiron: Healing Body and Soul)

We may not like what we feel when Chiron reawakens those parts of our psyches that have not yet learned to trust. We may struggle with righteous anger and the urge to repay in kind. At the very least, we will be tempted to use the experience to justify creating further distance between ourselves and the offender.

But, Mr. Lass also gently reminds us in his book that, with Chiron's intention being to help us heal our lack of trust, "The final issue is neither redress nor compensation, but realizing that there was never anything to forgive; all was perfect as it was -- a part of the divine plan."

ON TUESDAY, the Sun steps into the costume Mercury wore in the previous scene, as the center of our solar system aligns with the South Node. More reminders of the past may flood our awareness with this alignment, including those ways in which we have allowed our minds to control us, rather than knowing that we are ultimately in control of our minds.

This is another opportunity to say good-bye to those mental patterns that have interfered with our ability to base our lives on our intuitive knowing and wisdom. The way through the energy of this alignment -- and through the Lunar Eclipse on Wednesday -- is to ask ourselves not "What do I think?" but "What do I know?" In other words, what does that deep inner place of peace and wisdom tell me?

OUR NEXT SCENE introduces the Lunar Eclipse, the main character in this week's drama -- although, truth be told, we've already been getting acquainted with some of the influences of this one, since eclipse energies can start to build about four weeks in advance of the exact occurrence.

This eclipse is a total eclipse and a very long one. According to Spaceweather.com, this will be the longest total eclipse in almost 11 years, with the Earth blocking the Sun's light from reaching the Moon (and reflecting back to us) for more than 100 minutes. All of us on Earth, even if we are not in a physical location for viewing the eclipse, as well as Gaia herself, will experience this extended period without the energetic imprinting we are used to receiving from the Moon -- energy that reaches us throughout the Moon's cycle, even when it is only a sliver in the sky.

With this energy source being interrupted, we become more aware than usual of what has been stored in our own unconscious minds. Memories, emotions and deeper motivations flood into consciousness, giving us the opportunity to do our own reflecting on what is really going on inside of us, what we really need and want, and what our intuition is trying to reveal to us regarding these matters.

AS WITH ALL THINGS astrological and otherwise, there are perceived positives and negatives to this event. The benefit comes from our being more in touch with our truth (Moon in Sagittarius), as well as gaining a stronger knowing of what we really believe in.

In the positive, Sagittarius is optimistic, adventurous and enthusiastic. In keeping with its symbol of the centaur's arrow, this sign is always aiming higher, seeking greater wisdom and a deeper understanding of truth. For Sagittarius, that path to wisdom involves explorations into new territory, keeping one's mind open to new ideas, and making oneself available to experiences that will expand one's view of reality.

On the less-than-positive side of the sign, the search for truth and wisdom can lose its joyful openmindedness and become limited dogma: "My truth is the only way" (subtext: and if you don't believe this way, you're in trouble). In the other extreme, the outgoingness of Sagittarius can become too scattered, never settling in on one idea long enough to reap its deeper meaning and gifts.

OUR RESPONSE to this eclipse, both individually and collectively, will depend not only on where we are in knowing ourselves and our truth, but also on how flexible we can be when considering that just because someone else believes differently, it doesn't mean that one of us is wrong. That's a tough one for most of our human minds to wrap around.

We may also be challenged to deal with some of those unconscious motivations and hidden beliefs that have been directing the course of our lives for many years-- perhaps since the last time there was an eclipse at the 25th degree of Sagittarius, on June 14, 1992.

THE SABIAN SYMBOL for this degree of Sagittarius tells us that it's time to use our imaginations, to project the image of who we want to be into the future. It also cautions us to realize that who we know ourselves to be now, and the way we think about this journey, may only be a fraction of who we really are and what we are actually capable of:

"A chubby boy on a hobby horse: The anticipatory enjoyment of powers one can only as yet dream of utilizing."

The interpretation of this symbol explains it as "an initiation" -- and certainly, we are all being initiated now into a higher perspective and into a higher-vibrational version of ourselves. Wherever we are holding onto old, limited views of reality, we are experiencing resistance. Wherever we are allowing ourselves to move into the greater wisdom of our higher selves, we are finding glimpses of the true power that lies within each of us -- which allows us to experience much greater joy in the present and much greater hope as we dream of the future.

THIS LUNAR ECLIPSE will be instrumental both in helping us see those remaining places of resistance and in facilitating the experience of our greater potential. It also looks like it's going to give us a LOT to think about.

Just look at the list of Mercury aspects for the remainder of the week:

Thursday: Mercury enters Cancer, Neptune trines Mercury
Friday: Jupiter sextiles Mercury
Saturday: Uranus squares Mercury
Sunday: Chiron trines Mercury, Pluto opposes Mercury

Since Mercury rules our conscious thought process, and the Lunar Eclipse has the potential to bring unconscious patterns into our awareness, this progression of Mercury aspects in the wake of the eclipse makes sense.

IN SCENE THREE, Mercury leaves airy Gemini and enters watery Cancer, where he becomes less communicative and social, preferring to spend his time at home contemplating the past and considering the emotional component of events. Neptune in Pisces plays a supportive role in this transition, helping Mercury interpret his experience with his heart instead of with his intellect. Jupiter also steps in to assist, providing grounding for the process from his position in Taurus.

But, the inner sanctuary is not a place where Mercury will be able to rest for long. The weekend -- and the final scene of Act One -- brings some complications, as Uranus and Pluto come knocking at the door, insisting that Mercury leave his comfortable armchair and make some decisions.

URANUS IN ARIES, through a challenging square aspect, wants Mercury to take action based on what he has learned during his time of contemplation. The amount of information coming in may feel a bit overwhelming with this influence, causing restlessness and nervousness. One moment, we may think we have it figured out, and the next moment we may find a completely different solution seems like the right answer.

Again, breathing is always a good idea, as it gives our brains (and Mercury) a chance to pause in the midst of overwhelm. Do your best not to act impulsively with this influence, since we may or may not be hearing our intuition as clearly as we would hope. Instead, allow the ideas to come through and record them for later consideration -- perhaps when there is less static in the lines.

AS URANUS DEPARTS the scene, in comes Pluto, complicating things further. Standing in the opposite corner of the room from where Mercury sits in his Cancer chair, Pluto in Capricorn may look a bit intimidating, representing the ways in which we give away our power to an authority figure.

As Pluto confronts Mercury and challenges his ideas, Mercury has a choice in how he reacts. When feeling threatened, Mercury in Cancer may run and hide (reinforcing the belief that his ideas are not worth being heard), or argue defensively (reinforcing the belief that he has to defend his truth rather than BE his truth).

But, to use his Crab persona most in the most positive ways, Mercury can take a third option when feeling opposed: he can sidle off to the side to gain some space and objectivity. This action allows the confrontational energy to subside and emotions to become more calm so that ensuing conversations can be more productive and decisions can be made more clearly.

The trine from Chiron, also on Sunday, should help us choose this third option. This aspect will help us trust the larger process, and encourage us to use compassion for ourselves and others as a healing tool.

AND THAT is where the curtain falls on Act One, setting up the dynamics to be played out in Act Two (next week's Solstice on June 21 and the Sun square Uranus) and Act Three (the following week's Sun opposite Pluto and the Solar Eclipse on July 1).

I'm hoping there's mango sorbet with fresh raspberries and coconut-milk whipped cream at intermission.

TELECLASS RECORDING: Remember, if you were unable to attend my recent teleclass on the June-July 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!

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