It’s almost as if there is a contest in the sky right now. One could almost say it’s a conflict, just like in the old days. That is to say, the really, really old days before legend — the days of myth. But wait, it can’t be that way because at least some of the evident contestants now were not evident way back then.

No, what’s going on now simply cannot be a throwback to ancient times. We have not been displaced to an antiquity when human beings recorded themselves as hapless, and helplessly at the mercy of warring deities.

Yes, it’s just us. Or perhaps it would be more appropriate to say “justice.” Either way, and from appearances, we can still find astrology useful even if we can no longer project our experience on the sky.

We are still part of the solar system. As with any system, one part can tell us something of any other part, and of the whole. That’s pretty darn impressive when you consider how detached many of us have become from our very bodies, much less the sky. Our main task as human beings right now is to be just as impressive in turn.

It would not be impressive if we were to revert back to the really, really old days and transfer responsibility for our destiny to deities above. Nor would it be especially imposing if we were to continue our more recent history of giving our power away to human beings whom we allow to wield godlike authority. Nope, the only way through everything that now seems impossibly crazy is for you and every individual person to accept an appropriate share of what, after all, we have striven for and finally won.

What we have won after thousands of years of evolution is an independence of sorts. With that freedom from gods, from kings, and finally from what has become a hapless plutocracy must unavoidably come a certain set of responsibilities. First and foremost in that set is an obligation to let yourself be human.

In a way, it is almost as if humanity is no longer childlike but still highly impressionable. If that’s actually true, and if we are to make the most of our situation, we each have to be okay with that. You must accept yourself as being capable of awe, wonder and even being overcome without using your vulnerability as an excuse to revert back to being childlike. After all, we have each individually been through something like this before.

You can remember. Most of our parents were not terribly explicit about it. Upon emerging from our individual childhoods, many of us were at least vaguely informed, however. Upon entering adolescence, many of us were told that were were about to go through a big change. Then we saw it happen in our very bodies.

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What’s going on now is something similar, except it is all of us together at once. Just as with our individual emergence into adulthood, this collective maturing is both unavoidable and visceral. It’s a good thing, too.

Indeed, even if the current state in human evolution is every bit as trying as the individual going through the experience of adolescence, it’s also better because none of us need feel like we are alone. It’s happening to everybody, and there is correspondence in the sky.

Pluto in Capricorn correlates with the inevitability. Neptune in Pisces corresponds with how you wake from unreal dreams into a world that sometimes seems even less real. Uranus conjunct Eris in Aries is emblematic of the revolutionary change in identity. Saturn in Sagittarius connects with how limits can actually be employed to define, rather than allowed to confine.

Jupiter now in Libra relates to our having greater capacities of balance than we imagined. Mars approaching conjunction with the Galactic Core in Sagittarius would parallel with our need to bridge from the boundless energy of childhood to the newfound desires of an adult. Venus in Libra might very well represent the values we need to guide us, especially when it comes to evolving from “just us” to “justice.” Mercury, especially retrograde and in the depths of Virgo, is the very image of being impressionable.

Finally, the culmination of the Sun and Moon not only opposing for a Full Moon, but eclipsing on Friday is indicative of an outcome aligned with all of us here on Earth. And it’s all one picture. It’s a whole, not any one planet or aspect alone.

The sky is not jiving. Neither should we. Humanity is going through the big change, and we must individually and collectively be our own parents, our own kings and queens, our own gods and goddesses. At the same time, however, we must each respect the realities of our physical existence.

Let that need for mutual respect be your guide. When in doubt, take care of your physical needs, and do your best to help as many others do the same as you can. If you can do just that, you will have done justice to yourself, to others and to our time — for the time being. After all, we do need to take this big change one step at a time.

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Astrology rarely tracks with the civil calendar. Take the concept of a New Year for one example. You seldom see a substantial astrological cycle beginning on Jan. 1. For astrologers, New Year’s Day is more like the Sun entering Aries on (or about) March 21 to start another cycle of the 12 signs.

