Category: Astrology

Neptune Square Mercury Dream

EleanorLeave a comment
I used an AI app called Wombo Dream to create this image of the sinking phones

Back in May of this year, I had a dream where I saw hundreds of old cell phones and pagers with open text messages displayed on their screens, all sinking slowly into the ocean.

I was out in the ocean in a row boat, paddling around and trying to read the messages on the screens. But every time I approached one of these devices, it just sunk further and further into the ocean.

I rowed around like this for what must have been hours, trying to catch a glimpse of the messages which I thought may have been meant for me.

But no matter how hard I tried everything just sunk deeper and deeper into the depths before I was able to grasp it.

Of course, as I usually do, when I woke up I asked myself what this dream could mean for me.

The first thing that occurred to me is that is that it showed me I was starting to feel the effects of Neptune in Pisces squaring my natal Mercury in Gemini. This is a transit which had started to come into effect earlier this year at the start of March (and which is going to last for the better part of the next 3 years).

This image generated by the app probably comes the closest to representing what I saw in my dream

Neptune in astrology represents dreams, fantasies, illusions, spirituality, confusion and sacrifice, while Mercury symbolizes the conscious mind, words, communication and logic.

The square aspect is usually thought to be a challenging one, where a crisis is often brought to a head, sparking an opportunity for creative resolution of the original conflicting dynamic.

So on one level, I took this dream to represent a sense of confusion I’m feeling around how I have conceptualized my spiritual principles and ideals, and what this all means for me in my day-to-day lived experience.

On another level, I think this also means that I’m being forced to confront some of the illusions I’ve had about the ways I’ve communicated with others in the past.

I think that some of these habits, thought patterns and ways of interacting with others are not really serving me anymore. This transit could be an opportunity to re-evaluate, let go of what isn’t working and find new ways to express myself and my vision.

Q&A: What is the difference between Aries and Leo?

EleanorLeave a comment
orange flame

As the fire (and other signs) progress through the wheel of the zodiac, they take the original energy of that element and go on to develop increasing complexity in how it is expressed.

It is thought to be an expression over time (as expressed spatially across the wheel of the zodiac). It is also the result of combining the signs element (fire) with its modality (cardinal, fixed, mutable).

So for the fire signs this would mean that Aries (a cardinal sign) could be considered the most “pure” expression of fire. It is outward reaching (as fire rises), it considered passionate, willful, quick to anger (as fire is hot), etc. Also, Aries is known for being concerned with the self and having a very strong ego.

The same strong ego drives and outward expression are present in Leo (a fixed sign), only at this point in the zodiac they have become a bit more tempered or sophisticated. Rather than being concerned with will, aggression, and dominance, Leo tends to show its fiery side with more of a focus on self-expression, creativity, and play.

Ego elements are still there, of course: Leo’s are known for being very proud. But the focus is more on creativity and self-expression rather than ego dominance.

By the time we get to Sagittarius (a mutable sign), that fiery energy has been tempered even more. This sign still possesses the fire element qualities of outward directed expansion, which is why it is so heavily associated with ideas like travel, adventure, and exploration. This also includes the themes associated with exploring new horizons in ways that are mental or spiritual (for example, through religion, philosophy, etc.).

The Archetypal in Astrology

Eleanor1 Comment

According to Richard Tarnas, the archetypal is the spiritual and energetic. It was originally experienced by human people as “Gods” and “Goddesses,” and described in terms of mythologies.

The archetypal is about the essences and qualities that transcend the human.

These ideas were later expounded upon in Ancient Greece, with the philosophies of Plato and Plotinus, among others. They were forgotten for many years until their recovery by the likes of Nietzsche, Freud, and Carl Jung.

Jung’s depth psychology explored the idea of the archetypal pleroma, the pantheon of archetypal energy, both within and without. It was Jung who recognized that we are in psyche. It informs not only us but all of nature. This is what is meant by the Anima Mundi, or world soul.

