On Saturday, the 21st, the Sun enters irrepressible, inspirational Sagittarius at 8:23pm PST. Like the gleaming dawn after a harrowing night, Sagittarius banishes Scorpio’s menacing phantoms and lingering shadows with a hopeful, adventurous outlook. Symbolized by the archer’s bow, ever aiming toward a new horizon, Sagittarius wants us to see beyond our current limits, to take chances and to believe that things will always work out for the best. Native Walt Disney was probably Sagittarius’ greatest ambassador. Every one of his stories sends the uplifting and comforting message that no matter what the odds or obstacles, for those who are nobel, everything will work out fine in the end. Ruled by expansive, exuberant Jupiter, this friendly mutable fire sign strives to renew that kind of faith in the future. A confluence of planets in fire signs will fuel Sagittarius’ excitement in 2009, while large planets in air signs will fan the enthusiastic flames. That Sagittarius sense of possibility is heightened even more by the final alignment of Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron in visionary Aquarius which will be exact from December 7-21st. Memo from the Universe: it’s officially time to lighten up.In between the dark, intense waters of Scorpio and the conservative energies of Capricorn lies Sagittarius, an annual bright spot just waiting to energize and enliven us. In astrology the water and earth signs are said to exhibit a negative, inward or yin polarity while the air and fire signs are said to have a positive, outgoing or yang polarity. In the ebb and flow of the Cosmos the two polarities follow one another around the astrological wheel. When you think about the outgoing qualities of Aries, Gemini and Leo for example compared to their yin polarity counterparts Taurus, Cancer and Virgo, the positive and negative polarity concept makes sense. In 2009 the inward Scorpio cycle was more intense than usual due to that dramatic square between planetary heavyweights Saturn and Pluto on November 15th. During the upcoming yin Capricorn cycle Mars will have just turned retrograde in Leo on December 20th, Mercury will go retrograde in Capricorn on December 26th and 2009’s final solar eclipse will take place on December 31st with a lunar square to Saturn. Those challenging aspects on either side of this year’s (yang sign) Sagittarius cycle make it an even more important window of cosmic opportunity than usual. So let’s take a look at some specific highlights.
Mars is already in the willful fire sign of Leo heating up our motivation. With the Sun and Mercury now in warm, congenial Sagittarius, instead of brooding Scorpio, Mars’ drive finds the fuel its passionate fires demand and he finds that the harsh squares that were zapping him have given way to approving trines. Mercury in Sagittarius until December 5th brightens our thoughts and forms a harmonious sextile to benevolent Jupiter on November 29th. Sweet Venus joins the jubilation when she enters Sagittarius on December 1st, the same day when eccentric Uranus turns direct. All of this tees us up for a lively full moon in Gemini on December 2nd. In between Mars in Leo and the gathering of Mercury, Venus and the Sun in Sag sits Saturn in Libra. Hardly regarded as the Cosmos’ party goer, stuffy Saturn in this affable air sign sends favorable winds to the festivities. This cycle’s most exalted point however is likely to be the final lineup of generous Jupiter, dreamy Neptune and healing Chiron in the unifying air sign of Aquarius from December 7-21st. The energies generated by this trio are ideal for healing, finding deeper connections with Divine energies and aligning ourselves with greater inner peace. In short, this is a stellar time to meditate.
If you need some help getting your meditation on or if you enjoy meditating with an advanced facilitator, mark December 6th on your calendar. On that night at 12Academy instructor Kristina Walsh will host a meditation specifically designed to help us integrate the energies of this Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron alignment into the Age of Aquarius. Whether you meditate with a group like this one or on your own, what this final alignment, unlike its 2009 predisecors, offers is Sagittarius’ buoyant, spirited and optimistic influence. This promising combination of planetary energy is bound to reawaken our sense of wonder and to point us toward our possibilities with a renewed sense of hope. But before setting out on that new course, notice what autumn business is still incomplete. Like all mutable signs, Sagittarius concludes one season and prepares us for the next. This is a good cycle for both tying up loose ends and allowing a vision of the future to form. On Winter Solstice Capricorn will arrive with the energies needed to give our new aspirations structure. For now, enjoy the warmth of the season and glean the insights in those magical Sagittarius dreams.
