Monday, January 31, 2011

Solar winds on Wednesday-Thursday

The sun is contributing in a grand way in the energy waves this week. According to the SpaceWeather.com website, a large coronal hole has opened up on the sun, "spewing a stream of solar wind into space." This solar wind should be reaching Earth on Wednesday or Thursday, just in time to amplify the energies of the already-powerful New Moon in Aquarius.

On a physical level, when solar winds reach Earth's energy field, polar magnetic storms are created, and we often see aurora borealis at higher latitudes. On a metaphysical level, solar winds bring new information and energy to the planet to be incorporated.

Which means all the more reason to be ready for changes this week. Remember that calm place at the eye of the hurricane? Use your imagination to be in that calm as much as possible, and keep your intentions on the light at the end of the tunnel.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

The waves keep on rollin' in

It truly feels like there have been wave after wave of changes for months now... and every new wave takes off another layer that needs to be shed, getting us closer to the essence of who we really are.

Jupiter's recent entry in Aries certainly feels to have speeded up the process. And Uranus will follow in just a few weeks, on March 11.

Water wings, anyone?

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Checking in

Hi everyone!

Yes (as someone recently mentioned in another post), I've been quiet this week. But I'm still here! Just dealing with my own "stuff" at the moment -- and very busy with work and readings!

That Full Moon last week was conjunct my Midheaven and triggered a Grand Cross in my chart, so the busyness makes sense, in addition to the opportunity to deal with other issues that are core to my life.

How has this past week been for you?

Pam

Saturday, January 15, 2011

The eclipse effect continues and Tucson

This current energy stream, which started back in December with the Total Lunar Eclipse on the Solstice, continues to bring up major challenges and situations that stir our deepest fears and deepest angers.

Perhaps because that eclipse was at the 29th "critical" degree of Gemini, we are seeing strong effects on people's mental states. Even those of us who consider ourselves mostly stable have been dealing with wide fluctuations in mood. The events in Tucson a week ago are a horrific example of what happens when someone who already has mental/emotional instability is tipped over the edge. And I am seeing many friends and loved ones dealing with situations of anger gone over the top, causing heartache and more.

One friend, who called to talk last night, is currently reading Thich Nhat Hanh's book called Anger: Cooling the Flame. One thing she said in particular stood out to me -- that when anger comes up in us, it literally comes up in us. It already resides within, and it comes up in reaction to something we are experiencing.

Which is why the incoming high vibrational energies can tend to bring up negative emotions and reactions in us. We are being vibrated at higher and higher frequences, and the parts of us that are lower vibrational are coming to the surface.

I did try to find Tucson's birth information, to gather a bit more information on the events last week. The best "birth time" I could find was the date of the Gadsen Purchase on December 30, 1853, when southern Arizona (including Tucson) and southwestern New Mexico were purchased by the U.S. from Mexico. I ran a chart drawn for noon on that day, and then ran a scan for what was going on this month astrologically for the city.

What I found is that on January 8:
  • Transiting Saturn was EXACTLY square Tucson's Moon (at 16 degrees Capricorn) -- indicating sorrow, loss, depression, conflict between feminine/masculine, issues with authority
  • Progressed Venus was conjunct Tucson's Pluto (exact January 23) -- intensification of relationships, power struggles
  • Transiting Pluto was conjunct Tucson's Jupiter (exact February 8) -- "difficulties with authorities who are appointed to look after society's needs, arrests, arousing opposition" (quote from Robert Hand's book on transits) social regeneration, rebirth of faith after death of old perspectives
There are always reasons and purposes for even the worst of events and situations. Often, part of that purpose is the opening of people's hearts in compassion, and in the coming together of communities. Certainly that is occurring now in the aftermath of the events last week, both in Tucson and beyond. I appreciated one line in particular from President Obama's speech at the memorial, especially because it reminds us of the positive side of the Gemini energies:
"It's important for us to make sure that we're talking with each other in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds."
A hard way to learn this lesson, but if we learn it well, perhaps we can find some sense in what clearly seems so senseless.

Friday, January 14, 2011

In the news

I've received several emails (and a phone call) about the news article today about astrological signs having changed. Here's what I have written in reply:

Thanks for your question! In answer, I think it's easiest just to paste a quote from another article that was online today:

Astrology experts say the shift in zodiac signs does not apply to most Westerners, who follow the tropical zodiac, which is fixed to the seasons. In contrast, the Star Tribune article referred to the sidereal zodiac, which is fixed to constellations and is followed more in the East.

The Western zodiac we use today was established thousands of years ago, and corresponds to the seasons of the Northern Hemisphere: the first day of pioneering Aries marks the beginning of spring, painstaking Virgo occurs at the time of the harvest, intense Scorpio brings storms and decaying leaves, etc.

The natural shifting of the heavens over the years means that technically, Pisces has moved into the position of Aries, Aquarius inhabits the physical location Pisces once held, etc. This is the zodiac that Vedic/Eastern Astrology uses, which is why a person's Sun sign (and entire chart) will be different in a Vedic reading than in a Western reading.

I prefer Western Astrology because it is very nature-oriented. To me, Aries exemplifies the energy of spring. Pisces is about completion and letting go, which is much more like the end of winter as we prepare for new beginning.

There was a time, when I first got started in my astrological studies, that I worried -- if Western Astrology was right, then Vedic Astrology had to be wrong, and vice versa. But I've come to believe that we are drawn to whatever system is most appropriate for us, just as we might be drawn to one tarot deck over another -- or one astrological house system over another. One is not "wrong" because it uses different images or different interpretations. But we can trust that we will be drawn to the one that is best for us, at the best time.

And, after 30 years of study and practice, I know for sure that Western Astrology works! And I know Vedic Astrology practitioners say the same about their system.

I hope this helps answer your question!

Pam

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

About "redemptive purposes"

Hi everyone! I received an email from a reader this morning, and thought others might also have the same question, so am posting both her question and my response here:

I was reading your wonderful Journal this week and came across a statement that I would really like some clarification on. The quote is: "The squares to Neptune and Chiron may correspond with opportunities to heal disillusionment and idealism in our relationships, and to understand the redemptive purpose of perceived abandonment or rejection."

I don't understand how perceived abandonment or rejection have a "redemptive purpose." I would really love to understand this concept but I find I have no idea what you mean...

Thanks for your question!

What we find in working with astrology is that certain themes can be found in a person's birthchart, or in a specific time frame by transit -- and abandonment/rejection is one of those themes. We often see it manifesting first in the childhood experience of the parents, and then repeating in later relationships, too.

The reasons for choosing such experiences are probably as varied as there are souls experiencing them. But what I find especially useful about astrology is that it can show the "redemptive purpose" of even very difficult circumstances.

In the case of childhood abandonment -- which shows up astrologically most often in the 4th house or in aspects to the Moon -- it is likely that the soul came into this life with a strong desire to learn independence and detachment. As a part of that learning, the soul may choose to be born into a family where one or both of the parents either leaves or is in some way unavailable -- both of which will feel like abandonment/rejection to the child. This, of course, also creates a deep wound, that can take many years to heal.

In this example, we have at least two primary reasons for the soul's choice of experiencing the loss of a parent in childhood. First, to learn how to be self-sufficient and independent, to know one's own capabilities and to become stronger as a result. And second, to learn how to love and nurture the self, the inner child who carries the wound. Then, a third purpose could be the the need to learn forgiveness and higher perspective.

I think this is one of the reasons I appreciate astrology so much -- the offering of higher purposes and an increased understanding of our soul's choices on this journey.

Blessings, Pam