Astrological Energies August 8 to 14, 2011

NorthPoint
Astrology Journal
Written by Pam Younghans
Photo: One of the strongest geomagnetic storms in years occurred on August 5, registering 8 on the 0 to 9 "K-index" scale of magnetic disturbances (photo of aurora borealis by Travis Novitsky of Grand Portage, Minnesota)

THE SOLAR WIND has been magnified over the past few days, increasing the amount of higher-vibrational energy and information that is broadcast to Earth from the Sun. As a result, the urge and inspiration to create something new in our lives has also increased. This is an amplification of the influence of the Leo Sun, which encourages us to take risks, and to bring new form to our creative impulses.

For many, this enhanced creative urge may express itself through the acquisition of something new, and may appear to be driven by practical concerns -- the computer that no longer works, requiring us to buy a new one; the car that is no longer trustworthy, that must be replaced; the need to find a new job or new tool for either economic or self-satisfaction reasons; or the need to replace something else that is either worn out or has outworn its usefulness. For others, the urge for new creation may be more obviously "artistic," not out of a perceived practical need, but out of the desire to express the self outwardly in some way.

Whether the manifestation is artistic or practical in nature, the underlying motivations are the same -- to extend our essence into physical form so that we may feel the joy of creation, and to re-create our environment so that it becomes a more accurate, authentic reflection of who we are (or aspire to be).

THIS WEEK has the potential to further shift our reality in significant ways. Midweek, Mars will step into position opposite Pluto and square Uranus, activating some of the potentials created with the Solar Eclipse/Cardinal Grand Cross that occurred on July 1.

To better understand this influence, we can once again envision a conference table, with chairs on all four sides. Uranus is seated, as in July, on the Aries side of the table, arguing for the rights and freedoms of the individual. Pluto is also situated as before, at right angles to Uranus. Seated in the Capricorn position, Pluto is more concerned with transforming the long-term existing societal and political structures than worrying about the individual's short-term needs.

These two planets are not seeing eye-to-eye. They both want change, but are at odds as to how that change should be accomplished -- through inspiring individuals to rise up, in the style of the movie "Network," to say "I'm not going to take this anymore!" (Uranus in Aries) -- or through the destruction and ultimate rebuilding of the political and social status quo (Pluto in Capricorn).

WE COULD SAY that each of these initiatives supports the other, that one of the results of social change is usually the empowerment of the individual -- and, that as individuals change, the structures that support them must also change. Perhaps the disagreement between Pluto and Uranus is more of a "which came first, the chicken or the egg" type of question.

Even if this is true, what occurs when planets square each other -- as Pluto and Uranus will be doing for the next five years! -- is that we continually feel the urge for change and must also deal with the obstacles that stand in the way of that change. So, for instance, if one of the issues we will deal with over the next five years is our source of energy and reducing our reliance on oil, we will have to face how to handle the individual's need/right for autonomy through reliance on personal cars (Uranus in Aries) and also confront the power structures held in place by those entities that control oil and politics (Pluto in Capricorn).

AS MARS joins the conference on Tuesday and Wednesday, the red planet takes a seat in the Cancer position, opposite Pluto and at an angle to Uranus. In this position, Mars acts as the energizer to the debate, pushing the other two planets to come forward with their arguments.

Mars can be seen as the irritant in the room, the mosquito or fly that keeps buzzing around and will not go away. The effect is that emotions that are already volatile may become more pronounced, and power struggles may reach a crescendo.

The purpose of an irritant is to bring about a response, to move issues forward where they may have been stuck. This is what we may see this week, as our reality changes once again.

WITH MARS IN CANCER, it will be especially important for us to stay heart-centered throughout this week, to rise above knee-jerk reactions and defensive responses. As spiritual beings in human bodies, we have the ability to tap into the higher aspects of our selves, and to allow that enhanced perspective to guide us in all of our endeavors. This shift in perspective is perhaps our greatest personal challenge throughout these times of change.

Some of the irritations from Tuesday and Wednesday will carry forward into the next couple of days, as Uranus and Pluto form minor confrontational aspects with the Sun and Venus -- and Saturn also takes on retrograde Mercury. There are not likely to be new manifestations through these aspects, as much as working with what has already come into our awareness, with added opportunities to practice being our Highest Selves.

THE FULL MOON on Saturday brings us the rainbow after the storm, if we are willing to lift our heads and look to the skies. The Sun is aligned with Venus and Mercury at the time of the lunation, encouraging us to open our hearts and also to bring our thoughts into the light. We can transcend the drama and allow ourselves to be guided by the higher aspects of our being, and we can also ask our physical and nonphysical support teams for their support in this shift.

The keynote from astrologer Dane Rudhyar for the degree of the Aquarian Full Moon reinforces both the challenge and the potential of this lunation:

"The capacity to meet emotionally upsetting experiences in human relationships with strength of character and personal integrity."

Our choice, as always, is between love and fear. The option we choose determines the quality of our lives and our ability to move forward in grace. This Full Moon on Saturday provides the light that can support our choice of love, if we will open to it.

Blessings,

Pam

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