So it happens that today and tomorrow, while of little note on the civil calendar, do represent a significant turning point for astrologers. Earlier today, Jupiter left its year-plus in Virgo behind, and started anew for about 13 months in Libra.

Tomorrow, Saturn in Sagittarius and Neptune in Pisces reach 90 degrees of separation (what astrologers call a ‘square’ aspect) for the third and final time. This begins closure on a pattern that started late last year.

The pattern referred to here is the mutable T-square that distinguished at least some of the deep background astrology for 2016. Broadly, but appropriately speaking, Jupiter’s tenure in mutable Virgo found it opposing Neptune in mutable Pisces to form what one might call the upper part of the ‘T’ configuration. The ‘leg’ of the motif was Saturn, widely squaring both Jupiter and Neptune from mutable Sagittarius.

As combined aspects go, the mutable T-square of 2016 was as informative as it was challenging. Of course, some of the biggest challenges this year were more fairly related to Mars, oscillating between Scorpio and Sagittarius for its first retrograde involving two signs in almost a decade. Neither should we forget the ongoing Aries conjunction from Uranus to Eris. One might also mention that echoes of the period during which Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn exchanged seven square aspects (roughly 2012 to 2015) have not yet faded.

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All that being said, it is likely that we will look back on the mutable T-square of 2016 as a time when the term ‘this changes everything’ really was something more than hype. With time, the full effect will become more clear.

Even so, you can see some of the results already. It would be reasonable to say that presidential elections in the U.S. have passed a point from which they are unlikely to return. An even larger and probably more historically significant turning point came with the passage of a British referendum to separate from the European Union.

Now, as Jupiter moves on, so do each and all of us. Don’t be mistaken. This is not an entirely abrupt point of departure. Saturn and Neptune still have some alchemy to work during the year to come. Even if the shocks that arrived with Mars retrograde are not soon repeated, we are almost certainly in for some more awe.

To make the most of what’s ahead (and not just for yourself), think of yourself as a champion golfer. Nearly a decade ago you emerged from a clubhouse of the ages to start this round. Now, you have reached the halfway point, turning onto the back nine. As awesome as the course has been, what’s distinguished this round most of all are the players. While some have turned back, and others have disappeared into the rough, you are still in the running — perhaps even on the leader board. That is no accident.

You are not moving to tee off onto the tenth fairway now by chance; you are here because you are worthy. You made the cut. Now it’s time to put on a charge and let the gallery know what you are made of. Strike the ball firmly. Walk with confidence. Combine strength and suppleness to drive for show. Steady your nerves and putt for dough. You were born to be the awe in this tournament and return to the clubhouse with satisfaction.

As is the case with golf, this is not really a contest between you and other people. You are contending only with yourself. The game is within. The trees, bunkers, ponds, sand traps and putting greens are but a representation of your inner terrain. By now you know that. Show what you know, and you will have at least achieved on par with anybody and everybody else.

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By Amanda Painter

This Friday at 7:18 am EDT (11:18 UTC), Jupiter will leave Virgo and enter Libra. Theoretically, Virgo should not have been the most comfortable place for Jupiter; yet, I’d be surprised if you did not reap some benefit from this last year of Jupiter in Virgo, especially if you moved in the directions that most called to you with some genuine enthusiasm and energy.

Photo by Amanda Painter.

Eric describes it in this week’s Planet Waves FM as “the pleasure of working.” That is, connecting to the ‘pleasures’ that truly matter and that are aligned with one’s sense of personal integrity and dharma.

I can certainly think of a couple examples from my own life that fit the bill, one long-term from early in the year and one short-term from just a couple weeks ago. How about you?

I ask merely to illustrate that no matter what an astrology book says about a planet in a particular sign, there is always a positive, constructive way to work with it. Often Virgo is said to have a restrictive effect on Jupiter; but maybe Jupiter only feels ‘restricted’ there when a sense of focus and purpose is missing. True, Jupiter can’t go all-out indulgent there, but indulgence has its downside in the extreme, after all.

So what is Jupiter in Libra all about? Libra is ruled by Venus; so right away, Jupiter is inviting you to move into fuller expressions of loving and sexual relationships, art, beauty, social justice, fairness and balance.

