Earlier this year the zodiac was a bit lop-sided. For example, during the March 20 solar eclipse the Sun and Moon shared the last degree of Pisces while Mercury, Venus, Mars, Uranus, Neptune and Chiron were all clustered nearby in a corridor of less than 60 degrees.
That corridor spanned from Neptune at 8+ Pisces to Venus at 3+ Taurus. The Moon, of course, moved on quickly.
Only this week have the rest (Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Uranus, Neptune and Chiron) gradually dispersed from each other to spread out over 90 degrees: from Neptune at 9+ Pisces to Venus in the middle third of Gemini today.
As result of the dispersing, the planets that were all so closely clumped together are now opening up to a greater range of major aspects with each other. That implies a greater range of possibilities in your life.
The major aspects begin with the conjunction, two objects occupying the same degree of the same sign at the same time. This is a temporary merger of energies beginning a new cycle between the two planets in question.
After the conjunction, the major aspects are sextile (a separation of 60 degrees on the zodiac and in the sky), square (90 degrees), trine (120 degrees) and opposition (180 degrees — on opposite sides of the zodiac and the sky).
We had a lot of conjunctions among the clustered planets earlier this year. You probably felt it. It was a lot of different energies mashing up. There was a sense of initiation, which was cool. There was also some frustration going around. A sense of confinement was common. The word “cluster” was frequently being used in a less-than-pleasant linguistic conjunction with another word, which (as Lenny Bruce pointed out) deserves a better reputation for its life-giving correlation.
You may remember all that. You might even have done some of that. You could even have conflated shaking the cage with escape. On the other hand, you might have seen reason for patience in the astrology and in your life.
Regardless, now the planets that were so recently so close together are dispersing. As the cluster spreads out, the conjunctions earlier this year are opening to supportive sextiles and maturing to challenging squares. Along with the dispersal there is a sense of greater possibility, an imperative to stretch or reach out, and a way of getting stronger.
That’s one trend in the sky. One question is whether you perceive how the trend might apply for you. There is bound to be a way. Surely some new possibilities have recently opened up that were not there for you earlier this year. Either that, or you can create a possibility for somebody else.
Even if some of your options are challenging, it’s probability better to stretch into them than pull back. Think about making an offer, or accepting one. You might even want to redeem that life-giving word you abused not so long ago. Be like the sky. For the time being at least, it would probably be worth your while to try.
Offered In Service
Len is available for astrology readings. You can contact him at lenwallick [at] gmail [dot] com.
Thank you Len. It is for me, feeling just ad you dedcribe. The degrees of separation are definately providing a clearer perspective in their release. Insead of being caught up in emotional entanglment, starting on the new Moon of last weekend, (then bit of a fog of unknown on Monday), I am regaining my value of understanding of the purpose of the past, relative to gaining the awareness of the present moment, and opening up (with confidence and knowing) to the broad, unlimited potential the future holds.
P. Sophia. It is for me to thank you. For the affirmation. Also for generously sharing here your own personal correlations to my expressed perceptions. Thank you so very much. By the way, that “fog” of unknown origin on Monday just might correspond with the Sun moving into tropical Taurus. You may want to correlate what happened with the advent of solar Taurus in years past so that the fog might yield to clarity. An idea worth trying on, eh?
🙂 I need to get out more apparently Len, as I don’t remember hearing (or using) the expression you allude to, but if I had, I’m sure a lot of it would have been regarding the wretched weather and that DID make this caged bird screech a bit. However, I hadn’t paid attention so much to the clustering of planets and yes, yes, YES !, there is a sense of things opening up, now that you call my attention to it.
I’d also like to thank you for your focus on the Mercury-Mars conjunction on Tuesday because the (belated) news today that hostages had been killed by an American drone strike (in January) is an example of that conjunction. The news of it, that is, not so much the drone strike itself. Looking back on the situation of yesterday’s Mercury-Mars conjunction, both planets were activating the Uranus-Pluto square by their semi-sextiles to Uranus and trines to Pluto. They were also sesquiquadrate Pallas (plans gone afoul) in Capricorn.
But. . my fascination with the yearly Mercury-Jupiter cycle (since their conjunction on my Venus 2 years ago brought down my cherry tree) forces me to note the square between them a day and a half before the Mercury-Mar conjunction. At the time of the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction at 3+ Leo, one of the aspects simultaneously happening was Saturn at 16+ Scorpio trine Chiron at 16+ Pisces, and another one was Saturn at 16+ Scorpio quincunx Uranus at 16+ Aries.
I’m convinced that the two planets associated with rulership over the sign Aquarius (Saturn and Uranus) are in a process of re-formulating our concepts of the 11th sign, and due to it’s “far-out” universal language, Uranus has employed Chiron to translate for him. In order for we here on Planet Earth – who think (for the most part) within the parameters of Saturn-speak – to get the Uranus message, we need to be taught by Chiron what the blue-blazes Uranus-speak is trying to tell us.
