Jacksonville Jaguars players kneel down during the U.S. national anthem before a game against the Baltimore Ravens at Wembley Stadium in London on Sept. 24, 2017. (They stood for the playing of “God Save the Queen.”) The symbolic gesture, which spread nationwide this weekend, comes two days after Trump’s harsh comments on players who don’t stand during “The Star-Spangled Banner.” NFL player Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem last year as a way to peacefully protest U.S. police brutality against African Americans. Photo by Tim Ireland/AP.
This week offers yet another interesting and complex round of astrology, all on the heels of the Libra equinox. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, the scales of that sign have tipped in the direction of night being longer than day. This also begins a new season, with the attendant surge of power coming from the Earth, in all hemispheres.
The new Libra Sun is distinguished this year by a long conjunction to Vesta, the brightest asteroid. The Sun has been gradually aligning with Vesta, which will be exact at 10:17 am on Wednesday, Sept. 27.
Music students from the Albany School of Rock came out on stage wearing execution hoods and prison jumpers during the Roger Waters concert last night. This was during the song “Another Brick in the Wall Part Three” (we don’t need no education, we don’t need no thought control: that one). They removed the outfits to reveal black shirts that said RESIST. Photo by Eric Francis.
Libra is generally held to be the sign of relationships, of “you and me.” The presence of the mighty Vesta in this scene is holding open the space for the kinds of relationships that are usually considered taboo, inappropriate or the result of seeming failure.
Vesta is the sigil of spiritual growth dictating the form of relationship rather than life revolving around devotion to the concept of a partner. (Autocorrect substituted the word “parent” for my original mistyping of “partner,” which is accurate: partnerships that are based on parental relationships.)
In any event, Vesta holds space; whether we’re talking about the hearth, which is a tribute to her, or the presence of the Vestal priestesses at all Roman government functions in the days of the empire. There was some understanding in that time that the ever-devoted Vestals provided protection for the empire, and that it would be vulnerable should their order of priestesses ever end; that turned out to be true (another story).
Apart from the Sun-Vesta conjunction, there are three outstanding aspects this week, one of which is happening as I write: the opposition of Mars and Neptune (from Virgo to Pisces), which was exact at 3:49 pm EDT today, Sunday.
Then there’s Mercury opposite Chiron, exact at 6:12 pm EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 27. This is part of a T-square, or compound square, involving Mercury, Chiron (a centaur planet) and Pholus (another centaur planet).
Jupiter, as seen by the Cassini spacecraft. Image by NASA.
Then there’s Jupiter opposite Uranus, which happens about once every 14 years, and is exact at 12:25 am EDT on Thursday, Sept. 28.
This is all high-energy, exuberant astrology, particularly the rare, high-vibration opposition of Jupiter and Uranus. Imagine the Earth floating at the center of two of the largest planets, one representing knowledge and wisdom and the other representing revolution, invention and liberation. This is a breakthrough of some kind, a turning point in history.
We’re seeing this in the news right now, at this moment, with Pres. Trump taking on the NFL, all of its players and all of its fans, calling for players to be fired if they protest against the murder of their brothers and sisters by the police. There will be more fireworks to come. Nothing says “coming to a head” quite like Jupiter opposite Uranus, and this aspect can bring out the very best in both of these planets. (Jupiter usually needs something to kick its ass, and the green fire of Uranus is great at it.)
As for the Mercury setup with two centaur planets: this personalizes matters. Mercury is close to home, and represents the accessible mind rather than some abstract concept. You might think of Mercury as the on-air monitor of awareness or, in the words of the Gita, “The mind of the senses, the consciousness of creatures.”
When you add not just one but two primary centaur planets to Mercury, in the fashion of bold, thundering square aspects (tapping into the Galactic Center), we have a moment when minds may actually change, or wake up and become aware.
Uranus as seen from the Voyager 2 robotic spacecraft in 1986.
To paraphrase Roger Waters of Pink Floyd: he said that there’s something beautiful and vibrant in the human spirit, and it just needs to be brought to the surface. It’s there, but it’s hidden.
The potential pitfall of Mercury mixing it up with centaurs is having your mind injured in some way, such as by getting into a fight that you cannot win, or making a judgement about yourself that sticks because the astrology is so strong. And other astrology could feed this. Look, as well, for the painful encounter that provides the wakeup call: the bit of information you need to make a decision, take action or get your act together.
