I dwell in Possibility – A fairer House than Prose
— Emily Dickinson
Even with all the bemusing, worrying, sad or annoying things undeniably going on in the world, there is at least one reason to be consoled. Much is possible and little is certain at this time. It is not always that way. Nor can things continue to be that way forever. All of which makes this a blessed, if exasperating, era to live in.
It is as though your life is contributing to the composition of an epic poem. Less is explicit. More is open to interpretation. Rarely is one definition indisputable — just like poetry.
Gender is no longer necessarily defined by genitals. More people are practicing unconventional domestic relationships. What a person is — or even what life is — is increasingly becoming a subject of dispute.
A self-described democratic socialist is contending to be the nominee of the Democratic Party in the U.S. Leading the pack for the Republicans is a reality television star. Those looking for a conventional job are finding such positions harder to come by. The examples go on and on. Nearly anything formerly taken for granted in the 20th Century has now become optional, or even exceptional.
It seems nobody knows any outcome for sure right now. It’s all most of us can do to take in and evaluate all the alternatives and their consequences. Yet, with alternatives now more the rule than ever, boundaries on consciousness and what you can be aware of have, as result, expanded. Just as poetry expands the boundaries of language, and what you can express with it, possibility is throwing open metaphorical doors and windows previously closed.
As one might expect, the fairer house of possibility is symbolically showing up in the astrology right now. That’s especially true if your focus is the sign-ruling planets. With the exception of the Moon, which changes signs about every third day, all of the major planets (and a great many of secondary importance) have evacuated the fixed signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius.
In astrology, fixed signs have the quality of conferring definition and resisting change. Those with fixed signs prominent in their personal astrology do indeed tend to demonstrate such admirable qualities as stamina and perseverance. Yet, the same personalities also often cling to routine for its own sake, and potentially limit themselves and others with an insistence on order and a proclivity for rigidity.
People with cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn) dominating their astrology, on the other hand, can become very restless if they are not initiating something new. For their own part, folks who are born with a rich component of mutable planets (in Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius or Pisces) tend to get a charge out of stirring things up.
None of the slow-moving outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto), which correspond with the political and public realm of society and history, have been in fixed signs since Jupiter left fixed Leo and entered mutable Virgo back on Aug. 11, and Saturn entered mutable Sagittarius on Sept. 17. Since Jupiter spends more than a year in each sign, that means the world as a whole will implicitly be dwelling in some significant possibility until at least next September.
Additionally, since Venus left Leo behind to ingress Virgo on Oct. 8, and until the Sun departs cardinal Libra to enter fixed Scorpio on Oct. 23, all of the faster moving ‘personal planets’ (Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars — once again, making exception for the Moon) will also be expressing themselves through emblematically expanded boundaries.
For you, that means two things. First, it will be implicitly as difficult to keep the changing world outside of your life as it is to keep the wind from entering open windows and doors. As if in compensation, however, it will be easier for you both to contribute to and to accept what is creatively ambiguous, entertaining the possibility of an entirely new life for yourself.
Just as some people are uncomfortable with how poetry requires one to bring definition rather than receiving it, there are those for whom the next ten days will be more distressing than entertaining. Try not to be among them.
Consider giving possibility a chance. Contemplate going even further when something unusual but interesting presents itself for you to define. These moments do not come often, and you will never know how you feel about dwelling in them unless you give yourself a fairer chance.
Offered in Service
Len is available for astrology readings. You can contact him at lenwallick [at] gmail [dot] com.
Thank you Len for this beautiful piece! It resonates well with me. As a taurus sun and aquarius moon the prosaic and poetic quality of your message soothes while inspiring my ‘fixed’ tendencies to relax, or a least bring awareness to the resistance within:-) I’m trying to not only go with but be the flow (as a small stone down a swollen mountain stream:-).
Being very mutable myself I have attracted many Fixed sign people into my life. The place we always seem to meet is the resistance to changing opinion. jasonboyd you are expressing a very healthy openness to the process, from your perspective. I honor you for that.
Cowboyiam: And thanks to you in turn for being your supportive self.
Thanks for your kind response Cowboyiam. My natal saturn in gemini and my progressed sun are conjunct currently. so foundationally speaking i feel mutable:-)
Jason: Thank you so very much for taking the time and effort to post your response to my service in this piece. The feedback means more to me than you can possibly know. May the flow be with you.
Dear Len,
After understanding my chart with Venus’ and other planets doing their thing, you said that I was going into uncharted waters and to share my progress if I chose. The water is choppy.
This quote:
“I dwell in Possibility – A fairer House than Prose
— Emily Dickinson” sums up what keeps me going. As you say, “Less is explicit.”
On the world stage and in my life, as in the lives of others, nothing is certain. This helps my post retirement Life considerably as the possibility for good change is right here, “, it will be easier for you both to contribute to and to accept what is creatively ambiguous, entertaining the possibility of an entirely new life for yourself.”
Bright Blessings
Carolynkc: Thank you for your progress report. One thing about choppy waters, one is unlikely to become becalmed . May you be brightly blessed in turn.
My sense is that astrology was created for earthlings, and other life forms perhaps, because we live in a world of duality. And thank goodness too, because without astrology, we would be hard pressed to navigate, much less understand, these changes, or the expanding boundaries you have mentioned. Thank you Len for perceiving the purpose(s) of the signs and how they contribute to the constant growth of people and countries.
Today’s news had 2 stories that made me want to know which signs and symbols were contributing the most to their manifestation; another eruption in Israel and last night’s event between Democrat wannabe’s for President. Part of this I decided must come from the transiting opposition between Neptune in Pisces and Jupiter in Virgo.