Transiting Saturn, now at 3+ Sagittarius retrograde is trine the August 2, 2014 conjunction between Jupiter and Mercury at 3+ Leo, at which time Pluto and the Sun were quincunx. Back then, August 2014, Pluto was also opposite where Jupiter was on 9/11/01. Connecting those dots seems to say (to me anyway) that Pluto is recalling a point in history (9/11) that we humans need to become more conscious (Sun) of. People drop bombs (or planes) on us because we drop bombs on them. That’s why Pluto’s quincunx (requires a shift) to the Sun (consciousness) is a key message in this present Jupiter-Mercury cycle. Of course, the Jupiter-Mercury square to Mars was a big clue too.
It was subtle, that square to Mars in August last year, but Mars was conjunct Vesta (tireless) who was conjunct Ceres (mother earth) who was conjunct Moon (who was conjunct the U.S. Sibly Pallas who conjuncts the U.S. Sibly Moon) which adds complexity. Add to that, Nessus at the time of Mercury-conjunct-Jupiter was trine Vesta (who was conjunct Mars who squared Mercury-Jupiter (which Saturn now trines).
It ain’t easy, Universe trying to expand and evolve humanity, but we are slowly getting it. Oh, by the way, my wisdom teeth quit hurting once we got past the Mercury-Mars conjunction last night. Thank you for expressing your concern Len (and aword).
be
Wonderful and empowering article, Len.
And I especially loved this and how you put it. This so applies for me now:
“Regardless, now the planets that were so recently so close together are dispersing. As the cluster spreads out, the conjunctions earlier this year are opening to supportive sextiles and maturing to challenging squares. Along with the dispersal there is a sense of greater possibility, an imperative to stretch or reach out, and a way of getting stronger.”
Yes! Thank you!
On another note, today the Sun is in the degree where Chiron was discovered. He was conjunct Sedna at the time. Listen for news of the world’s water perils today.
be
Yes, the Sun is sort of tail-gating all those planets across my MC; he’s now on natal South Node and aspecting all those early degree sky-objects in my natal who have spread out in the houses across the top of my chart. (Sunny-days, taking the clouds away…Sesame Street song beings to play in my head…)
I’m dispersing too, no doubt about it. Three weeks and counting? Well, Finals will keep me busy enough until I disperse on northward.
Be, was it only that short-time ago your cherry-tree was lost? I thought much longer. And thanks for that note on Uranus-speak. With his position in my chart I now have a new handle/perspective on how/what/why my intense desire to get my writing to a more…easily understood…place. Chiron will continue to asset with the language barriers we all face. I like that.
See there it is, Uranus acting upon my language. The Sun is aspecting all my early degree objects AND all those objects that were conjuncting each other are now spread across the top of my chart.
Although — that’s not exactly what I meant re: picking up on your Uranus/Saturn/Chiron language cue, Be. This was just a lack of proof-reading and focus. 🙂
Thank you Len.
‘Along with the dispersal there is a sense of greater possibility, an imperative to stretch or reach out, and a way of getting stronger.’
After a thorough drenching in the accumulated emotional waters of many years (or is it longer?), at last, some fresh air. Looking around there seems to be a junction in the distance that will reach me when it is ready. More patience for then, then. In the meantime i’m thinking/feeling through ‘sluice gate valves’ and ‘Fragrant Snow at Broken Bridge’.
Chilly plum blossoms
fill branches of white jade.
Scattered by a warm breeze
petals flutter like snowflakes.
The recluse of Solitary Hill
remains true to himself,
but who carries the song
of reed pipes across Broken Bridge?
Yuan Zhang
[And, n(atal)-Sun/Hera/Eros/Dionysus. My Sun-cluster. Apologies for my lack of clarity.]
Barbara: One might be tempted to think you coy. Thank you for taking us further and deeper into the astrology once again with your first comment today. As regards to your second comment, please allow me to add that the discovery degree of Chiron is also the exaltation degree of the Moon. To that end, please look at the official US Senate link immediately below (showing the time for today’s vote finally approving Loretta Lynch as the next Attorney General of the US). The Moon is strong in the chart for the vote time, and in more ways than just the Sun’s position.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=114&session=1&vote=00164
Anna: My thanks to you in turn for your kind words. It’s gratifying to know you have found my service useful.
aWord: Thank you again for being so generous with sharing your personal transits. Transiting Sun on descending lunar node does appear to illuminate something about the past as well as other things at the top of your nativity. Perhaps all the work you have put in will now allow you to “shine” as you pass your collegiate final examination with flying colors! i sincerely hope so! Best of luck!
