It’s reasonable for you to ask when, or if it will all stop. Almost from the beginning of this century, the unconscionable ways of power politics have continuously raised the bar on unspeakable tragedy. Media technology has kept pace to bring it all so vividly and immediately into your personal life.
It’s painful. It’s wearying. It’s difficult to pay attention, yet nearly impossible to look away. It’s enough to make you wonder whether you can care about the world and care for yourself at the same time.
Above it all, the sky simply is. In the sky, there are movements. In those movements there is connection, wholeness and even perspective for you even now.
There are those who see the sky through the detached perspective of science. Yet, even science does not have all the answers. Even the most brilliant scientists cannot fully account for all they see, or how those things came to be. Even so, the endeavor to empirically understand and mathematically account for celestial events proceeds, setting an example for all of you who look for reasons and strive to be rational.
Then, there are those who view celestial events through the lens of imagination. Astrology is one of those ways. Yes, astrology does observe and correlate, much as science does. Unlike science, however, astrology does not strive to demonstrate or prove any truth conclusively. Rather, much as with music, astrology evokes truth through means that transcend the limitations of pure reason. Which is how astrology sets an example for all of you who also struggle to live through unreasonable events in an irrational world.
Two notable astrological events (one today, and one tomorrow) are combining to evoke a different world and a better life. It is a world less punishing and more nourishing, which can only begin in the imagination. It is a life that can be lived to make the imagined real.
Today’s evocative astrological event is represented by the Sun merging in the same degree of Scorpio with Mercury for what astrologers call a conjunction. Because its orbit around the Sun is inside that of Earth’s orbit, Mercury demonstrates two types of conjunction.
When Mercury is moving between Earth and the Sun, it is an interior (or ‘inferior’) conjunction. That sort of merger of the Sun and Mercury always marks the midpoint of a Mercury retrograde, evoking introspection and rumination regarding all that is evident. That is not the sort of conjunction taking place today.
Today the Sun is between Earth and Mercury, for what is called an exterior (or ‘superior’) conjunction. It is the midpoint between Mercury retrogrades. Because Mercury is literally hidden by the Sun, today’s conjunction of the two evokes an imagining of what is not evident.
Additionally, every conjunction of the Sun to Mercury (whether interior or exterior) is always followed by Mercury appearing on the other horizon from where we last could see it. A familiar light moving toward a new horizon implies the possibility of tomorrow transcending wherever and whatever your life is now, or has been before.
Speaking of tomorrow, that’s when Neptune (a planet that, among other things, correlates with imagining) resumes direct motion after just over five months of retrograde. From an empirical perspective, the change will be almost imperceptible. Slow-moving Neptune is in the same degree (7+ Pisces) that it backed into on Sept. 17, and where it will remain until Jan. 17.
Let a Planet Waves Reader Level membership give you some peace of mind through access to all our web articles. For the ease of email delivery (plus real-time SMS service and more), a Core Community membership will help you find your deeper rhythm.
Yet, symbolically, a change of direction for Neptune evokes all the difference in the world. This is especially true when you consider the Sabian symbol for the degree in which Neptune is turning around all that it represents.
The Sabian symbol for 7+ Pisces (which is actually eighth degree of Pisces) is of a girl blowing a bugle. To paraphrase the late, great Dane Rudhyar’s interpretation of this symbol, the young woman is calling all of us to participate in service of humanity at a time of evolutionary crisis. It is not implicitly a militant service as the image of a man blowing a bugle might indicate. Rather it is another way to serve, corresponding with an emergence of feminine traits that support and affirm a world and a life that defy death by nurturing life.
Hence, the more positive and progressive nature of Neptune, which a return to direct motion implies, combines with the Sabian symbol for 7+ Pisces as well as with the merger of Mercury and the Sun to call upon you. It is not a call to arms. It hearkens to another horizon. It heralds another world, where there is no end but rather continuation of rational life and connection with reasons to live. And it all must necessarily begin with you rising above the din of discouraging events to courageously imagine how it can be so.
Offered In Service
Dear Len, Thank you for your uplifting words, to ‘imagine how it can be’. I am one person…your words vibrate into my being and spread out, everywhere I walk, in NYC…imagine how your message of hope, courage and the call to service vibrates out and about.
much love and gratitude to you and the Planet Waves Community.
Kazimira: Please accept my (and our) gratitude in turn for you kind words and generous spirit. May your own artistic expressions continue to echo your spirit and nourish the being of humanity.
Len, your writing brought tears to my eyes. The call to service is ringing loudly, and its synonym must surely be unimaginable love.
Patricia: Thank you. Love it is and love it comes down to. May your tears not fall in vain, but rather nourish that love long after they have dried.
Thank you Len. I have a lot of imagining to do (not that this Piscean refrains from that)! My natal Mercury and South Node are conjunction at 6+ Pisces, all of this gives me a lot to consider. I, too, will be imagining love and grandest of possibilities for humanity and its beloved world!
