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Chiron is connected with medicine and healing. The last time Chiron passed through Aries was 1968-1977, a period of many ‘revolutions’, including a revival of natural medicine, ancient practices as well as all sorts of alternative healing methods.
Chiron remains in each Sign differing lengths of time, due to its extremely elliptical orbit, this time it will leaving Aries only in 2027. Before entering Aries for good, on February 18 2019, Chiron returned in Retro motion into Pisces on September 26 2018, a transition period.
Aries is the traditional starting point of the whole Zodiac, thus representing the beginning of an entire new cycle for any planet entering it. In Chiron’s instance the entire 12 Signs cycle lasts about fifty years. We can expect then, in the next nine years or so, a surge of medical discoveries and new ways of treating illness that will carry us in unexplored pioneering territories.
Looking back at the most recent times Chiron transited Aries (1918/1926-27;1968/1977), we see also much struggle to realize historical social reforms: women suffrage, gender equality, sexual revolution, peace versus war. Aries, symbol of unbridled and often toxic masculinity, is going through a face of healing and higher learning from which it will emerge transformed.
Uranus already entered the Fixed Earth Sign of Taurus, on May 16 2018. He then briefly returned to Aries on November 7, and now is again on the doorstep of Taurus, this time for good, from March 6 2019. After that the Uranus-Taurus’ transit will last until 2025/26.
From May 2018 to March 2019 Uranus hovered on the cusp of Taurus, indicating a period of difficult adjustments for the whole planet. We had to become more grounded despite many disruptions and challenges to our established routines and habits, the things that provide us with a sense of security and comfort.
The ingress of a slow moving planet into a new Sign is always momentous, having a significant impact on individual and the world, especially if your Birth Chart or the Horoscope of a particular nation aligns in some way with it.
Taurus is the astrological symbol for money, wealth, security, finance and Uranus is the planet connected with radical changes, revolutions, turning points etc. During the seven years stay of Uranus in Taurus we will see possibly unprecedented changes in world finance and business.
The last time Uranus entered Taurus, 84 years ago (June1934-March1935) was a period of major upheavals for the world: huge dust storms in the Deep South in the US; massive armaments in Russia, Europe and America; Hitler consolidating his power by becoming German Chancellor; in October the so called Long March led by Mao Zedung began in China; in 1935 German Jews were denied the right to citizenship. Many of these events are considered precursors to the Second World War, the real game changer!
With the national Horoscope of Australia in mind (First January 1901, when the Australian Constitution came into force) some clear warning signs become apparent. This is a Saturn Return year for Australia time to grow up, time for reckoning of past mistakes and beginning of a new evolutionary cycle. Transiting Uranus is also sitting on Australia’s Ascendant (cusp Aries-Taurus), meaning that there could be unexpected/abrupt changes in our country, during 2018/2019. These changes will impact on the way Australia is perceived around the world too, the Ascendant representing the outer impact and expression of a personality, being it of an individual or a nation. Talking about individuals, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was born with the Sun at 0 degree Scorpio, meaning that Uranus since 2018 has been in opposition to his Sun’s degree. In this case Uranus has certainly delivered his promise of shaking the status quo in his life and career.
With Saturn slowly moving through cautious and business like Capricorn, and now Uranus in Taurus, the foundations of our global sense of security, our collective finances, savings and assets, the next few years don’t seem a propitious period to invest or spend big, or we could incur debts that we may not be able to repay. Common sense and caution need to prevail to cope successfully with rapidly changing circumstances.
Lord Jupiter
JUPITER enters SAGITTARIUS today, November 8, 11.39 pm (Australia Eastern Summer Time).
In a recent post on the major transits active in November-December 2018 I have called the ingress of Jupiter in Sagittarius ‘splendid’. This because Sagittarius is a much more suitable environment for Jupiter than Scorpio has been.
The Fire, Air and Mutable Signs in particular (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, Libra, Aquarius, Gemini, Virgo, Pisces), and, in some way, all of us could profit from the inspiration and optimism of this year long transit, offering opportunities to right some of the wrongs we have uncovered during the Jupiter’s transit through Scorpio and to look with greater confidence into the future. Jupiter will be in Sagittarius until early December 2019.
On November 7 Uranus re-entered Aries in retro motion too and thus squared again the Nodes (link to past and future eclipses)! The same day the North Node shifted into the back of Cancer, from Leo, and the South Node into the back of Capricorn, from Aquarius. This is a very significant combination of major transits around the time of the USA mid-term elections (November 6); also close to the New Moon in Scorpio (November 8).
