Oceanic Horizons.
This post is to offer an update on planetary developments of June leading into July 2017. Let me take you back to last week, but before doing that, allow me to begin by sharing some words with you, which if you only read them and leave all mine aside, will be most worthwhile. These are words from the very important and precious text known as Bodhicharyavatara by the great master, scholar and bodhisattva Shantideva. It’s my wish that if you read beyond these precious words by Shantideva that you might keep Shantideva’s words in mind as a far greater light to follow than what I could ever say. And as an aspiration that we might like to take now or reaffirm as we make our way through the waters around us and so much more water ahead.
May I be a guard for those who are protectorless,
A guide for those who journey on the road;
For those who wish to go across the water,
May I be a boat, a raft, a bridge.
May I be an isle for those who yearn for landfall,
And a lamp for those who long for light;
For those who need a resting place, a bed,
For all who need a servant, may I be their helper.
May I be the wishing jewel, the vase of plenty,
A word of power, and the supreme remedy.
May I be the trees of miracles,
And for every being, the abundant cow.
Like the great earth and the other elements,
Enduring as the sky itself endures,
For the boundless multitude of living beings,
May I be the ground and vessel of their life.
Thus, for every single thing that lives,
In number like the boundless reaches of the sky,
May I be their sustenance and nourishment
Until they pass beyond the bounds of suffering
The week that led up to the full moon in Sagittarius on June 9th had the great potential that we will come to a sense of ripening. A closing of one door, within days of this full moon, and a mature stepping forth into what you know is deeply significant for you. I say this because it was a full moon in Sagittarius conjunct with Saturn in Sagittarius. Sagittarius is about our higher mind, ethics and the adventures we choose to take in order to grow, learn and ultimately impart what we have learned. Saturn is the great Lord of Time, maturity, responsibility, commitment and manifesting. It also holds us to account. Combining with the fullness of the moon this conjunction asks us to speak what we know to be so, to be brave, to stand for what we believe in and to make good on our heart truth and our words.
This full moon conjunct with Saturn trined with the North Node in Leo. This is a superb indication that whatever we are wanting to do or whatever truth is coming into our hearts and from out of our mouths at this time, and whatever may be appearing in our life now is indeed for our highest good, what has come into your life and what is calling you? The North Node, and the sign it is in, relates to what may be felt as ‘divinely destined’ and though we may feel somehow not fully equipped for what that is (as we tend to prefer what we already know and are somewhat comfortable with, which in astrology is called the ‘South Node’) we must get out of our own way and set forth in the direction the universe is indicating within us and around us.
Why is this even more clear at this time of the full moon? Because a Trine is the most harmonious and fortunate angle astrologically, it is a fire trine, which means action and expression and taking the initiative, and it is a trine with North Node which is what we need to be following up on and investing in. The North Node in Leo is about what matters most to our hearts and for our self-esteem and love to flourish. Leo rules the heart as well as the ego. It is a full moon which is our emotions, feelings, and complexes, what we need to heal and what we must nurture and this is most cogently illuminated now with the moon at her brightest. And the conjunction happening, which is the key astrological angle of strong uniting energy, is between the moon and Saturn. “Lord of Karma” is another nickname this cool and exacting planet bears, and it archetypally relates to having authority, being authorized, making it real, sticking with it and seeing it through, no matter the challenges as it will lead to wisdom and maturity.
It’s a full moon which asks, do you get it? It’s time. Something will always be let go of with every full moon, see it as a natural time for something to come to a sense of completion, culmination, full awareness and/or a time that is very well suited to letting go of something that it is natural to let go of, as it has reached its time. But only so what is greater can be welcomed in and have freedom and space to give it’s song to you, and plant seeds in you and around you, those fresh beginnings are ideally made around the time of the New Moon, this month in the fertile sign of Cancer on the 24th and 3 days following it. We were asked to be totally emotionally honest around the full moon on the 9th of June and the rewards, if we have been able to so then and since then seem to promise wonderful, wise, mature, heart-true and longterm, because of Saturn’s positive influence and beneficial outcomes. But we will also have to say yes to that, planets don’t just do it for us, and orient ourselves towards freedom from obstacles.
In the first week of June, Venus entered her beloved home sign of Earth Mother/ Love Goddess Taurus where she is blissfully happy and she remains there all month, keeping us reasonably pragmatic and deliciously attuned to our bodies and all that means. Jupiter direct, after being retrograde since February, occurred around the time of the full moon, which had a hand in making this full moon of June 2017 all the more powerful. Whenever a planet stations direct it is a more potent juncture for the energy of that planet and for us all. Jupiter is all about growing things, all about flourishing all about amplifying and broadening and enlarging, where it goes life gets more providential, more fruitful and usually bigger in some way, so that is the spirit we will be inspired by.