Pisces Sun: With transiting Neptune closely conjoined to your natal Mercury and descending node for so long, it is not surprising that you have so continuously been able to express (Mercury) the benefit of all the wisdom you have learned (south node) with such grace and eloquence for so long here at Planet Waves. While it’s true that Neptune transits to such sensitive points in a nativity are not blithe picnics, may you find as much reason for gratitude as all of us find reason to read your thoughts here. Thank you so very much.
Thank you Len, your comments warmed my soul!
Respect, brother Aquarian. Feeding the white wolf yet again.
Geoff: Please accept my respect in return – and thanks for your conscientious participation here. And, yes, a respectful nod to Fe Bongolan for her great mind and the parallel sentiments (and superior expressions of same) in her blog yesterday.
Cheers, Bro. Respect to Fe, as ever.
Love and peace.
Len,
We can always count on you to see the beauty in astrology, despite the gross and heartless events that take place in our material world. There is purpose as well, in the astrology. I’m convinced the planets et al, seek to lead us through the apparent disintegration of reason and structure in these present times, and believe that Neptune is its core strength, and provides all of us with that strength to persevere. Imagination, as you explain, is the tool Neptune furnishes us with to do so.
Common sense, and as well common practice among astrology practitioners, has taught us that from the very beginning the most major of planets making the most major of aspects would provide us with the most clarity and understanding of situations past, present and future. We would later discover though, that minor planets and minor aspects would lead us to a more explicit understanding of those situations. Only Neptune has the ability to elude that kind of scrutiny it seems.
I want to draw your attention to something marvelous happening – even now, but more easily observed in the last days of November, which puts Neptune at the very core of his core strength. During those last days of this month Neptune will make an aspect to all the major planets, with a little fudging of the rules/lines, which is his modus operandi. I’m referring to the time around transiting Chiron’s station direct (exact on November 27-28), he who has been Neptune’s faithful companion for a number of years now, and who will be just under 10 degrees ahead of Neptune in Pisces. In his super-potent state, that of stationing, and only 10 days after Neptune stationed direct, Chiron will effect the tradition of a conjunction with Neptune, albeit with some subtlety.
We are aware of Saturn’s square with Neptune, and then the Sun conjunct Saturn also will square Neptune, but it is Neptune’s ongoing novile (exact at 40 degrees separation) with Uranus and now his septile (exact at 51.4 degrees separation) with Pluto that I find most breathtaking. These 3 outer planets, working in unison to break through the dense matter of life on Earth and transform us all from our present level of consciousness to a whole new way of perceiving that life leaves me weak with anticipation.
These are NOT major aspects, these 3 gods don’t need major aspects to perform major magic. Their transformation techniques are more nuanced; they leave the grunt-work to the like of Mars and Saturn, Mars making his exact quincunx to Neptune on the 24th but staying in orb till the end of the month, and Mercury making his exact square to Neptune the next morning will bring more substance (if you can call it that) to the Neptune profundity.
Venus on Saturday the 28th makes a sesqui-quadrate to Neptune while she makes a semi-square to Saturn as Moon trines Neptune. Moon will make 2 more minor aspects to Neptune before the month is over.
And yet Jupiter, precursor ruler of Pisces until Neptune became “known”, does not make an aspect to Neptune during this time, or does he? What Jupiter will be doing in those last days of November will be making a conjunction to the September solar eclipse degree, 20+ Virgo, but also making a little used or discussed aspect called a quindecile (exact 165 degree separation) to Neptune. It is a disruptive kind of aspect, and with the activation of the Virgo solar eclipse it invokes the opposition that eclipse moment held between Neptune and Jupiter, among other energies, like the grand trine in Fire signs between Uranus, Venus and Pallas who was T-square the eclipse Sun-Moon opposite Chiron.
Perhaps we might see Neptune’s fine orchestration of all this energy during the close of November, perhaps not. But, we should be aware of it, use it to dream and imagine what could be real; realize that what seems real is only an illusion. Be prepared then to rise above the dross and grotesque we might be exposed to and contemplate an awakening. Awesome isn’t it?
be
“the young woman is calling all of us to participate in service of humanity at a time of evolutionary crisis. It is not implicitly a militant service as the image of a man blowing a bugle might indicate. Rather it is another way to serve, corresponding with an emergence of feminine traits that support and affirm a world and a life that defy death by nurturing life.” That is a visual I can relate to, Len. May it please be so for all. I want to share it with everyone I know.
Yes indeed, the events of the day(s) are painful. My dreams leave me disturbed and recall is futile; my energy levels seem challenged and my thoughts scrambled (unusual for this natal Scorpio Sun conjunct Merc). Could it be Neptune’s close creep up on my Ascendant. Perhaps.
Thank you so much for easing – uplifting – my troubled spirit. I don’t post often. But read everything. (Thank you too, Be, for your explanation of Neptune’s minor aspect contact with Uranus and Pluto. “These 3 outer planets, working in unison to break through the dense matter of life on Earth and transform us all from our present level of consciousness to a whole new way of perceiving life…” May it be so.)