Celestial Notebook Overview January 2010

‘The greatest revolution in our generation is that of human beings, who by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.’ Marilyn Ferguson

Every six months the Sun (), Moon () and Earth (•) aligns so perfectly that the Moon is eclipsed by the Earth. The Full Moon slowly dims as it passes through the Earth’s shadow eerily illuminating what we have banished to the dark: feelings of fear are closer to the surface, illogical thoughts and actions occur unexpectedly.

Setting the tone for the month is a Lunar Eclipse on New Year’s Eve at 10° Cancer-Capricorn (-). Full Moons are energising enough - eclipses bring even greater intensity; to crown it all the Moon is perigee (very close to the Earth) and the inner and outer tides will rise even higher, the tectonic plates could buckle and storms could reach force 5 or more.

With the Sun in Capricorn and the Moon in Cancer this eclipse highlights the issues you will be dealing with not only this week, this month, but the entire year! Usually the Cancer-Capricorn continuum is about balancing your attention to feelings, family and home with the demands of your professional, social and ecological obligations. The fabric of the world to the Moonchild is feelings, to feel every nuance of life - to shed the shell of numbness that armours her against the onslaught of the world. The Mountain Goat on the other hand teaches pragmatism, maturity and responsibility – he symbolises worldly power. Not the kind of power money or fame can buy however. So many seemingly powerful people live their lives as hostages, bound by the strictures of their public roles. For the Capricorn in you, worldly power does not signify glory – it signifies freedom: freedom to do what makes your heart feel light, to do what you know is right for you.

Pluto (), Master of Death and Regeneration, and the North Node (), challenging us to evolve into greater consciousness and connection, are both in Capricorn: we are being urged to redefine our belief system in terms of what achievement entails. When is man deemed to be powerful? Marrying your public identity with who you truly are is the challenge.

The accompanying Solar Eclipse occurs on15 January at 25° 01’ Capricorn. Every New Moon gives us a chance to pause and take stock of our lives; a Solar Eclipse is a New Moon that involves blocking of the Sun’s light. For some this opens a Pandora’s Box (especially if it falls within three degrees of any planet in your natal chart), compelling us to face our fears and our illusions. At the very least, the house where this degree falls will be activated, invariably closing a chapter in your life and initiating the next phase. Eclipses propel you to release outworn attitudes, behaviours, jobs and relationships.

Astrology is all about cycles and it is a good idea to explore where you were physically, emotionally and spiritually and what you were experiencing in January 1991 as there was an eclipse in the same degree. The eclipse then was more about changing the groups with which you were mixing through travel or through new opportunities for higher learning; suddenly deciding to make a commitment was another theme.

This eclipse brings sudden opportunities to accept greater responsibilities and these new commitments will most likely come as a result of another individual being unable to carry on. Although the events which herald these opportunities may be difficult, the outcomes in terms of harmony or self-esteem are good.

We start the year not only with a SuperLunar Eclipse but with both Mercury (in Capricorn) and Mars (in Leo) seemingly reversing against the background of the stars. Planets are channels for expression and in that sense they are all extroverted. When a planet is retrograde, a portion of its vitality is directed inward, away from the world, towards the heart.

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Mercury () represents the human mind’s capacity to perceive reality and to formulate and articulate ideas. When Mercury is direct, as it is 80% of the time, your mind (mostly!) operates at a very functional level. Our highly organised environment hardly allows for down time. Natural states of rest when we are able to assimilate our experiences and resource are to our advantage – this is what the Mercury retrograde period offers.

On the day of the Solar Eclipse (how elegant!) Mercury turns direct at 5° Capricorn: within the next few weeks it is the perfect time to test the untried and to market the ideas that surfaced during the retrograde phase. Take action and results will manifest by 14 March when Mercury meets up with the Sun.

Mercury turns retrograde three times a year and this year these phases will all be in Earth signs: Capricorn, Taurus and Virgo. The Earth trigon is related to all facets of worth, including money, self-esteem, health and so on. The trigon’s message is that if you need to make changes in those areas – and they are often the areas most resistant to change – then make them, or the changes will be thrust upon you. The dour message is: by concentrating on the necessities of life, you will be making more room for the perks.

Mars () slows matters down a bit as it only turns direct in March, spending about five months in Leo (). Mars retrograde in Leo guides us back to our hearts, back to our spiritual blueprint. What were you born for? What are your special talents? Why did you choose to incarnate at this momentous time? Mars represents vitality: do not be surprised when you suddenly feel drained or on edge. Trace back what you had been doing during the preceding hours to discover what it is that needs to change.

Two days before the Solar Eclipse (13/1) Saturn turns inward at 4° 39’ Libra square (90°) a motionless Mercury and a chilly Pluto: time to leap beyond the melodramas of personality, to take responsibility for our lives rather than searching for scapegoats or band-aid solutions. (More about Saturn retrograde and the cardinal square between Saturn and Pluto in the Daily Guides),

AND THAT’S NOT ALL! On the 18th Jupiter (), The King of the Gods, enters Pisces () and remains there till January 2011. The last time Jupiter was in Pisces was from February 1998 to February 1999. Pisces represents the twelfth stage in an archetypal cycle of development – the dissolution of the ego and the distillation of one’s experience into spiritual wisdom. The mythological fish swims in the ocean of existence, conscious of its interconnectedness with all life. Jupiter is about expansion, faith and truth – in Pisces, our faith in being an integral part of a Greater Whole will hopefully be reinforced.

Jupiter in Pisces and Saturn in Libra () are about healthy boundaries in all kinds of relationships. There is a difference between fusion and bonding: when you are in fusion with someone, you have no sense of where your centre is. You are continually pulled into their orbit and out of your natural movement.

Bonding is the natural state of things – it is always there. The moment you recognise this, you move through the illusion of separation and experience a sense of connection where you feel energised and supported.

‘To recognise bonding is to have love, forgiveness and bliss.’ Chuck Spezzano