The Chilean miners, the Cardinal Grand Cross and Saturn in Libra

A blog follower asked this question in response to my "An intense week" posting from October 8 -- and I thought it deserved an entry of its own! Here's the question:

Pam -- What are your thoughts on how the astrological configurations tie in with the Chilean miners and their rescue? It's nothing short of a miracle -- and the fact that the reason they survived is being put down to working together -- both the miners underground and the whole team put together to rescue them. There seems to be some very strong Libran themes to this and I'm wondering how it ties in to the cardinal squares.

I agree that there are very strong Libran themes! It's also very interesting to see the astrological influences that were involved at important stages of the unfolding situation:

• When the cave-in occurred, on August 5, we were dealing with very strong energies from the Cardinal Grand Cross, energies that were being triggered that week by Mars' alignment with Saturn. 

To review, the planets involved in the grand cross were Pluto/North Node in Capricorn, Uranus/Jupiter in Aries, Saturn in Libra and South Node in Cancer. The cross brought about stressful situations that required us to overcome excessive emotionality and blaming (negative sides of South Node in Cancer) and to focus on specific goals with intention and integrity (North Node in Capricorn).

• Seventeen days later, when the drill reached the miners and they sent word to the surface that all were still alive, Saturn was opposite the position of Jupiter and square Pluto in the Cave-In Chart (the "CIC") -- the manifestation (Saturn) of hopes and optimistic beliefs (Jupiter) and the "return from the dead" (Pluto).
• On August 30, when the drilling began of a pilot rescue hole, Saturn was conjunct the CIC Mars -- the fusion of focus, responsibility, authority (Saturn) and aggressive effort (Mars) in a cooperative venture (Libra).
• Now, with the rescue efforts proving successful, Pluto has returned to where it was at the time of the original mine collapse -- the god of the underworld returning to the surface and bringing the resurrected souls with him.
• And, Saturn is now square the CIC Nodes -- manifesting through the worldwide outpouring of support and nurturing (a positive side of the South Node in Cancer) and through renewed commitment to find sensible solutions to the safety issues involved (North Node in Capricorn).

As already noted, this situation has provided significant opportunities for people to learn lessons of cooperation, of working together to achieve a common goal. These themes are quintessential Saturn in Libra. The success of the rescue -- which involved experts and technicians from around the world and from many industries -- and the efforts of the miners to work together and support each other while they were underground, are strong evidence of our human potential for cooperative effort. And, the fact that this has been broadcast worldwide means that we are all affected by the events and its outcome.

It will be an interesting challenge for each of us -- and, no doubt, especially for the miners and for each person who was involved directly in the rescue -- to extend what we have learned about the power of cooperation into other situations in our daily lives.

Saturn in Libra will be very happy with us for making this a priority, and will reward our efforts.

Teleclass announcement

Hi everyone!

If you're signed up to receive my class notifications by email, you probably already know about my teleclass on December 2! If not, here's the scoop:

The title is:

Astrological Energies for 2011: What We Can Expect in the Year Ahead
During this two-hour class, facilitated by Energy Intuitive Elsie Kerns, I'll talk about the astrological energies and events coming our way in 2011. From January to December, it looks like we'll be working with some potentially life-changing energy shifts!

Highlights in 2011 will include:

Continuing Awareness Expansion:
The final Uranus-Jupiter alignment in Pisces (January)

Healing Our Spiritual Connection:
The final Neptune-Chiron alignment in Aquarius (January), Chiron re-enters Pisces (February)

Taking New Risks:
Uranus re-enters Aries (March)

The Ultimate Surrender:
Neptune steps into Pisces (April)

Finding Our Balance:
Jupiter square Pluto and opposite Saturn (March)

Building on What We Value:
Jupiter enters Taurus and trines Pluto (June-July)

Meeting the Challenge of Change:
We begin the four-year-long Pluto-Uranus square (July and August)

The Wild Cards:
The Solar and Lunar Eclipses (January, June, November and December)

In the Spotlight:
What signs can expect to receive special attention during 2011

Planning Ahead:
Mercury retrograde dates (March-April, August and November-December)

To register for this class, click here: NorthPoint Astrology Teleclass: Astrological Energies for 2011

(Or, visit http://www.wellnesswithelsie.com/)

Here are the details:

DATE: Thursday, December 2

TIME: 4 to 6pm PST (5 to 7pm MST, 6 to 8 pm CST, 7 to 9pm EST)

FEE: $33

FORMAT: You can attend this live class either by phone or online -- your choice!

HOW TO ATTEND: When you register, an email will be sent to you with the information to attend the event.

RECORDING: The teleclass is recorded and available for downloading immediately following broadcast.

HOW TO REGISTER: Visit http://www.wellnesswithelsie.com/

I'm excited for the class and hope you can join us!

An intense week

This week has been a wild one! The Mars-Venus conjunction in Scorpio has intensified relationship issues, as the god of war dances with the goddess of love. And with Venus going retrograde in Scorpio today, we're probably just at the entry point of a longer journey through once-hidden emotional realms.

The good news is that what comes to the surface now needs to be revealed. It has been working against us from behind the scenes -- the "unseen enemy," so to speak. As we start to see the reality of what we're dealing with, we may not feel at all comfortable, but the option of keeping things hidden or unconscious is no longer viable. And perhaps it never was all that healthy in the first place, but we did manage to keep up appearances for quite a while, simply by pretending things were OK.

Venus has an eight-year retrograde cycle, which means that every eight years she retrogrades through the same area of the zodiac. She last retrograded through Scorpio in October-November 2002. Whatever is occurring now in our relational and financial worlds relates directly back to events at that time.