Which kind of brings up an interesting question: what do expansion, indulgence and abundance have to do with balance? Aren’t they just another form of extreme?

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Today, the Sun reaches the middle of earthy Virgo after about two weeks in that sign (since Aug. 22). In doing so, the Sun moves to within 120 degrees of Pluto, in an aspect astrologers call a ‘trine’. Pluto has taken nearly eight years to reach the middle of earthy Capricorn since its second ingress to that particular sign in late 2008.

Trine aspects form between signs that share the same element (fire, earth, air or water). Sharing the same element implies a conductivity that conveys information over the wide separation of 120 degrees almost as efficiently as a conjunction (two objects sharing the same degree of the same sign).

Among other things, the Sun represents consciousness in the way most understand it: awake, alert, present, interactive. Combine that with the fact that the Sun’s subconscious complement (the Moon) is today in Scorpio and it’s a good time to consider the question of Pluto.

The reason having the Moon in Scorpio matters is that Pluto is considered to be the modern co-ruler of Scorpio (along with Mars, the classical ruler of Scorpio). Hence, the astrology implies that you are today in some way connected on both the conscious and subconscious levels to the complex nature of Pluto’s place in astrology. The timing is interesting, to say the least. That’s because the question of Pluto is coming up in the midst of a series of eclipses which have also been subject to question.

Because the Aquarius Full Moon of Aug. 18 took place just barely within Earth’s shadow, there was no readily evident darkening of the Moon. For some, that means there was no lunar eclipse at all. For those who think that way, the current series of eclipses started on Sept. 1 with a Virgo New Moon and annular solar eclipse visible in the Southern Hemisphere.

Because Pluto is not visible to the unaided eye, there are some astrologers who do not consider it a planet at all. Combine that perception with astronomers who ‘demoted’ Pluto from planet to ‘dwarf planet’ shortly before Pluto left Sagittarius to enter Capricorn, and you have an object that amounts to a highly contentious subject. Indeed, the controversy only seems to become more pronounced with the passage of time.

Now that the New Horizons spacecraft has returned close-up photos and other unprecedented information regarding Pluto, its astronomical claim to being a planet has been strengthened. In parallel, the recently concluded continuum of seven consecutive square aspects (separations of 90 degrees) from Uranus in Aries to Pluto in Capricorn, from 2012 to 2015, has only served to bolster Pluto’s legitimacy as an astrological tool.

If there is anything to astrology, today’s aspects imply that it’s time for you to have a say. After all, why not you? You are as much a part of the system we call solar as anybody else. Your life experience is as valid as that of any other. After a weekend of contemplating when the eclipse cycle started for you, it’s only fitting that you continue to claim your place in the cosmic order of things by holding forth on Pluto. Just so you may know what to look for, begin with the concept that Pluto has layers, much like consciousness itself.

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The top layer has to do with Pluto’s name. The names of planets discovered by telescope cannot possibly carry the same weight of meaning as the names of classical planets, which have always been visible to human beings from our first days on Earth. Nonetheless, there is evidence that serendipity does frequently take a hand in what results from the bureaucratic and somewhat arbitrary process of naming discovered planets.

So as a first layer, you have the mythological character of Pluto, ruler of the afterlife’s shadowy realm. Not exactly glee club material, that fellow. Even so, somebody to be reckoned with inevitably.

Which leads to the next layer of Pluto’s meaning: the subject of not only death, but also two other things that are not often considered the material of polite conversation (unless, perhaps, you are a solar Scorpio): sex and taxes. In other words, Pluto manifests not only as mysteries hidden from us, but also in what we often hide from ourselves and others.

Finally, there is at least another layer, which has to do with some of the most profound natural mysteries that take place just out of sight. Two examples might be limestone converted to marble in the depths of the Earth, and a caterpillar turning into a butterfly within a chrysalis or cocoon. In other words, Pluto is something other than merely scary or the subject of denial. Pluto is also related to the miracle of metamorphosis and transformation that takes place every day, albeit in a veiled way.

