Astrology Journal
Written by Pam Younghans
Photo: A partial Lunar Eclipse on June 26, 2010 (photo by Christopher of Austin, Texas)
WE ARE IN POWERFUL TIMES of transition and transformation. This week, in particular, supplies the planetary alignments that can help us release old limitations and more fully integrate higher vibrational aspects of Self into this human vessel.
A Partial Lunar Eclipse on Monday is followed on Tuesday by the rare Venus transit of the Sun, all occurring while Neptune is stationary. If there are such things as "cosmic moments," this certainly qualifies.
We can't really separate these events from each other. Venus and the Sun are already within a degree of each other at the time of the eclipse, and so the energy of their alignment is woven into the eclipse effect. And, when a planet stations (stands still in preparation for changing direction) on the same day as an eclipse, that planet's energy is infused into our overall eclipse experience.
FIRST, a bit about Neptune and Venus, the invited guests to our eclipse party. Venus symbolizes human love, while Neptune represents the higher vibration of that same theme, taking love into its higher forms of compassion and acceptance. Venus carries the energy of the fifth chakra, the human heart chakra, and Neptune resonates with the energy of the high heart chakra (located near the thymus). Neptune is called the "higher octave" of Venus -- the same note, but at a higher frequency.
With these two planets emphasized during an eclipse -- already an auspicious event -- we can anticipate the potential for heart opening to a level that we have not previously experienced. How we each work with this wave of heart energy is, of course, according to individual life path, intention, and preparation. If we're ready to take that next step into alignment with higher aspects of our being, the planetary events this week can assist in that process. It may also be a time when many feel exceptionally vulnerable or resistant and defensive.
A VENUS TRANSIT over the face of the Sun, where we can actually see the shadow of Venus as it crosses the solar disc, is a rare event. These transits actually occur in pairs just eight years apart, but that pair is then separated by more than 100 years from the next (and previous) pair.
This is why news stories are talking about this being a "once in a lifetime" experience. That's a bit of false advertising, since most of us were also around eight years ago for the first Venus transit in our current pair. But, after this week's event, there will not be another Venus transit of the Sun visible from Earth until December 2117.
ON JUNE 8, 2004, Venus and the Sun formed the first of our current pair of alignments at 18 degrees Gemini. This event marked our entrance into an eight-year period of focus on issues related to the balance between heart and mind. Imbalances and dysfunctions in these areas have been exaggerated during this time, almost as if we had fallen down the White Rabbit's hole and found ourselves in our own personal version of Alice's Wonderland.
If we've been used to wearing the Cheshire Cat's grin to hide our true feelings, our ability to do that has disintegrated and we've been compelled to find ways to tell our truth, hopefully (but not always) in compassionate ways. If we've been perpetually in hyper-Gemini mode, imitating the White Rabbit and barely taking the time to enjoy the moment, life has found ways to slow us down, compelling us to appreciate the beauty around us.
Relationships of all descriptions have been tested and transformed, some remaining intact in new form, others being released through psychic or physical partings. Financial situations, another Venus theme, have fluctuated widely for many as we've learned new ways to open to receive, both from ourselves and from the world, as a reflection of our self-value.
AT THE VERY END of Alice's story, we find Alice in a courtroom arguing with the Queen, who is shouting, "Off with her head!" In sheer frustration, Alice finally regains her awareness of the illusion that is playing out before her, and reminds herself and the judge and jury that they are all only a pack of cards. Those shocking words bring the fantasy to an end, and Alice finds herself back with her sister on the bank of a river.
Our second Venus-Sun transit this week (again in Gemini) closes the book on the last eight years and calls us to consider how well we've learned the lessons represented by this last scene of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. As Alice is feeling overwhelmed by the nonsensical and ridiculous events going on around her, the lessons of Venus in Gemini are being played out in full force. The courtroom scene reiterates how mental games, chaotic thinking and excess activity can distract us from truth.The playing cards as primary characters symbolize a lack of dimensionality that can keep us from perceiving beyond the illusion.
THIS IS WHERE Neptune's added influence fits in so nicely. While the mystical planet often seems to contribute to over-idealism and a lack of clear perception, the effect of Neptune in Pisces is just the opposite -- somewhat similar to how, in math, multiplying two negative numbers creates a positive number as a result.
Neptune in Pisces is working to dissolve the illusion that we are primarily physical beings. It is helping us see beyond the perceptual limitations that are part of the usual human experience. When Neptune's influence is heightened, as it is now, our ability to see through the Veil of Forgetting is enhanced.
All this, and we haven't even talked about the Lunar Eclipse yet. Better pour another cup of tea...
MONDAY'S LUNAR ECLIPSE occurs in the early morning hours for those of us living on the Pacific coast of the U.S. (4:13am PDT). While we are pondering our development and growth over the last eight years with respect to Venus issues, we can also look back to 19 years ago to understand more about this current eclipse cycle.
On June 4, 1993, there was a Lunar Eclipse at about this same location in Sagittarius. Certain themes were present in our lives then, issues that we now have another opportunity to observe and grow through.
For clues as to the areas of life you were working with then and are revisiting now, find the house location of 14 degrees of Sagittarius and Gemini in your natal astrology chart. This should provide good information about what themes are at work for you. (For a reminder of house themes, please visit the Houses page on my website.)
THE SABIAN SYMBOL for the location of the Moon during this eclipse reminds us that we are moving forward, even if tangible proof of progress seems to be lacking:
"The groundhog looking for its shadow: The value of anticipating new turns of events and ascertaining future prospects."