From what I can gather, the Israel shooting and other incidents there in the last several days, is over religion and the (perceived) rights of worshipers allowed by their government. When the Jupiter-Neptune cycle began in Aquarius in 2009, a 3rd “planet”, Chiron was there too. Juno in Pisces was opposite Saturn in Virgo, and they were T-squared by Vesta in Gemini. These mutable signs and the symbolism of the planets that were within those signs lends clarity to these events ; Saturn (government) opposite Juno (less than equal), both squared by Vesta (a sense of safety).
Neptune of course rarely – if ever – allows those in our stage of development (evolution) see a “real” picture, but more like a dream picture of something. What we see through Jupiter’s eyes is true but enlarged and/or exaggerated. Half-way into their cycle (their opposition to each other) the view from either point (Pisces or Virgo) will be distorted in some way or another.
So that was also what the viewers of the Democratic Debate experienced last night. Transiting Neptune and transiting Chiron, who was the 3rd party in the 2009 conjunction in Aquarius, are 10 degrees apart in Pisces and their midpoint has been opposite transiting Jupiter in Virgo. That has to mean something, wouldn’t you think? A “teachable moment” maybe? Expanding boundaries on consciousness indeed.
Anyway, the people watching the Debate saw what they wanted to see, distortion and all. There was a dream-like experience for some of us. . . wishful thinking would describe the same vision for others. The thing is that Jupiter was trine Pluto in Capricorn (cardinal sign) who seems hell-bent 🙂 on initiating something new. It all fits into the rest of the astrological picture (ie. Uranus opposite New Moon, Chiron semi-sextile Uranus, etc.)
This may be old news but as an aside, I think I found the secret of Donald Trump being such a fascinating figure for many; his natal Neptune at 5+ Libra squares the U.S Sibly Jupiter at 5+ Cancer. Both old and new rulers of Pisces, it’s at a time when trans. Neptune and Jupiter are half-way through their cycle. This in addition to Trump’s natal Sun in Gemini exactly square the U.S. Sibly Neptune in Virgo, and transiting Chiron in Pisces now exactly square Trump’s natal Uranus in Gemini which is exactly trine his natal Jupiter in Libra . . . . .
This world we live in, it’s a stage, no?
be
Barbara: Speaking of supportive, thank you for being that way yet again here. Additionally, i’m very grateful for how you linked current events into the astrology. i agree with your point regarding the broad opposition from Jupiter to Neptune, and i’m grateful for the reference to their conjunction in 2009 (which was also Pluto’s first full year next door in Capricorn). In answer to your question, having Jupiter currently opposed to the mid-point between transiting Neptune and Chiron can indeed represent a teaching moment (although we should be cautious about being absolutely certain and clear about that until some time has passed). As you pointed out, the nature of the debate was not so conclusive so as to allow clarity – enabling any merely reactive viewer to see what they wanted to see. Most of all, thank you for what seems to be a very revealing synasty between The Donald’s nativity and the U.S. (Sibly) chart – fishy, eh?
Quite fishy, and very slippery.
Thank you for pointing out the sudden lack of planets in fixed signs, Len, it had quite escaped my notice. The prospect of a year without a great deal of one-pointed determination was a bit alarming at first, but then I realised it also meant no squares to my natal planets in fixed signs (the Moon excepted, as you say). A good window of opportunity to see what might arise and what might fade away, perhaps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb9By-lODgk
Geoff: First off, thank you for the link to a video worthy of meditating on. Next, please remember that we still have the Moon making its rounds of fixed signs. The Sun will also be in Scorpio soon enough. Mercury, Venus and Mars are not long to follow. Hence, what you call this “good window of opportunity” will also be a brief one to make the best use of.
Donald Trump’s fixed rhetorical positions seem to be enough as he certainly wields enough energy to get people moving in one direction or another.
To everything turn, turn, turn…if it remained in fixed signs, what a rigid world it would be! One can not fly without being willing to be lifted from the ground. Similarly, one cannot think, dream nor feel fully when one is constricted. Saturn’s movement into Sag, in fact its current placement in its second degree– sabian symbol is white capped waves displaying the power of wind over sea– demonstrates movement of spirit, does it not? I like to think of Saturn allowing some freedom from its restrictions for a while. It is still a reminder of accountability (one cannot be entirely free on the sea) but it is still boundless. When we bind ourselves, we limit possibility. We when limit possibility, we limit problem-solving, and often can find ourselves falling into despair when we can’t find our way out of crisis. All to often, society limits their thinking. Right now, despite the fact that little is certain at this time because conventions have changed, we still want to apply restrictions on ourselves and others that are harmful. This year of political debate and stumping, it is best to have the fixed signs out yonder so that ideas and dialogue can flow free and voters can observe so that when the time comes to cast the vote, (wondering if fixed signs reappear then?) better and more refined positions will be clarified not only in politicians but within the polis itself. Politics is personal. Each person has to rexamine their values, best to do this during maleable and air-streaming rather than fixed sign times!
Thanks for the great piece Len. To read your work is reading poetry!
Pisces Sun: Thank you for being so kind in your appraisal of my attempt to write so as to honor possibility. As for your question, Jupiter is about two years from next being in a fixed sign. Saturn and Uranus will require a few more years after that. Then Pluto a few more years after Saturn and Uranus. Even so (as i noted for Geoff) in addition to the Moon’s rapid rounds, the Sun, Mercury, Venus and then Mars will be in fixed signs again before we know proverbially know it. The upshot is that it will be up to each of us individually, in our personal lines to emphasize the upside of the fixed quality by on the one hand persevering while not going over the line into being stubborn.