Given the maximum swell of a full moon energy, and the magic wand quality of Jupiter at any time, we may have experienced some version of fireworks around the 8-9th June, yet with Saturn quite firmly at this helm, we will likely remain quite sober and calm regardless of the fire burgeoning.
Jupiter going direct in Libra, is Jupiter, beneficence and opening, in the sign that governs relating and relationships, balance, beauty, harmony, equality. Sometimes Libra has the quality of people-pleasing to the detriment of raw authenticity and allowing others and oneself to make clear decisions based on perhaps less pleasing but nonetheless unarguable facts. We will work most skillfully with this if we can call on Libra’s love for fairness and include ourselves in that fairness equation, we also deserve the same degree of graciousness we wish for others, and we don’t need to have harmony at any cost, especially if the cost is unbalanced. Jupiter leaving retrograde will make us far less introspective and philosophical about the topic of relationship, sharing and healthy balance and far more interested in just doing what needs to be done. What do we need to think, say and do, actively, to make enriching, elegant, optimistic, graceful moves in life now? Such questions will honour the Venus within us. Libra is ruled by Venus and thus keenly related to all matters Venusian. Libra simply loves to do things in a way that has charm and doesn’t disgrace us. Where we were feeling undecided about relational issues or mulling things over, trying to see how pieces might all fit, for much of this year so far, Jupiter getting into forward motion will help us move out of observer mode into full participation and taking action to address and redress relational matters.
What can we learn from others and what can we share? Jupiter wants to learn and teach and travel and know and increase its bountifulness. Jupiter also wants to bless. And has the power to. So how can we see our relationships and the way we relate as a way of blessing? Note: Jupiter is a slower moving planet so these changes I have mentioned will unfold over the next months not immediately within days or all within this month alone. Jupiter will move into Scorpio at the end of October and be there for a year and that will move us from romance and the realm of balance and relating nicely, as I hinted at sometimes too nicely, into a much deeper zone of intimacy with self and others, bringing great good fortune exploring the dark and really having profound life discoveries with the help of the Pluto ruled Scorpio and a beautiful sextile that Jupiter will then come to make with Pluto in Capricorn for a whole year of communion that we rarely have such auspicious conditions to delve into. I look forward to talking more about that later in the year.
In June, Mars also moves out of the sign of Gemini and into the caring and soft hearted yet hard-shelled sign of Cancer. This creates a rock-pool atmosphere to our energy, we may be feeling motivated to show our care but also motivated to show our protectiveness and uphold whatever we think makes us feel secure, for good or for lesser good. But it is a good time to actively put more energy into those and that which we hold dear, especially family, whatever that may mean for each of us. Our compassion will be heightened, and this is the better way to channel this heated energy ( heated because it is Mars ) than to pervert it with crabbiness and defensive and frustrated withdrawal- please beware of that. Cancer, at its best, wishes to protect and nurture so if one is feeling like a warrior, try to recall noble vows to not harm others or oneself, and seek Refuge instead of revenge or reaction or implosion.
Mercury also moved into the sign of curious and communicative Gemini, Gemini is ruled by Mercury so both are happy with this reunion, on the 7th of June. Mercury in Gemini brings speed and some frivolity to our thought processes and amps up the gathering and imparting of information, not like a detective, more like a reporter, or a gossip so be mindful! Mercury stays in nimble and clear-witted Gemini until he moves into the sideways moving Cancer the crab on the 22nd when our communication and thinking processes will definitely traverse to the more tender and to what we feel we might need to cover or at least give or make a safe space for because perhaps it feels almost too tender. Mercury in Cancer, second only to Mercury in Scorpio, is a perfect time for therapy of all kinds, particularly if it involves talking in a way that feels supportive. Mercury in Cancer is going to feel more motherly in mental orientation and expression. This hue of mind and word will be upon us until around July 8th when Mercury will shuffle out of Cancer into the heart, head, and mouth of Leo the Lion, where he will then express himself in Leonine ways for much of July.
Later in the month of June, the Sun will shift out of Gemini and into sensitive, psychic, and sacred-space making Cancer. Our consciousness will be geared towards being where our home feels like it is. The Sun will join in the Mars in Cancer vigor to secure and nurture what we most care about and to protect it. This Cancerian sheltering, water-traversing nestling quality will be heightened by a New Moon in Cancer on the 24th just two days after the Sun leads into Cancer. New Moons always auger new launches, new chapters, and are ideal times to lay down plans and take new steps. What we start near a new moon is said to have a good chance to keep growing. And the sign it is in is a good indication of the best subject for our intentions. In this case matters of home, security, what we cherish and wish to give care to, what makes us feel most settled and nurtured and how we can bring that forth for others will be the best directions to set fresh energy into. What we plant now will grow.