Given this symbolic picture, it's interesting to think about what happens on Groundhog Day. If the groundhog sees its shadow, the legend says that there will be six more weeks of winter. If the day is cloudy and there are no shadows cast, it is said to mean an early spring. Entirely the opposite of what we might logically expect, and reminiscent of the upside-down world of Alice's Wonderland.
THIS ECLIPSE is in Sagittarius, after all, which is more intuitively than logically based. Perhaps we can gain the most from this time by suspending judgment and remaining open to the possibilities.
Another interesting energetic reality to consider: At the time of the eclipse, the Moon is aligned with what is called "the Great Attractor," a point in space that emits a powerful gravitational pull. Astrophysicists conjecture that the Great Attractor is actually a supercluster of galaxies.
What scientists know for sure is that our Milky Way galaxy, the Andromeda galaxy, and other nearby galaxies are all being pulled in the direction of the Great Attractor -- which means it is a very powerful force, indeed. Evidently, we are moving in that direction at 14 million miles per hour. Hearing that, we might we concerned that we'll get there tomorrow!
But, it turns out that the Great Attractor is actually 250 million light years away, so no worries. And, in 2005, astronomers discovered an even more powerful Shapley Supercluster that lies behind the Great Attractor, which may actually be what is drawing us (and the Great Attractor itself) in that direction.
IT SEEMS that most discoveries reveal another, even greater mystery, if we continue looking beyond what we think we know. Perhaps this is a core effect of this Lunar Eclipse, to open our minds to a greater awareness of the vast unseen worlds and energies that cannot be quantified or contained.
Astrologer Philip Sedgwick writes that the Great Attractor "doesn't appear to be punching a hole into another dimension, but rather, allows us to see around things." His work with clients has revealed that people with this point highlighted in their charts are "people who bring in different levels of consciousness," and that they often feel alienated from the rest of society.
AS WE WORK WITH the energies of this Lunar Eclipse, we may want to visualize the power generated with the Sun, Venus, the Earth, and the Moon all being in alignment with the Great Attractor. The gravitational effect alone is a bit staggering to consider.
This is a powerful alignment, with the potential to reveal the answers to mysteries. Its effects on our psyches and emotional and physical bodies may feel powerful as well -- so be sure to be gentle with yourself this week.
We must be emotionally and mentally stable if we are to maintain the integrity of our Being while the magnetic pull is so strong. At the same time, if our goals are greater spiritual awakening and consciousness expansion, we must also stay open, trusting, and willing to risk stepping into the unknown.
ONLY 10 DAYS until our Teleclass on June 14! If you haven't yet registered, just go to http://pamupdate.eventbrite.com to sign up. For more information, here's the official announcement:
TELECLASS ANNOUNCEMENT -- REGISTER NOW!
Navigating the Changes of 2012:
Astrological Timing and Insights for the Last
Six Months of this Auspicious Year!
A Live Teleclass with Astrologer Pam Younghans
Thursday, June 14
Facilitated by Wellness Educator Elsie Kerns
Class time, by time zone:
4 to 5:30 pm PDT | 5 to 6:30 pm MDT
6 to 7:30 pm CDT | 7 to 8:30 pm EDT
Cost: $25.
How to Attend:
You may listen in and participate in the live teleclass by phone or online. Instructions are included in your registration information.
If You Cannot Attend the Live Class:
If you register for the teleclass, you will receive a link to the class recording afterward. This means you will have a recording of the class even if you are not able to attend "live."
How to Register:
To register, please visit: http://pamupdate.eventbrite.com
THIS TELECLASS will be held just 10 days before the first Pluto-Uranus square! This revolutionary, transformational, major planetary event has the potential to change the landscape of the world as we currently know it. Its influence will be working with us throughout the rest of 2012.
During the rest of 2012, we'll also be working with the energies of the May-June eclipses and the Venus-Sun occlusion, as well as a strong Saturn influence and the effects of the solstices and equinoxes.
If that sounds like a lot to juggle, you're right! And that means we'll have plenty to talk about.
Join Pam Younghans, Astrologer, for a closer look at the planetary influences in effect starting in June and taking us through the rest of 2012. Facilitated by Elsie Kerns, Wellness Educator, this 90-minutes class will provide the dates of major astrological events and the insights and information to help you navigate the continuing changes that will be coming our way in the next six months. Highlights include the effects of:
The transformative Pluto-Uranus square (exact June 24 and September 18) and the dates that Mars will trigger those energies
Saturn's last months in Libra and the shift into Scorpio in October
The Solar and Lunar Eclipses in November, and how they will change the landscape
The karmic nodal axis shift from Sagittarius/Gemini into Scorpio/Taurus in August
The supportive Saturn-Neptune trine in October
The June 20 Solstice, the September 22 Equinox, and the December 21 Solstice
We hope you will join us! Here's the registration link one more time: http://pamupdate.eventbrite.com
Blessings,
Pam
NorthPoint Astrology Blog: For additional metaphysical perspectives, please visit http://northpointastrology.blogspot.com/ -- I look forward to your comments! To Subscribe to the NorthPoint Journal: If you have been forwarded this issue of my NorthPoint Astrology Journal and would like to receive it directly every week, please click here. Then, scroll down to the bottom of the webpage, fill out the subscription form, and click on Submit. 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 2012. All Rights Reserved.
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