Based on what’s going on in the sky right now, today would be a good opportunity to for you to unveil Pluto and make your own decisions about it. Keep in mind that you would best draw upon your experiences since late 2008 to do so, but also pay attention to what part of your immediate experience you are either compelled or unable to ignore. Don’t be scared: it’s not as though the Sun — and your consciousness — won’t move on.

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From one day to the next, you move on. You move on to take care of your needs, follow up on your plans, keep your schedule and to deal with what life brings you. You might say the same for the Sun, Moon and planets. Perhaps most of all the celestial objects, the Sun moves with you, marking the passage of time.

That’s because the Sun brings day and light with its presence in the sky. Also, calendars and clocks are synchronized with the Sun because of how the Sun’s height in the sky corresponds to the seasons.

The Sun is additionally a primary point of reference for navigational purposes. Especially on the ocean, where no landmarks are to be found, sailors have long looked to the Sun first to figure out where on Earth they are.

The Sun’s role in astrology is similar to its practical role in your life. For astrologers, the Sun is astrology’s central organizing principle. It is true that the Moon is an indispensable complement to the Sun. So it is that the Sun and Moon are in an astrological class of their own: luminaries. It’s also true that the planets combine with the luminaries to delineate specifics and expand perspective so as to make astrology capable of correlating with life’s complexities.

Nonetheless, it is important to constantly refer back to the Sun and include it so astrology can keep up with life. Now (as we enter Labor Day weekend in the U.S.), is an especially good time to orient yourself astrologically by using the Sun.

You might first use the Sun as both a marker of time and an orienting reference to consider where you are as regards to the eclipses we are in the midst of. Specifically, instead of taking the word of somebody else, you can now evaluate for yourself whether the Sun in opposition to the Aquarius Full Moon back on Aug. 18 constituted a lunar eclipse for you.

Because the Full Moon of Aug. 18 spent less than half an hour just barely inside Earth’s shadow, the darkening of the Moon was not readily perceptible. For that reason (and in spite of the fact that the eclipse was assigned a number by astronomers) some say it did not happen. Now that you have the perspective of having been through yesterday’s Virgo conjunction of the Sun and New Moon for a solar eclipse, you can use the guidelines Eric published on Aug. 18 to decide on your own authority whether your life entered the ‘zone’ between eclipses back then or only yesterday.

Based on his erudition and experience as an astrologer, Eric noted four ‘properties’ that your life tends to take on between eclipses. First, there is what he described as a “concentration of experience.” In other words, more events packed into the same amount of time — in this case, the two-week period between a Full and New Moon (or vice-versa).

Next, those concentrated events also seem to be karmic or even predestined in some way. Third, there is a perception of discontinuity that goes with being in the eclipse zone, in that endings and beginnings are more prevalent than usual. Finally, it is more likely that the discontinuity will correspond with your facing critical transitions and decisions to a greater than normal extent.

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Hopefully, you will have some discretionary time available to you over the next several days. If that is the case for you, consider the benefit of taking some of that time to, in essence, be your own astrologer. After all, it is not all that often the Sun affords such a clearly distinguished opportunity.

If you see fit to take advantage of such a rare opportunity, simply take some time away from your weekend activities to reflect on your life since Aug. 18. Did the properties of being in an eclipse zone start showing up in your life last month, or only since yesterday?

This is not a meaningless exercise. Neither is it a test. Think of it as a chance to validate and affirm your role as an active participant in the system we have named after the Sun — the solar system. Believe your perceptions, and locate yourself accordingly.

Once you have a fix on your location in relation to the Sun and Moon in eclipse, you will have taken a great step — a step up. You will have, in essence, left the ground where your life was marked by days, nights and seasons. You will have elevated your life to include the sky. That is no small thing.

In addition, you will have attained a perspective you can build on. Next week the Sun moves on to locate you in relation to a distant but demonstrably significant object that has a lot in common with the controversial Full Moon of Aug. 18 . That object would be Pluto. Even as you move on yourself, it might be to your advantage to stay tuned.

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