At the time of the Sun going into Cancer, the New Moon in Cancer and Mars in Cancer and Mercury in Cancer we will also have Pisces still in Chiron and Neptune in Pisces, Retrograde. This means it will be a uniquely water based time. What does that mean? It means we could hardly be more intuitive, empathic, compassionate, sensitive, and in touch with our emotions than now. It would augur well to make the very most of this lush ocean of wisdom to really get in touch with others and ourselves and the planet in a way that we often don’t have such supportive conditions to do. What is most important at the very heart?
It reminds me of Thinley Norbu Rinpoche’s wonderful words in his wonderful book called White Sail:
While briefly lent this precious human body’s white sail
Pushed by clean intention’s gentle wind
Without turning our back toward miserable samsaric deserts
And making the error of missing this chance
Try to receive virtue’s jewels by crossing the waves of ocean mind
To the serene continent of the Triple Gems
Since doing this is more meaningful than anything else
Neptune going retrograde in Pisces on the 17th of June until November 23rd 2017 has quite an affect on us all. The touch of this is subtle and yet many of us will notice it as more of an ability than usual to get real. Where we may have felt a bit cloudy and nebulous, perhaps even being a martyr in some way, or overly identifying as a savior or a victim, the retrograde motion of this ethereal planet tends to help us feel our feet and see things more realistically as opposed to idealistically. There will still be the Piscean and Neptunian energy of great compassion but less of the escapism, self-sacrifice and wayward fantasy. This is not a heavy fall though, nor smashed dreams, nor heavy-handedness, just clearer perspective and soberer action, it’s usually viewed as one of the more beneficial retrogradations for this reason.
Neptune has been dignified in Pisces, a term used when a planet comes into its home sign or Ruling Planet, also known as being exalted, as it is said to operate at it’s very best, since February 4th 2012 and will be dreamily and prophetically swimming there until March 31st 2025. Neptune then morphs from golden fishes into the Aries Ram and that will be a big change for us all that I can discuss at a later time.
Back to this month though. At its tail end, the last two days of June and into the start of July, Mars in Cancer will form an opposition to Pluto in Capricorn. That is warning that strong aggression may be about to emerge, how we work with that energy will be crucial, will we let it bring insight and some kind of shift in a balance of power within ourselves or with another or will it feel like a stalemate calling for all our patience? Cancer rules the inner sanctum; it rules creating a sanctuary and a mandala. Cancer governs the principle of holding and giving sustenance, it is how we hold our loved ones to give our life-giving love but it is also how we simply hold on. Sometimes we hold to the detriment of our own freedom and sometimes to the detriment of the freedom and responsibility of others close to us.
Capricorn standing opposite Cancer is a conversation that is almost the ultimate yin/yang dialogue. Cancer is the very personal, familial, intuitive, private sanctum, Cancer is the Archetypal Mother and She is ruled by the Moon. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn- all that is structure, the world, reputation in the world, legacy, the Archetypal Father. How will the Mother and Father find Greatest Ease?
This conversation may feel like a confrontation between these archetypes in some way. Some kind of tension or eruption may occur that makes how we separate our private and public zones strongly highlighted and potentially broken open. Where this attention and possible conflict will be felt for each individual depends on where the oppositional axis between Cancer and Capricorn falls in each unique natal chart- as that is where Mars and Pluto will perform their very dynamic playoff. Wherever this may occur for each of us, remembering impermanence and finding a way to surrender and trust in something beyond what we can currently know, micro-manage or even yet see will be helpful for those of us with faith. Using this strong energy in whatever wise spiritual way we know how to is highly encouraged and may lead to positive breakthrough.
It is likely that this very triggering opposition, triggering because this kind of conversation between these particular planets and signs cuts very deep to the core of our insecurities and feelings of power or lack of it, individually and collectively, will be seen on a wider stage, in international political and security matters. There will need to be great prayers and practices done to avoid huge eruptions that may potentially be quite violent and devastating. Quite frankly, Mars is a planet of war, as well as just plain action and drive, and Pluto is a planet that rules nuclear power and long-held tensions rising to the surface, amongst other things, and power and control over ourselves and others.
So such an opposition, especially given other things going on upon the world stage signals a time of increased danger and greater need for us to exercise utmost fortitude, mindfulness and using our will wisely. I ask those who can to step up their mitigating influences at that time. The approximate time for extra help needed to balance this will be from the 28th to the 10th July, with the hottest time of this being the exact opposition on Monday the 3rd July.
Let’s return to the aspiration by Shantideva that we began with, also to end with. As the waters rise this month and feelings most likely become more oceanic, remember to enjoy and embrace Venus in sensual and stable Taurus, for the entire month. She is there for us, ready to show us the glory and wisdom and bounty of our senses and the fecund lessons Mother Nature is whispering to us every day in so many ways. Listen in well, touch the earth with your love. Bring Earth to witness and bring yourself as the witness to Her. And be generous.
Photos provided by the author.