Now, as for the note of caution. Mars opposite Neptune is exact today, though it’s in effect all week and has been for some days. Neptune, in my experience, has the widest orb of influence of all of the planets. This can be reckless, and is prone to errors and self-destructive behavior.
Be especially cautious where any mind-altering substance is concerned; anything that can skew your judgment or make you more energetically vulnerable. Let’s put it this way. Under the current astrology, you need every last modicum of awareness that you can access, and as few compromises as possible. Check yourself and your judgments a few times; interpose a delay when you feel any doubt or uncertainty in your position before taking action. Please, watch out for wet floors, and people roaming around in a trance. Then feel free to drink in the inspiration.
And there you have it. I’m planning to be back with you for Tuesday’s Planet Waves FM.
Students of the Albany School of Rock, with Roger Waters and either Jess Wolfe or Holly Laessig of indie quartet Lucius. Laessig and Wolfe are harmony vocalists for this tour. Photo by Eric Francis.
Amazing. Thank you dear Eric.
“The presence of the mighty Vesta in this scene is holding open the space for the kinds of relationships that are usually considered taboo, inappropriate or the result of seeming failure.
“Vesta is the sigil of spiritual growth dictating the form of relationship rather than life revolving around devotion to the concept of a partner.”
Really fascinating to read this today…… as I just realized that trans Vesta is just two arc minutes past my natal Vesta. Between that and Jupiter-Uranus just a couple degrees off my natal Uranus, and the Mercury-Chiron-Pholus configuration just a couple degrees from my natal Moon in the 6th…… WHEW! No wonder I feel as if I’ve been plugged into some kind of light-socket with this play I’m doing, and all things it’s bringing up regarding past relationships, the related karma, and all sorts of other things.
Somehow my insomnia is making even more sense than it already did……… Goodness!
At the conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus on the Aries Point, the Moon was aspecting Neptune, Chiron, Mercury, Juno, Mars, Saturn, Ceres as well as the U.S. natal Moon (Sibly) and U.S. natal Pluto. Even Jupiter and Uranus were semi-sextile the Moon. No wonder so much is going on in this country 7 years later when they oppose one another.
If the emotional Moon symbolizes the People and in this case she was at 27+ Aries (where transiting Uranus is now and opposite where transiting Jupiter is now), then it is the People who are making conscious this cycle’s primary means of expression. At the June 8, 2010 conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus the Moon sextiled Neptune at 28+ Aquarius. This extended into a Yod when joined with Saturn (substantiate) at 27+ Virgo. Just this past July 1st transiting Chiron stationed retrograde at 28+ Pisces and he is still within orb of completing a Boomerang with the Uranus-Jupiter conjunction chart’s Moon-Neptune-Saturn Yod. It is transiting Chiron then who is symbolizing the full brunt of the combined energies of the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction chart’s Yod (Moon, Neptune, Saturn). As you said, trans. Chiron squares trans. Pholus (small cause, big effect) and trans. Mercury (today conjunct the US Neptune at 22+ Virgo) completes a T-square.
The conjunction between Jupiter and Uranus on the Aries Point gave us the heads up it was going to get personal, especially since Neptune was just a degree past the U.S natal (Sibly) Moon at the time. Chiron at 0+ Pisces then was opposite the transiting Mars at 0+ Virgo. Now, today, the transiting Ceres at 0+ Leo is quincunx that 2010 Chiron and semi-sextile the Mars that Chiron opposed. Ceres in Leo means drama and today’s emotional demonstration at the GOP health care bill hearing brought the Jupiter-Uranus cycle, now at its “full-moon” point, into sharp focus. Transiting Ceres was known to be able to leverage decision making in her favor. I marvel at the astrological choreography – never more exquisite than today.
be
It might be supposed that the Jupiter-Uranus opposition, due on Wednesday or Thursday depending on time zone (dotz), would be the trigger to ignite the current stand-off between the TrumpKim twins to see which has the more powerful rocket in their pocket. The biggest versus the most unexpected, surely, in any war games scenario. Who would have predicted such an opener to WW3 in the era of Strangelove and Peace?
Contrariwise, as it’s turning out, it would seem that women are to be the unexpected recipients of Jove’s benevolence at the behest of the formerly male, now probably half-transgender, sky god. In short order, today’s headlines have reported both that women in Saudi Arabia are to be allowed to drive from next year in the only country on planet Earth where they are forbidden to do so, and that women in Ireland, which now has its first out-gay taoiseach (prime minister), will hold a referendum in 2018 on whether to reform the country’s laws on abortion which are among the most repressive in Europe.
