NorthPoint Astrology Journal:  Your guide to planetary energies for October 19 to 25, 2015 By Pam Younghans

Photo: Pastel auroras over Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, on October 15, 2015 (credit: Sacha Layos, posted on SpaceWeather.com)


NorthPoint Astrology Journal:  
Your guide to planetary energies for October 19 to 25, 2015
By Pam Younghans


Highlighted Aspects This Week
All times listed are Pacific Daylight Time
THU: Saturn sesquiquadrate Uranus, Mercury square Pluto
FRI: Venus trine Pluto, Mars opposite Chiron, Sun enters Scorpio 10:47am, Sun semisquare Jupiter, Mars quincunx Uranus
SUN: Mercury quincunx Chiron, Venus conjunct Jupiter, Mercury opposite Uranus, Sun sesquiquadrate Chiron, Mercury semisquare Saturn




SATURN AND URANUS rarely see eye-to-eye when it comes to their opinions about how best to assist humankind. Saturn believes it is best to help us face reality and be responsible and disciplined, so that we successfully create forms that will support us in practical ways on planet Earth. On the other hand, Uranus usually encourages us to break the rules, to experiment, rebel, and think outside the box so that our lives on Earth are interesting, enlivening, and authentic.


We can, of course, see the value in both approaches. However, when Saturn and Uranus form a challenging aspect in the sky -- as they do this week -- we ourselves tend to struggle between two ways of proceeding:


    Do we need to temper (Saturn) our rebellious ways or reactivity (Uranus in Aries) to help create more consistency and stability in our lives? Or will that choice actually be acquiescing to fear and ignoring our intuitive guidance?


    Or, is it time to break free (Uranus) of some of the restrictive beliefs (Saturn in Sagittarius) that keep us from fully accessing our higher mind and its capacity to provide new insights and solutions? Or is that need to rebel mostly the result of an inner temper tantrum, without clear direction or purpose?


As always, the planets ask the questions, but we must each provide our individual answers based on self-knowledge, intuition, and inner seeking.


THE ASPECT formed by Saturn and Uranus is called a "sesquisquadrate," which occurs when two planets are exactly 135 degrees apart in the sky. It is not as strong an aspect as a square, but it contains a similar tension. Astrologer Bil Tierney writes that:


"This aspect calls for more calmness, patience, and objectivity. We are apt to react to minor conflicts in an overly forceful manner, which tends to throw situations off-balance or blow them out of proportion. Our outward expression of inner dissatisfaction only further inflames problems in most cases. We create further stress for ourselves by remaining insistent and unreasonable in our demands ... We must work at cleansing our personality of all residual negativities (emotional blind-spots) which will otherwise restrict our ability to expand consciousness safely and wisely."


THURSDAY, the day that this Saturn-Uranus aspect is exact, also contains the influence of a Mercury-Pluto square. This aspect increases the likelihood of having differences of opinion, as well as the potential for words to stir anger and resentment. All the more reason to heed Mr. Tierney's advice that we focus on maintaining "more calmness, patience, and objectivity" in the face of any conflicts that might arise!


The tension is eased a bit on Friday, when Venus trines Pluto and helps us focus on how we might use situations to create more honesty and intimacy our relationships. Still, the seas are not yet calm with results-driven Mars in Virgo making challenging aspects to both Chiron and Uranus.


To successfully navigate the waves, we'll need to let go of our need to control the details, and do our best to trust (Chiron in Pisces) that All Is Well, even if we can't yet see outcomes. And, the Mars-Uranus aspect requires that we adjust some of our desire to know exactly what we're going to do next, and that we go more willingly into the realms of living in the inspiration of the moment (Uranus in Aries).


HEALING ENERGIES are heightened on Sunday with the Venus-Jupiter alignment in Virgo. Our need to be productive and to see results is also greater than usual, but we'll benefit from relaxing a bit around that expectation, given other influences on the same day.


For one thing, with Mercury opposing Uranus on Sunday, it will be important to be openminded. We may receive input or information that challenges us to look at something from a very different angle. We may not need to completely alter our course, but adjustments are needed (Mercury quincunx Chiron) if we are to overcome some old mindsets (Mercury semisquare Saturn) and find the solutions to current problems.


Copyright Pam Younghans 2015. All rights reserved.