Wheel of Light Astrology by Rio Olesky - September 2018
We have been in a period of time when the energetic patterns have been extreme. Two planetary phenomena have been foreshadowing unexpected shifts and changes on both the collective as well as individual levels. One has been the fact that as many as 6 planets have been retrograde at once since July. Retrograde planets express their energy subjectively. We tend to be more tuned in to our situation or experience rather than looking at a bigger picture. With so many planets being retrograde for so long we risk withdrawing into our own lives and enhancing feelings of alienation from others.
Three personal planets either have been retrograde or will be during this period. Mars has been retrograde from June 26-August 27. Mercury was retrograde from July 25-August 18. Similarly, Venus will be retrograde from October 5-November 16 (more on that next month). These are all personal planets and we can assume that the situations reflected by these retrogrades have been experienced by each of us in slightly different ways.
In addition to the three personal planets four of the five outer planets have been retrograde since mid June. This suggests major disconnects between various nations and between people and their leadership in areas as diverse as international trade, economic stability and alliances. Collectively, we have noted the new beginnings in international relations that have led nowhere, communication that’s misleading and the incredible conflicts between different factions of our country.
In this time of unpredictability, there have also been three eclipses. There was a full Moon lunar eclipse on July 27 and new Moon solar eclipses on July 12 and August 11. Whereas new Moon eclipses tend to put political leaders at risk, full moon eclipses are more challenging to the masses. In either case, eclipses can coincide with major earth changes such as fire-storms, earthquakes and volcanoes, all of which we’ve been experiencing in major ways throughout much of this year.
Fortunately, there are also 3 transiting combinations that are providing us with useful tools with which to navigate this period. All three have been with us for a while, so we should have sufficient experience by now to take fullest advantage of what they offer. They can provide guidance for the movers and shakers who seek to define our collective experience, but since we can only take responsibility for how we choose to take advantage of the energies, that’s what we will focus on.
Each of these transits tends to focus on different areas of life. One is a trine (120 degree angular relationship) between Saturn and Uranus. These planets co-rule Aquarius. Another of these is another trine, this one between Jupiter and Neptune, the co-rulers of Pisces. In the grand scheme of things humanity has been transitioning from the Piscean Age to the Aquarian Age. These Ages last for approximately 2100 years, so when we think of the transition between them we are realistically looking at several hundred years. We can use these trines to see how we can take advantage of the remaining time of the Piscean Age and how we can create the Aquarian Age in order to benefit the greatest number of beings.
The Jupiter-Neptune trine brings joy, compassion and concern for the welfare of all living creatures. This combination of influences enhances feelings of humanitarian generosity and optimism about the future. One of the benefits of this transit throughout this year has been its influence in keeping the financial markets strong regardless of the mindless ideas about trade emanating from our so-called leadership. This aspect has also enabled people to maintain an almost unbridled belief in whatever their theology states. Yet, in that sense it could be helping to keep people who share common religious beliefs isolated from those whose beliefs differ. We can, however, choose to use this transit at its highest and most expansive level. We can use it to feel connected to everyone and everything; realizing through both feeling and perception, that we are all part of the same life force. And we all have a lot more in common than we have differences.
The Aquarian Age was once thought to be a time of utopian human societies. Technological breakthroughs would enable us to have more free time to create, to heal and to support each other to relate in kind and loving ways. This is accompanied by the freedom to develop our own uniqueness and our quest for individual freedom. These qualities would suggest that Uranus would lead us into this New Age. Now, however, we are realizing that reliance on technology could actually keep us more separate, choosing games and endless texts as ways of relating rather than face to face. In addition, with the rise of the political and economic right wing, the Aquarian Age could be dominated by Saturn, the energy of the patriarchy and hierarchical authority. Saturn is the energy of the box. It wants us to function in ways that are controlled by tradition and convention. Uranus is outside the box. It wants us to explore, experiment with and express new concepts and behaviors. This month, the trine between these planets suggests that we can work to take responsibility (Saturn) to liberate ourselves (Uranus) in ways that are grounded, focused and useful. By extension, we can carry this harmonious combination with us as we decide through action what this new age is going to be.