SUCH A GREAT TURNOUT for
last Thursday's webinar! My appreciation goes out to everyone who
either joined us live, or will be watching the replay at leisure. I hope
that the insights and tools I offered will be helpful in the weeks and
months ahead. What a powerful time of change we are entering!
If
you missed the class, no worries! You can still purchase the video
replay, and learn about the energies we'll be working with through
January 2020. Just send an email with "Webinar Replay" in the subject
line to pam@northpointastrology.com, and I'll reply with details.
WE BEGIN
the month of July in grand fashion, with a Total Solar Eclipse on
Tuesday, July 2. Totality occurs at 12:15 p.m. PDT, with the full
spectacle visible from the South Pacific and parts of South
America.
All
eclipses augur a time of significance. A solar eclipse--especially a
Total Solar Eclipse such as the one this week--is like a New Moon with
an attitude. It represents an opportunity for a fresh start, birthed
from a completion.
The
additional component of any eclipse is that it brings forward larger
life concerns and karmic issues. Thus, we tend to see grander events
during eclipse season. Our experiences at these times are often
memorable in some way, as we work to release long-held patterns and find
the courage to embark on an unfamiliar path. It is fortunate that this
particular
eclipse is a "North Node eclipse," meaning that the Moon is close to the
northern point of its nodal axis. This type of eclipse is said to help
us move in the direction of our highest evolution.
TO HELP INTERPRET
the influence of an eclipse, astrologers run a chart for the time of
the event to see how the planets are arranged. Of primary importance is
how the other planets interact with the Sun and Moon ("the
lights"). In
the chart for this week's eclipse, we see that Chiron in Aries is
square the lights. Pallas Athene in Libra is also in square aspect, and
Saturn in Capricorn is in opposition.
Essentially,
we have a cardinal grand cross in effect. This configuration indicates
that we are dealing with a fair amount of tension, causing us to be less
patient and more impetuous than we might otherwise be. Because of this,
we are cautioned to take our time in all endeavors, to avoid missteps.
This enables us to learn the lessons associated with a grand
cross such as this one, which are to build greater self-control, inner
strength, and maturity.
AND YET,
it's not about simply demanding that these qualities come forth, or
that they wondrously appear like a rabbit from a magician's hat. With
Chiron, the Wounded Healer, involved in the eclipse, we must first put
effort into healing
the fears and insecurities that have been undermining our capacity to
take charge of our lives. This usually involves both acknowledging that
we have a part of us that is afraid, and taking the time to love and
comfort that part, much as we would a frightened child.
Also
in the eclipse chart, we see that the lights are in helpful sextile
aspect to Uranus and the asteroid Vesta, currently aligned in Taurus.
This indicates our willingness and commitment to making necessary
changes--even if those changes are uncomfortable at first.
THIS ECLIPSE is
also highly significant in that it sets the energy that will carry us
to the lunar eclipse that occurs on July 16. That eclipse, as we'll
discuss in the next two Journals, is pivotal, being aligned with
Pluto, Saturn, and the South Node. Through the events that occur
throughout the next four weeks, we should have some good clues as to how
the Big Event--the Saturn-Pluto alignment in January 2020--will affect
us.
At
the time of the eclipse, the Sun and Moon are aligned with a quasar
that has been given the call letters "OH 471." In her book Introduction to Karmic Galactic Astrology, Mary Elizabeth Jochmans writes that this quasar is about:
"Reaching
out into the depths of the unknown. Knowing what is going on, on a
larger scale, and why, brings emotional security and peace."
We've
all heard that "Knowledge Is Power," and perhaps this quasar and the
eclipse are reinforcing that truism. We could interpret this as meaning
that we should be ultra-informed about what is going on in the
world--and for some people, this may be their calling. For others, this
quote could be reminding us that our true security and peace will be
found only when we observe life events on
the very largest scale--the scale that weighs the evolution of humanity
and acknowledges the spiritual purposes that are behind all that occurs.
ON THURSDAY
of this week, Saturn aligns with the karmic South Node in Capricorn.
This is the second of three alignments for these two heavy hitters this
year--the first pass was on April 30, and the last pass will be on
September 18.
The South Node reveals patterns and traits that we must leave behind in our evolutionary journey; as
Saturn and the South Node travel together throughout this five-month
period, we are coming face-to-face with the dark side of Capricorn.
Saturn
always provides us with a reality check, asking "How's that working for
you?" a la Dr. Phil. During this time, we are observing clearly how
patterns of control, fear, materialism, separation, self-centeredness,
pessimism, and distrust have fueled the deterioration of society and of
our own well-being.
The
good news here is that the Total Solar Eclipse is aligned with the
North Node in Cancer. This shines a light on the qualities that will
extricate us from the quagmire we are slogging through--trust in our
heart's wisdom, emotional generosity, empathy, inspiration,
appreciation, and the ability to be vulnerable and ask for help, which
then creates connection instead of
separation.
THROUGHOUT
this week, Mars is in hard aspect to both Jupiter and Neptune,
activating the influence of the Jupiter-Neptune square. These aspects
represent another caution about taking action without being clear on
possible results.
With
the Mars-Jupiter aspect, we tend to take action in a big way, spurred
by the inspiration of the moment--the problem being, of course, if we
haven't thought through next steps. And, with the Mars-Neptune aspect,
idealistic leaps of faith can propel us into a fog bank that is hard to
find our way out of.
In
other words, while it's often good to Dream Big, we might want to bide
our time on taking action this week, especially if our vision is at all
blurry.
AS THE WEEK draws
to a close, Mercury will come to a standstill, going retrograde on
Sunday, July 7, at 4:14 p.m. PDT. Mercury will travel backward until it
goes direct on July 31.
As
I was preparing for the webinar last week, Wile E. Coyote suddenly
popped into my mind--and I thought, what a great mascot for Mercury
retrograde! We all know, from watching Road Runner cartoons, that our
canine friend just didn't think things through. It was easy, from our
elevated perspective, to tell exactly how things were likely to go
wrong. And, of course, they did. To our delight,
Wile E. was never successful in catching the Road Runner, but graciously
provided us with a good belly laugh through his antics.
This
can be what Mercury retrograde is like. If we rush through things and
don't consider all the ramifications, we can crash to earth or launch a
boulder that lands on top of us instead of our intended target. This is
why Mercury's retrograde phase is said to be best spent in reviewing
plans, making adjustments, and rethinking our strategies. It does not
mean we can't make decisions--it's just
that we're well advised to take our time and make sure we read the fine
print.
And, be ready to laugh at yourself and your own antics.
IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: This
year, you are charged with the task of advancing your evolution through
getting more deeply in touch with your heart. Your heart is the center
of wisdom in your body, and leads you to make decisions from a highly
intuitive place within. Although you may be challenged by the desire to
please others, this
is your opportunity to seek your own truth, to know who you are, and to
align more fully with your soul's path. Be aware of tendencies toward
pessimism, those thoughts that try to convince you that "it will never
be OK." Trust not only in your heart, but also in the knowing that
there's a higher plan unfolding. Hitch your wagon to that star. (Solar Return Sun conjunct North Node, opposite Saturn, square Pallas Athene)
Pam
Copyright NorthPoint Astrology 2019. All Rights Reserved.
/ heatherensworth
• Jupiter-Uranus Conjunction in Taurus .