So, while in America it may seem like the pendulum is swinging towards an Atwellian future, other parts of the developed world are only now beginning to catch up with what the rest of us have taken for granted since dope stopped meaning an idiot.
Oi vey! How to make a dollar out of this?
I expect it all depends on where you live. Or dotz.
Apologies. Two corrections.
It won’t be only women who can participate in the referendum in Ireland on abortion reform. All those of voting age may take part. There’s equality. I’m sure men have an equal understanding of the pain involved in such decision-making.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41400836
Atwellian is some kind of Freudian elision between Atwood and Orwell. It’s not necessarily inappropriate, but Atwoodian is what I meant to say.
Atwellian! good one. Thanks for the heads up, Geoff. You’d think that women alone would get to decide what happens to their bodies; but then, if such were the case, the abortion ‘debate’ might look very different.
Cheers, Amy, and many thanks for your recent forecasts.
I suppose that if men were prevented from voting in a referendum on abortion it would be categorised as sexist. However, given that all of the maternal responsibility and much of that embryo’s future development will depend on the mother’s acceptance of her role as primary nurturer – despite the child perhaps being forced upon her under duress of rape – should provide the mother with a greater percentage of power in deciding the embryo’s future. Perhaps a woman’s vote should be worth at least double that of a man’s in the Irish referendum?
It has always seemed to me that the reason for authority’s interference in this, essentially, personal decision is based on a biblical need for species (as in tribal) survival. Nowadays, however, there are possibly about as many human beings as the planet can comfortably accommodate. Indeed, any rise in homosexuality, which is such a worry for some, might be Gaia shouting in a very loud voice that “enough breeding is enough.” Imagine that more children, instead of adding to the likelihood of the species’ survival, actually contributed to the end of our planetary dominance. It isn’t hard to do.
As a non-practising homosexual, I am constantly amazed by the degree to which sex and sexuality occupy the thoughts of my fellow passengers on Spaceship Earth. Does it really matter who does what to whom in the privacy of their cabin, provided they each consent?
We are, I believe, fast reaching the point where the attributes of those we breed are far more important than the numbers of them. It could be a brave new world.
Can’t argue with that reasoning Geoff; “the attributes of those we breed are far more important than the numbers of them”.
When you say ” . .given that all of the maternal responsibility and much of that embryo’s future development will depend on the mother’s acceptance of her role as primary nurturer . .should provide the mother with a greater percentage of power in deciding the embryo’s future. Perhaps a woman’s vote should be worth at least double . . ” it gives new meaning to Ceres’ symbolism in this present period of time.
Ceres and other goddess-named astral bodies (even in their just being accepted as symbols to be studied) are indications of a process that is bringing balance into a world culture still so polarized. We see this in acts that increase respect for Mother Nature, ie. powerful hurricanes, and now the last holdout against women allowed to drive giving in to the pressure.
At the total solar eclipse in August trans. Ceres was opposite trans. Pluto and in myth they opposed each other, despite their common association with the death-rebirth process. It now seems to me to symbolize finding a balance as a goal, especially since trans. Vesta in Virgo was trine Pluto and sextile Ceres. Who better to serve as arbitrator in this past-its-prime act of domination.
be
Many thanks for your comments, be. I always appreciate your in-depth astrological analyses. The effect of August’s total solar eclipse will continue to shine its moonshade for some time to come, no doubt.
Interesting to note that Virgo and Scorpio are on either side of Libra – Ceres and Pluto riding the seesaw of death and rebirth. How often do we associate the harvest with death? The sheaf of grain in Ceres’ care represents life for man but first John Barleycorn must die and some of his seed fall into the dark earth to await germination.
… and Pluto turns direct today!
Had not caught that Geoff; Ceres association with Virgo and Pluto’s with Scorpio putting Libra (balance) in between. Thank you!
This might suggest a divide or (because of the Ceres-Pluto opposition) something that needs balancing (seesaw) or transformation. I checked Serennu and at the time of the eclipse there were a number of astral bodies in the 16-18 degree range of the signs in addition to Pluto and Ceres and Vesta. It was the bevy in Scorpio that most impressed me: Deucalion (new life after flood), Ceto (sea monster), Urania (astrology), Klotho (new thread/life). Wow.
be