Uranus square the Lunar Nodes is an ongoing transit that has manifested recently in intractable political chaos in many countries, as well as unprecedented weather events. More of the same, I suspect, is in the cards for the remaining of this year.
Left section of the freeze, 525 BC, of the treasure of Siphnioi, entitled ‘Symposium of the Gods’ in Delphi, Greece, from left to right we can see Aphrodite = Venus, Artemis = Moon, and Apollo = Sun
Light of Earendil: remember the White Witch Galadriel, in the Lord of the Ring? How she gave Frodo a crystal phial containing “the light of Earendil our most beloved star. May it be a light to you in dark places when all other lights go out.”? She is another embodiment of Persephone, dubbing in dangerous powers throughout the tale, to finally overcome the Super-Ego’s temptations of the Ring and sail to the West (the Isle of the Blessed).
In Scorpio since September 9, peace loving Venus will continue to explore the depths of this emotional Sign in October, returning to Libra on November 1, and finally back into Scorpio on December 3. Only on January 9 2019 Venus will finally leave Scorpio to enter Sagittarius.
You will be aligned to this Venus ‘event if you happen to have the Sun, Moon or any Planet/ Angle on the first ten, eleven degrees of the Fixed Signs (0-11° of Scorpio-Taurus-Leo-Aquarius), or the last five, six degrees of the Cardinal Signs (25-30° of Libra-Aries-Cancer-Capricorn).*
At the Sun-Venus Conjunction, on October 27, Venus’ orbit will carry her between the Sun and Earth, closer to our planet as she can ever be. This occurs once in every 584 days cycle, marking the end of Venus’s apparition in the evening sky and the beginning of her predawn rising.
It is a common belief that Venus is exclusively the planet of sensuality, love, relationships, art and creativity. She exerts in fact also great influence on self image, aesthetic tastes, likes and dislikes, finances, assets and all things contributing to comfort and joy in our lives. Venus’ retrogradation can then offer significant insights into all these areas of experience, according to age and circumstances.
Scorpio, Sign traditionally ‘ruled’ by macho Mars and the all powerful masculine Pluto, is a strange dwelling place for feminine Venus, alluring and dangerous at one and the same time. We may be tempted to explore areas of experience and relationships we felt were taboo before but now prove irresistible. This can indeed be true not only of actual relationships but of the way we relate with our creativity and the way we choose to interact in our social life, in a deeper and more honest way, investing more energy and feelings in whatever we do, seeking real intimacy, emotional, physical, intellectual with others, meaningful not superficial experiences.
At this time Venus will also dance a strange dance with Mars in Aquarius: at first an intense tango (the recurring square between Fixed Signs, whose crucial days will be September 10 and October 11/12), then a romantic waltz (the harmonious Air Signs trine, whose crucial day will be November 10). With the emphasis on Venus-Mars and Scorpio-Libra many relationships, romantic, sexual, financial, legal, could take a beating during this period or, positively, find new levels of connection and honesty.
We could dig out some disagreeable truths about ourselves and/or meaningful others, but also realize the potential for transformation and redemption. With Venus moving inward, so to speak, the first relationship in the line of fire will be that with our own selves, our self image, the confidence or lack of confidence defining our social interactions. How comfortable do we really feel about our public persona, our physical appearance, mode of dress, the way others may perceive us? Retro Venus has the power to lay bare lots of submerged unconscious stuff that secretly affect our lives.
Perhaps we may learn the hard way whom we can trust and who will be willing to truly support us emotionally, financially, legally through hard times. We will be putting on the detective goggles when it comes to emotions, discerning things from ours and people actions/words to which we may have been blind before.
Relationships, artistic or financial enterprises beginning at this time will prove challenging at first, but could eventually bloom into something really special. During a Venus Retrograde period people from the past often reconnect with us, allowing forgotten or repressed feelings to flood back into our lives. Negatively we could get obsessed and emotionally stuck about someone or something, experiencing emotional, financial or creative blocks, all generating some difficult and depressing feelings for a while: insightful or disturbing, depending how we look at them. How much are we repressing within and/or hiding from others? How many unresolved issues are still marring our relationships or relationship potential? Venus retrograde could be the ideal time to find out and face the consequences.