It was through myths that man tried to understand and convey its experience of this world soul. Myth, as well as dreams, are the narrative form of archetypal energy. According to Tarnas, this is how the cosmos pours its consciousness through us humans. The archetypes are thus the mediators of the cosmos, the way the Anima Mundi often speaks to us directly of its secrets.

Plotinus says that astrology is like a script that the soul of the sky is writing. Meaning is something that extends and permeates through all levels of reality and existence. We are living in a pan-psychic universe, and if we wish to, we can be active participants with this consciousness or sentience.

The cosmos gives us guidance on how we can participate constructively. The archetypes don’t “cause” human affairs or outer events to occur in some mechanistic way. Instead, it is open to our human participation.

It is as if the universe or nature is providing us with symbols or guideposts regarding the qualitative meaning of our unfolding. We can choose to participate actively in our own evolution by noticing and following the signs provided for us by the macrocosm.

Richard Tarnas on the Planets in 2021

Eleanor1 Comment

Last week I had the privilege of attending an online talk led by Richard Tarnas, author of Cosmos and Psyche, on the astrology of 2021. It truly an honor to be in the presence of a man who is widely recognized as one of the great minds of our time.

During his presentation, Tarnas chose to focus on three of the most significant transits of the past and current decade:

  • Uranus square Pluto, lasting from 2007 to 2020
  • Saturn conjunct Pluto, from 2018 to 2022
  • Saturn square Uranus, from 2019 to 2024

The Uranus-Pluto square brought to the surface many of the things which lay in the collective shadows. According to Tarnas, Trump was a potent symbol of the shadow side of this Plutonian energy—he gave permission to other to express many of the things which lay beneath the surface in our society (racism, misogyny, etc.), bringing them into open expression.

The Saturn-Pluto conjunction, which also aligned with Jupiter last year, was one of the most significant of our time. This triple conjunction saw discovery and proliferation of COVID-19, as well as a host of other dire effects. Whenever Saturn enters the picture, it brings with it a great heaviness and seriousness, during which judgements are made and there are consequences.

According to Tarnas, the triple conjunction of Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto in Capricorn was in many ways an initiatory crisis for us. In many ways, it provoked a moral crisis, an awakening which asked us to die to our old identity and be born into a life of meaning. Tarnas spoke of this on a collective level, but I also have felt this to be true on a personal level during the past year. By confronting death, I was able to see life more clearly, and was forced to find a way to live it more courageously and with much more integrity.

The two transits mentioned above are all coming to an end, and we are now left with the major, definitive transit of 2021, the Saturn-Uranus square. The transit will be exact on three dates this year: February 17, June 15, and December 24.

This is not an easy transit. However, Tarnas believes there is still more room to maneuver here than under the Saturn-Pluto conjunction of last year. The energies are now fully engaged, we feel less trapped and are more inspired to face the challenges directly. It’s as if we have gone through a near-death experience, and the life that remains has been imbued with greater preciousness and significance. We are willing to fight for the changes that we need to make in our lives.

Uranus, the unconventional, rebellious planet of change, will meet Saturn, the wise but severe taskmaster of the sky several times through this year, leading to an energy which is great for making creative structural changes in order to permit wiser living and greater freedom. It would be well-advised to make prudent changes slowly and gradually; if we choose to ignore the lessons imparted by Saturn and Uranus, we may find that a sudden break or collapse may occur when we least expect it.

As challenging and disruptive as this may be, the Saturn-Uranus squares of 2021 have the potential to be a sacred marriage of the past and future. If we use this time wisely, we may be able to carry forward what is most valuable from the past, discern what is most promising of the future, and together bring both into structural embodiment.

These crises can be opportunities for us to reconfigure our moral values and make creative, structural changes that will serve us well for years to come. Like with any difficult transits, the more consciousness, creativity, imagination, and courage that we can bring to bear on this situation, the better.