We have the opportunity now to make better choices than we did then, as similar issues are likely to be present. We can choose the higher road, no longer reacting impulsively. We can observe our need for control and see the fear that lives at its roots, and learn to soothe that fear rather than allowing it to control us.

Remembering to breathe is a good idea.

Checking in from Cannon Beach

Hi everyone!

Not an astrological update here, just wanting to check in and let you know I'm off on vacation in Cannon Beach, Oregon. My two sisters and I decided, after both of our parents' passing a couple of year ago, that we would get together at least once a year and have a retreat weekend together.

So, this year we chose Cannon Beach, a magical place. Just to give you an idea, here's a photo of one of my sisters in front of haystack rock:

Now back in our room, relaxing to the sound of the ocean waves crashing on the beach... One of those reminders that life really is OK.

I'll be back in touch soon.

Pam

Comment on this week's Journal

Hi everyone,

I received an email from a reader today that I'd like to share with you, since it comes from a channeler I respect and gives some additional insights and timelines to our current process of energy shift. Here is a slightly abridged copy of the email text:

Dear Pam,

Thank you for writing in-depth about the Uranus-Jupiter conjunction at 28 degrees Pisces. My Ascendant is at 28 degrees Pisces and I have been picking up for a very long time that I would have to wait til my birthday in Jan 2011 for things to shift altogether.

This process began in August 2008 right around the Beijing Olympics. The disconnection (from the old 3D reality) started in earnest around Jan 15, 2009. Then came Sept 9, 2009, which was another powerful shift.

The 2010 Summer of Transformation followed.

The next shift for many of us was Sept 18, 2010. The Autumn Equinox. After that comes the Jan 4, 2011 shift.

It will come to a fruition in March of 2011. Till then we will be in transition mode.

Your blog always confirms everything I channel. You hit the bulls-eye with the Autumn Equinox-SGC alignment and the releasing of past karma...

I have been picking up since 1985 that I would really start living my "real life/new life for this reincarnation" right around the age of 32 i.e. 2011. Until then, I would spend the first 30 years of my life releasing past karma. I had some very definite spiritual contracts to fulfill and therefore some very powerful past life lessons to visit.

From March 2011 to Dec 2013 many of us will prepare for our new roles in society post the major 2012 shift. After the "Big Shift" in Dec 2012, it will take a full year for the new consciousness to manifest and seep into every facet of society.

So, there you have it, with many thanks to my reader.

Oh, my!

Here we are, Dorothy and Toto and our companions, skipping down the yellow brick road -- but our song is not about "lions and tigers and bears," but rather about "conjunctions and equinoxes and Full Moons," oh, my!

To clarify, over the next seven days, we will be seeing the Uranus-Jupiter conjunction (Saturday, Sept 18), the Equinox/Sun entering Libra (Wednesday, Sept 22), and the Full Moon at Aries Point (Thursday, Sept 23).

If you've been feeling emotionally on a rollercoaster, having trouble sleeping, experiencing odd eating patterns, or just feeling generally out-of-sync this past week, you're not alone. And, I would guess, those symptoms are going to be on the increase up through next Thursday's Full Moon, as we navigate the exaggerated and chaotic nature of these planetary influences.

Perhaps some of the higher purpose of this rapid one-two-three punch is to keep us off-balance -- but not for the amusement of some masochistic gods who are pulling strings from the heavens. The nature of these energies, especially the Uranus-Jupiter conjunction, help us detach from reality as we know it, which usually leaves the space for us to have a different kind of experience, and to interpret our lives from an altered perspective.

Uranus and Jupiter are in Pisces, after all, the sign which is often noted for its innate lack of a firm grasp on reality, and for its ability to transcend the ego. And, according to the NASA Science News site, Jupiter and his volcanic moons are currently at their closest proximity to the Earth in a decade (at the same time as the conjunction with Uranus and the opposition to the Sun!), bringing that Jupiterian amplification of Piscean energies right to our back door.

So -- confused? Finding it hard to stay grounded? Wondering why things are so hard to define, and if the world will ever feel "normal" again? Join the club.

Truth be told, the world is not likely ever to feel as it once did. We're all advancing in consciousness, and once those kinds of growth steps are taken, we don't revert to ignorance, even if we pretend at times that we have.

We may sometimes long for the days when "ignorance was bliss" -- but I'm pretty sure we don't really want to go back. There is another, more enlivening, type of bliss that we can find through awareness, and we've all had at least some tastes of that deliciousness. The one-two-three punch over the next week's time has the potential to take us up the awareness scale another notch, if we're willing and open.

Remember, Dorothy didn't get to the Emerald City by staying in Munchkinland.

Saturn in Libra and REAL-ationships

With all this retrograde Mercury fogginess, it's interesting that relationships are now coming into better focus.

Saturn is fully embracing his Libra tasks now. For many, this involves a reality check when it comes to important relationships and partnerships. Saturn's requirements are very straightforward: work harder on relationships that have value in your life, and be willing to let go of those that have completed their purpose.

The answer to the question of which course to take will not be the same for everyone. Some of us are finding seeds of growth at the core of our relationship apple, and others are finding worms. All we can know for sure is that Saturn in Libra will provide us with opportunities to see the REAL in our REAL-ationships, which will help us know whether or not they are part of the future we want to create.

Our next Full Moon, on September 23 and just hours after the Equinox, may be a turning point for many in this area. That lunation will re-ignite the energies of the Cardinal T-square as the Moon (at 0 degrees Aries) aligns with the Uranus-Jupiter conjunction (at 28 degrees Pisces), the Sun aligns with Saturn in early degrees of Libra, and the North Node and Pluto align in early degrees of Capricorn.