At its ideal level of expression Venus retrograde represents feminine empowerment and feminine wisdom, not gender but soul defined, acting as midwife to some profound transformation of consciousness. The time is ripe for some depth psychological work and truth seeking, shining the light of Earendil on our personal and collective psyche.
This Ephemeris wa calculated using the Coordinates and Standard Time of the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, Australia (same Time Meridian as Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and also Brisbane, the latter only when Summer Time is not in place. It was produced with Solar Fire Gold edition.
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This Ephemeris is calculated using the Coordinates and Standard Time of the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, Australia (same Time Meridian as Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and also Brisbane, the latter only when Summer Time is not in place. It was produced with Solar Fire Gold edition.
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This Astrological Calendar is calculated using the Coordinates and Standard Time of the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, Australia (10 hours East of Greenwich; same Time Meridian as Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and also Brisbane, the latter only when Summer Time is not in place.It was produced with Solar Fire Gold edition.
Click to view larger image
This Ephemeris is calculated using the Coordinates and Standard Time of the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, Australia (same Time Meridian as Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and also Brisbane, the latter only when Summer Time is not in place. It was produced with Solar Fire Gold edition.
Click to view larger image
14th-century fresco by Taddeo Gaddi, Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence – Angel announcing the birth of Jesus to shepherds during an eclipse
The last Eclipse season for 2018 ends here, with a New Moon in Leo. Time in Eastern Australia will be 7.57 pm and therefore the event will be observable exclusively from locations in the Northern Hemisphere.
The New Moon nature of a Solar Eclipse signifies that this ending is then also a beginning. It promises significant turning points and great insights from the heart, for many people. These developments may seem slow to manifest, due to the present multiple Retrogradations and also the slow acting nature of Eclipses, but they are guaranteed in their profound effect on our collective psyche.
Look, for instance, at this fresco by the old Florentine master Taddeo Gaddi (1290-1366) in which he associated a Solar Eclipse to the greatest event he, in his faith, could imagine: the birth of the Christian Savior. Many other artists, past and present, have linked Eclipses instead to the death of Christ, or other exceptional events, believing that Eclipses somehow contribute to alter the consciousness of our planet.
The Eclipse effect is not only a valid symbol of transformation in Art, or just an old religious superstition, but it has been corroborated by many historical events and personal experiences. Eclipses are important for the world collectively and for many people personally.
Please scroll to the bottom of the page to check the Horoscope of this Solar Eclipse.
If, in your Birth Horoscope, the 17th, 18th or 19th degree of any Sign is tenanted by a planet or any of the four Angles this Eclipse will be close and personal to you. The Signs more directly affected will be Leo, of course, with Aquarius, Taurus and Scorpio.
The Solar Eclipse is in Leo, Sign of fire, passion and the heart of things. Time to reawaken those in our lives, beginning a new phase of creativity, of loving what we do, loving more warmly whom we love, giving more of ourselves, being more generous with our time and energy, expressing more spontaneously all that we are, coming from the heart and not the head.
As I’ve often remarked, Eclipses are not isolated phenomena. Like all other Transits they occur in unison with other cosmic configurations and it is often these that contribute to the character of the Eclipse itself. In this instance, as in the recent Aquarius Lunar Eclipse of July 28, Uranus is prominent, being in fairly close 90 degrees angle to the Lunar Nodes. At the same time two other Trans-Saturn Planets, Neptune and Pluto, are linked to both Sun and Moon, during the Solar Eclipse, by a 150° aspect (Quincunx or Inconjunct), in a configuration known to astrologers as ‘Finger of Fate’ or ‘Finger of God’.
Something the outer Planets have in common is their power to change us and the world in profound and irreversible ways. They represent the evolutionary drive urging us toward a more conscious living.
Most important of all is Uranus’ role in all of this. This Planet represents the drive to individuation, the democratic, open minded, unbiased spirit helping us search for greater equality and justice, embracing reforms that ultimately will improve life for everyone. Since Uranus’ discovery, at the end of the 18th century, these concepts became integral to our modern democracies, and, through leaps and bounds, we have been struggling to make them a reality. A solar Eclipse with a prominent Uranus should bring these ideals to the fore, but we will indeed struggle to uphold them in the present world situation where reactionary forces are on the raise. The Squares of Uranus to the Lunar Nodes are symbols of these difficulties, due to the Fixed Signs’ natural resistance to change coupled with the opposite Uranus’ unsettling tendency to accelerate changes, bringing the new in sudden spurts of energy.
