Highlighted Aspects:MON: Neptune semisquare Sun; TUE: Mercury enters Taurus, Saturn opposite Venus; THU: Neptune conjunct Vesta, Saturn quincunx Mercury, Chiron semisquare Mercury, Pluto stations retrograde 8:54pm PDT; FRI: Jupiter square Mars; SAT: New Moon 11:56am PDT; SUN: Neptune sextile Mercury, Neptune square Venus
PLUTO continues to be a strong influence this week and next. Our powerful "dwarf planet" comes to a standstill on Thursday in preparation for its five-month retrograde phase. When a planet pauses to change direction, we usually feel its effects more tangibly. This is especially true for those who are already working with a Pluto transit to planets in their birth charts.
Plutonian times can feel life-changing. They are designed to help us discard elements of our lives that are not supportive. This includes actual physical manifestions as well as emotional and mental patterns that are detrimental to our progress.
Just as the old crop must be dug under to clear space for the new seeds to be planted, so must old forms be dismantled, to leave room for the new.
ALL OF THIS can occur on very unconscious levels; and yet, we benefit the most if we actively participate in Pluto's task of transformation. We can do things that are as simple as clearing out a closet and taking the clothes we no longer wear to a local charity. We can purge our refrigerators and pantries of unhealthy foods. We can also take the bigger risks, such as finally quitting the job or ending the relationship that has become life-draining instead of life-enhancing.
In reality, all of these external changes are outward manifestations of a bigger change, one that is occurring internally. As we clear the closet or the pantry, we are taking charge of our lives in new ways. As we quit the job or change the form of a relationship, we are making a statement about the level of fulfillment and empowerment that we now want to experience in our lives.
PLUTO will be retrograde until September 24. This gives us several months to further explore the inner changes that Pluto is asking us to make, and to get clearer on the old patterns that are needing to be purged or transformed.
Astrologer Bil Tierney (who seems to be my favorite resource lately!) writes this about Pluto retrograde:
"When retrograde, Pluto confronts us with the essence of that which we have not transformed to a higher level of expression... Like Saturn, Pluto shows us the reality of our limitations, although from a more psychological point of view. This can be a marvelous time for the self-aware individual to apply more penetrating insight toward exposing those wayward elements of one's inner self that need a sense of rebirth."
IT MAY BE CLEAR why astrologers often prescribe in-depth therapy when a client is experiencing a major Pluto transit. Bringing what has been unconscious into the light is an important step in the process of clearing out the old.
While we may not all need to run to the therapist's office during this five-month Pluto retrograde, we will all benefit from doing our own inner spelunking. As we discover the unconscious motivations and emotions that are hidden in the caves of our psyche, we can gain a new mastery over the trajectory of our lives. From Bil Tierney again:
"Pluto retrograde suggests that we have the opportunity to retrace our steps and discover latent sources of power (hidden resources) formerly overlooked, that now can help us further our objectives, once properly unearthed."
ANOTHER THEME this week takes us down more practical roads. Mercury enters Taurus on Tuesday, setting us to thinking about our resources and values until the end of the month. With Saturn opposing Venus on the same day, it makes sense that a large number of folks in the U.S. will be working to finalize their tax forms. Some will be seriously reconsidering (retrograde Saturn) their recent choices, realizing it's time to be clearer about their values and priorities (Venus).
After the heavy responsibilities of the week, we'll be looking to release some of the tension. A Jupiter-Mars square on Friday provides plenty of energy to move us toward the fulfillment of our desires. The main caution is to direct the energy with some thoughtfulness, so that we don't regret our actions later.
ON SATURDAY, our new lunar cycle begins with a New Moon in Aries. This cycle is designed to support us both personally and spiritually, as we find new ways to satisfy both our need for individuality and our desire for oneness.
Here's the Sabian symbol for the location of the New Moon:
"The music of the spheres: Attunement to the cosmic order."
Astrologer Dane Rudhyar's interpretation of this symbol reads in part:
"The individual who has entered into a new realm of possibilities of action should learn the harmonic principles operating in this realm... The message is to listen to the Inner Voice within; to listen without personalizing this Voice in a glamor-producing manner. It is the Voice of the Whole, of which one begins to realize that one is a tiny little part -- yet a significant part, for every note of the universal Chord has its place and its ineradicable meaning."
These cosmic themes are reinforced by the Neptune-Vesta alignment at the time of the New Moon. Vesta represents that which we most dedicate ourselves to; Neptune represents our spiritual and creative nature. As they align in Pisces, they support our renewed commitment to expressing our true essence more fully in our lives -- that inspired, visionary aspect of our being that some call our Divine Self.
In peace,
Pam
Photo: Auroras over Anchorage, Alaska, USA on April 11, 2015 (credit: Sanjana Greenhill, posted on SpaceWeather.com)
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