The Age of Horus

EleanorLeave a comment

On December 21, 2020, a Great Conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn occurred at 0 degrees of Aquarius.

For some, this marked the official beginning of the Age of Aquarius. However, others debate this and assert other dates as being the true beginning of the age and the resetting of the cosmic clock.

Regardless of the exact date, I think many of us can feel there is a certain something in the air that shows there are indeed noticeable shifts happening.

The Age of Aquarius is lauded by many as the beginning of a New Age of progress for humanity, when the people will take control of the Earth, truth will be revealed, and a huge wave of individuals will experience great shifts in consciousness and expanded awareness.

However, others believe that in this age, religion (as in the Age of Pisces) will be replaced by knowledge (or facts or data) as the main tool used by secretive, powerful elites to control the masses.

But my favorite explanation of this time is found in equating this time with the Age, or Aeon, of Horus, as pictured here in the Aeon card of the Thoth tarot.

As the son of Isis and Osiris, Horus represents the Child archetype, the salt of earth which combines the qualities of spirit and soul from both sides of his lineage.

This fact points to the importance of what precedes us, and the legacies which we have inherited. To move into the Aeon of Horus, we will have to transition out of the Age of Osiris, or the time of the Father, with its patriarchal perspective and value system. It was an age concerned with control and dominance, as well as counterbalancing themes of sacrifice, suffering and death.

Before this, came the Age of Isis, or the Mother. During this time, matriarchies ruled the Earth. The land herself, and the beauty and pleasures of the body, were then the object of worship.

The Aeon of Horus is expected to be an age of alchemical transformation, in which the inherited qualities of previous ages are integrated and wholly embodied in our selves.

Creating the future does not involve a rejection of our past, but a careful examination of our full inheritance along with choices made of what we will choose to embody and carry forward.

As a feminist, I strongly believe that creation of a new world does not involve rejection of the masculine in any way. The feminism I believe in rejects only the patriarchy and its rigid systems of dominance and control. It is this rigidity that keeps both men and women locked into our respective roles, living as one-sided attempts as human beings.

Integration of the masculine into the feminine, or the animus with the anima, is the only way to create new life, and a new world.

As a result, we are being called to embody our inheritance in a way that honors the fullness of our humanity. That integrates our thoughts and our feelings, our spirits with our bodies, the forces of Eros and Logos, drawing strength from both chaos & order, structure & freedom.

It is only when we have integrated our dual and complementary ways of being that we will know that we have arrived. It is then that we may experience the joys promised by the initiation of this new age.

Total Solar Eclipse in Sagittarius

EleanorLeave a comment

Today there was a Total Solar Eclipse earlier around 8am this morning.

Eclipses usually signal a powerful and even disruptive beginning or end. It’s effects can often be felt for the next 6 months, until the beginning of the next cycle.

This eclipse is conjunct the South Node in Sagittarius. The South Node signifies what we need to move away from, what has been mastered and must be transcended. To continue to engage in a way typified by the South Node is ultimately draining for us, and disempowering.

It is much better for us to move toward the North Node, also called the Node of Destiny.

Sagittarius typically represents the themes of philosophy, religion, and foreign languages or travel. Ruled by Jupiter, it can also mean idealism and expansion.

Gemini, on the other hand, is more about communication, logic, the mind, and our thought processes. It can also be the spoken and written word, as well as our local community, siblings and neighborhood.

🌞

This eclipse perfectly encapsulates the themes that have been on my mind in recent weeks.

With the South Node in Sagittarius, I am looking to move away from my decade-long focus on higher learning, philosophy and spiritual ideals.

However, I won’t be abandoning it or leaving it behind completely.

Instead, I will turn my attention toward the North Node in Gemini, and my focus will shift to how I can communicate what I have learned to my community.

I view this eclipse as my opportunity to shift into greater connection with those around me through my writing.

What would you like to shift during this eclipse season and beyond?