If the Eclipse degree (18° of the Fixed Signs) or the degrees of Uranus and the Nodes (between the second and sixth degrees also of the Fixed Signs) are aligned to Sun/Moon/Planets/Angles of your Birth Horoscope there will be a personal struggle in your life between the forces of progress and the forces of reaction and stagnation. Hopefully the struggle will make you stronger and more determined to overcome whatever is keeping you from advancing on your evolutionary path.
The configuration of the Eclipse degree (18 Leo) with Neptune in Pisces and Pluto in Capricorn is another proof that this cosmic event will have important repercussions on the collective psyche for a long time to come, sowing the seeds for some evolutionary quantum leaps for our world. First however we will have, as a collective, to abandon some cherished illusions about our civilization and humanity, looking honestly into the dark underbelly of our technological progress which we have gained at such grave cost to the natural world.
The Asteroid Pallas Athena is also aligned to this Solar Eclipse. She is a symbol of feminine strength, creativity, resourcefulness and wisdom, badly needed qualities in our war scarred world.
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A slightly shorter version of this post was published in early August 2918 in the Uki Village News.Last Eclipse Season for 2018
Spanning the months of July and August 2018 the Eclipse season will be intensified in its effect and extended in its duration by the fact that many planets are going retrograde, including our closest brothers, Mercury and Mars, with Saturn, Chiron, Neptune, Pluto and, from August 7, Uranus also. Mercury’s retro period in Leo will go from July 25 to August 19, while Mars’ current retrogradation, between Aquarius and Capricorn, will last until August 27. On top of this Mars has been closest to our planet for a number of years, fact that tends to make his war-like nature more evident; while, between July 7 and September 24, Mars will also be ‘out of bounds’ (beyond the usual 23° declination), another factor that could make the martial energy more erratic and unpredictable .
The Cancer Solar Eclipse of July 13 began the cycle and the August 11 Leo Solar Eclipse will end it. The July 28 Total Lunar Eclipse represents the culmination of the whole period, right in the middle of it, and it is indeed a very special event, not only to astrologers but astronomers as well, because of its length, a whopping one hour and 42 minutes, the longest lasting of the whole 21st century.
Many Retrogrades
In August and September the July 28 Total Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius will still dominate. The reason for this is that during the eclipse Mars is closely conjunct the Moon and thus the difficult ongoing 90° between Mars and Uranus (active at least until October) will also involve the Moon, the Sun and the Lunar Nodes (T Square). This is a combination of energies that could sorely try our collective patience.
This transit acquires strength due to the Lunar Eclipse, thus extending its influence beyond the month of August, but it started having an effect already in May 2018, when the first pass of the Mars-Uranus’ Square took place, just as both planets were entering Aquarius and Taurus respectively (exact on May 16).
The fact is that while Mars, in backward motion, implies that we are required to soften our stance, looking inward rather than outward for the causes of conflicts and misunderstanding, the strong involvement of Uranus could make it a lot more difficult to find the patience and calm needed to review the way we usually deal with conflicts. And retro Mercury will not help by aggravating any difficulty in communication.
Mars retro always represents an opportunity to avoid arguments by maintaining a calm and detached attitude, remaining centered in the eye of any storm that may come our way, avoiding unfruitful retaliation. The angle with Uranus, especially coinciding with such a full on eclipse, could make this task ever more difficult, because we are, at the same time, pulled toward a more antagonistic and rebellious way of dealing with confrontations, while our reactions could be exaggerated and compulsive. Uranus is in fact the least diplomatic, more radical and uncompromising planetary energy there is!
Again the Fixed Signs of Aquarius, Leo, Taurus and Scorpio are the ones that could be more directly affected by these events, especially if the 4th, 5th or 6th degrees (Lunar Eclipse) or the 17th, 18th or 19th degrees (Solar Eclipse) of these Signs are highlighted in your Birth Horoscope. Because the nature of these Signs is wilful and focussed there is here a need for everyone to be more flexible and tolerant.
The Lunar Node involved in the Lunar Eclipse is the South, indicating that whatever we need to face now, individually and collectively, has to do with negative patterns established long ago, and that this could be an ideal time to recognize and release them.