Marie: Here is wishing you all the fresh air you crave for. You deserve to have your wishes granted in full if only because of the fresh air your comments bring here. The poem you posted is especially appreciated because the scene described resembles (at least in part) what today is like outside my window here in Seattle, with white petals sticking to chilly, wet tree branches.
Oh Len, it’s just Spring, nothing more! Has it really happened? Have they really started voting on Loretta? Thank you and I WILL open your link very soon!
marie. . that was beautiful. . . thank you for sharing.
aword,, there is that old saying my father would sometimes use, “My tongue was in front of my eye tooth and I couldn’t see what I was saying!” Personally, I would have guessed it the transiting Hermes on your descendent, or maybe trans. Persephone on the Aries Point making a yod with your Pluto and Jupiter! Good luck with those finals and I hope you are feeling better and better every day.
be
Barbara: The Senate approval is a done deal. We have a new US Attorney General. Let us support her better than the Senate Republicans did. It’s a chill, wet spring outside my window right now.
Son of a gun Len, you were right; the moon was at 6+ Cancer when the nomination of Loretta Lynch for Atty. Gen. was agreed to by the Senate, at 11:44 AM today. A chart for this moment not only has the Sun at 3+ Taurus (the discovery of Chiron and the exaltation of the Moon degree) which is quincunx Saturn at 3+ Sagittarius retrograde, but when combined with the U.S. Sibly Venus at 3+ Cancer (which is where transiting Hades is) forms a yod with Saturn in the apex point. Something (or someone) will have to adjust.
Today’s Senate vote Moon at 6+ Cancer is conjunct the Chiron Discovery chart’s Jupiter (6+ Cancer) which is conjunct Nessus (10+ Cancer) in the Chiron chart which is conjunct the Moon (12+ Cancer) in the Chiron chart which trines Uranus (11+ Scorpio) in the Chiron chart. The Chiron chart’s Uranus is being lightly squared by transiting Jupiter who is moving forward (away).
Today’s Senate Vote Moon is also conjunct the U.S. Sibly chart’s Jupiter at 5+ Cancer, and today’s transiting Jupiter is in the 1st house, so lots of emphasis on justice (today’s Moon conjunct Chiron’s Jupiter and U.S. Jupiter) and although the Moon rules today’s chart (Cancer rising) she also trines Neptune (9+ Pisces) which includes such things as drugs and compassion. (How prisons kill people will be examined) But Mars rules the MC (outcomes) in Aries, and today’s Mars (and Mercury) trine Pluto in Cap even as Uranus is still in orb of a square to Pluto.
Today’s Uranus is in the 10th house of the Senate vote so Loretta will be recognized for independent decision making and maybe even shock us sometimes. Transiting Uranus and transiting Saturn are still in orb of their sesquiquadrate aspect, and Aquarius is on the 8th house cusp. This must mean that not only will Saturn be adjusting due to his apex point on the yod (U.S. Venus sextile today’s Sun), but Uranus (with the help of Chiron) will be pressuring Saturn to bend his own rules regarding 8th house matters.
With all the emphasis that th various Jupiters have on today’s vote this bending should happen, at least when Saturn’s in Sagittarius. I haven’t been able to find a birth time/chart for Loretta but it shouldn’t be too long before it becomes available. Change is blowing in the wind my friend.
be
Right you are, Barbara. Given that our new US Attorney General was born on May 21, 1959 we are going to need her birth time to even know her solar sign (much less angles and houses). It does appear almost certain, however, that she was born with natal Moon in Scorpio. So, would you peg her as a late solar Taurus or early solar Gemini?
Len, my guess is she was born in daylight hours so a Taurus Sun likely. I give her a Virgo rising with her Sun in the 9th house and early Gemini on the MC. Her Mercury (ruler of hypothetical Asc and MC is also in the 9th house. Her Jupiter is in the 3rd house along with the Moon-conjunct Ceres, all in Scorpio. (this gives her a kind of mutual reception between Mercury and Jupiter!)
I put her north node in Libra (she just had a north node return) in the 1st house conjunct her Juno and Pallas too. Venus, where the Moon was at voting time yesterday (at 12 Cancer) is in the 10th house, while Leo Vesta conjunct Uranus is in the 11th house, along with Mars in Cancer. Pluto at 1 Virgo in the 12th opposes Chiron conjunct the U.S. Moon in Aquarius in the 6th. Saturn in Capricorn in the 4th house, retro, squares Pallas-NN-Juno. Only the 5th, 7th and 8th houses are “empty” , but since Chiron is in the 6th house (and not considered one of the 10 major planets by those who use the Mark E Jones patterns) I would call it a Locomotive pattern with Mercury as the engine and Saturn the caboose. I consider her Saturn the focal point in its T-square with the nodes.
I hope this meets with her approval!!
be
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