Positive Transits
To help dealing with the emotional extremes and frustration of the Mars-Uranus’ aspect, Jupiter in Scorpio, is forming a harmonious angle (120°) with Neptune in Pisces, exact on August 19, and active until early September. Here perhaps is one cosmic key to survive and thrive through this challenging and intense period: the cultivation of compassion, closeness to nature and any activities that can help you relax and unwind, thus reconnect to your emotional/spiritual source.
Another helpful transit, active between August 7 and September 9, is the passage of Venus through Libra, the Sign of cooperation and justice, showing us a way of reconciling differences and finding a middle ground from which to work out these differences in creative rather than disruptive ways.
September 2018
Past August the month of September looks mild in comparison, with a stronger accent on the Earth Signs, implying a more practical and realistic outlook that will help all of us to stay more grounded.
Mars will then be direct in motion too, encouraging the start or re-start of any enterprise and project we may have had to put on halt during retrogradation. The effect of all the aspects I discussed before will be still lingering though, if not as intense.
Mars Retro in Aquarius
We are now well into the Uranus in Taurus era. As usual astrology seems to have anticipated much of the tensions and disruptive events, as well as the breakthroughs and evolutionary upheavals in store for the world at this time.
June and July 2018 sees a return of some of the most intense transits already active in mid May, while another eclipse season is upon us too. It will start at the July 13, Cancer 20° New Moon Partial Solar Eclipse, continuing to the July 28, Aquarius 04°Full Moon Total Lunar Eclipse, and will end on the August 11, Leo 18°New Moon Partial Solar Eclipse; three events rather than the usual two.
If your birthday falls very close, a day or so, from these dates the eclipses could prove significant for you, marking an emotional climax of some kind (Lunar Eclipse) or new beginnings in some area of your life, responding to a new level of awareness within (Solar Eclipses).
Similar effects are possible if the Moon or any planet or angle in your Birth Horoscope happen to be on or around 20th degree of Cancer, Capricorn, Aries or Libra (Lunar Eclipse), and/or the 4th/5th and the 18th degrees of Aquarius, Leo, Taurus or Scorpio (Solar Eclipse).
The Taurus Uranian era will last for the seven years stay of Uranus in this Fixed Earth Sign (until 2025). In the long or short term, depending on our personal alignment to these cosmic events, it will be better if we prepare for major and rapid transformations in our world. Being complacent could find us unprepared for the necessary adjustments to new circumstances.
The very positive side of all of this will be about aligning ourselves to our truer purpose, asserting more openly our individuality, breaking with old moulds and taboos by defying social and family convention/conditioning. In the line of major impact will be the Fixed Signs, Taurus, of course, and also Scorpio, Leo and Aquarius. This transit will hopefully shift those Signs from their proverbial tendency to become stuck and their stubborn avoidance of change, without completely upsetting their sense of security and belonging.
Depending on the exact position of Sun, Moon and planets in our Birth Horoscopes these transits will be close and personal to us, or manifest mainly as changes in the general environment, impacting on our life in an indirect way.
From the time of writing, end of May 2018, to mid August, than again from the end of August to September 11, Mars will transit the Fixed Air Sign of Aquarius. Salient transits of Mars will be the alignment to the Lunar Nodes on June 8 and July 20, and the Mars-Uranus 90 degrees angle, from the week of May 16, to the weeks of August 2 and September 19. These difficult angles and the also challenging 45 degrees angle of Uranus to Neptune (June 16, December 15, 2018, + May 2, 2019) will dominate the whole period. Rebellion and defiance are in the air; everybody seems more opinionated and stubborn than ever; the world is not shying away from open confrontations. Conflicts of ideas and ideologies could prevail; rationalism versus idealism; technology versus ecology. Many will need to stand up to uphold or defend the evolutionary principles and ideals of a just and tolerant world, because reactionary and ultra conservative traditions will not give up their grip on the planet without a good fight (Mars).
Manifestations of these conflicting forces are the present increase in tectonic and volcanic activities and in war-like posturing from world leaders. Look historically at the high cost modern democracies had to pay to stay alive during the last Uranus in Taurus epoch, 1934/35 to 1941/42.
With all the differences between the world now and the world of 84 plus years ago we are facing somewhat similar challenges, with rapid increase in governments power mongering, with the surge of dictatorship and general war-mongering around the globe, and the ever greedier big corporations and financial institutions’ control over our lives.
Timeline for the Mars’ Retro period
Let’s stay cool but alert, embracing the changes that come our way. They may seem daunting but they are really opportunities to rise above stagnant situations, allowing better things to manifest in our life.
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