Sun into Pisces 2011: Awakening Sweet Dreams

Under the full Leo moon of February 18th, at 4:25 P.M. PST the Sun quietly slips into peaceful, reflective Pisces. On February 21st communicative Mercury follows suit as does aggressive Mars on the 22nd. Already transiting the deep and dreamy waters of this mutable sign are newly arrived Chiron, associated with healing, and innovating Uranus. With so many planetary bodies swimming in Pisces meditative, nebulous depths for much of this cycle, our psychic sensitivity will be heightened as will a need to pull inward. Pisces completes the annual tour of the zodiac and prepares us for spring and the year ahead. In 2011, that yearly urge to move forward will get an early and rousing wake up call when rebellious Uranus abandons mystical Pisces for trailblazing Aries on March 11th. This Pisces solar journey will also see the moon nodes shift from the Capricorn/Cancer axis to the Sagittarius/Gemini on March 3rd. So while much of this cycle offers us time to contemplate and integrate the experiences of the past year, the impulse to begin changing things will prove equally irresistible.

Though fellow water sign Scorpio is reputed for its transformational powers, Intuitive, creative and unifying Pisces is also a gifted game-changer. With compassion as its guiding principle, perceptive Pisces goes about her work with empathy and serenity. The Sun, Mercury, Mars, Uranus and Chiron will be in her gentle tow on the new Pisces moon of March 4th, making it an excellent occasion to wade into her healing, spiritual waters. In her quest to help us make ourselves and our lives whole, Pisces encourages our muses. Through daydreaming and artistic endeavors, we unearth and confront the content of the unconscious. Distinctly different from her logical opposite sign of Virgo, Pisces could care less if we are just “making it all up” or whether it makes any sense. She implicitly understands the value of the truths being expressed in our stories.



Also, associated with the 12th House of astrology, Pisces is undaunted by anything unpleasant that may be lurking beneath our placid facades. Ruled by Neptune, she is fully equipped to descend with us to our darkest, most unsettling depths. Her job after all is to support us in assimilating all of the pieces of ourselves, including the messy and monstrous ones. For only when they are brought to the surface can we truly heal. What are we do to with this newly gleaned self-awareness? Pass the cosmic baton to Uranus.

Law-breaking, authority challenging and proudly unorthodox, Uranus swaggers into the bold, fearless fire sign of Aries on March 11th for a seven year stay. There his talents are well placed to help us break the new ground needed to manifest the lives we dreamed up under the Piscean influence. This volatile mixture of Uranus’s revolutionary spirit and Aries provocative, independent style is sure to prove explosive at times. But meaningful change cannot come from maintaining the status quo. Uranus and Aries are lovers of freedom, excitement and progress, and they will leave little room for mediocrity and complacency. In combination with that unfathomably deep Pisces quest to make life whole again, we are being given some awesome tools for self-reflection, inventory taking and courageous change.

Adding an another layer of enlightened inspiration to the airwaves will be the moon’s nodal shift from the Capricorn/Cancer axis to Sagittarius/Gemini one on March 3rd. Conventional thinking in astrology holds that the moon’s North node represents the lessons ahead while the South node describes those previously mastered. The term karma is often used to explain their relationship with the idea that our past experiences help us navigate the future. In this case, Gemini lies in the position of the past and Sagittarius points the way forward. Gemini is renowned for its journalistic skill. It scans the world ceaselessly for information. Sagittarius on the other hand, needs to find the meaning behind all of those facts and figures. The philosophical fire sign is also known for its warmth, imagination and enthusiasm. With the moon’s North node in the sign that believes that life always gets better, a benevolent note will constantly ring as the music of the spheres plays and the planets and asteroids do their dance through August 2012. In June of this year, the eclipses also fall along this axis, giving these energies a deeper resonance. So as we glimpse ahead, prescient Pisces arrives to offer up consciousness. It’s time to scry through her loving, holistic lens

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Sun into Aquarius: Higher Wavelengths & New Frequencies

What is on your mind?  In 2011 how each us answers that question at any given moment will become increasingly important.  On January 20th, the Sun moves into the sign of the future, community and innovation. This Aquarius solar cycle will see benevolent Jupiter move into pioneering Aries, intellectual Mercury join the Sun and active Mars in progressive Aquarius and the healing asteroid Chiron enter holistic Pisces.  Individualistic and humanitarian, Aquarius compels us to express our unique identity, yet it obliges us to do so in service of the greater good.  Fortunately for us, Ghandi revealed the shortcut to this lofty objective when he said that we must BE the change we want to see in the world.  And that leads us right back to that original question; what is on your mind?  In no other time has the answer to that question determined so much.  It is shaping our future, the future to which we are all connected and in which we share a collective stake.  Aquarius is here to assist us with our visions and associations as we map out the year ahead, and she has brought along some inspiring companions.

The first mover and shaker of this cycle is Jupiter’s reentrance into self-oriented, instigative Aries on January 22nd.  Jupiter’s job is to expand and amplify the energies it touches, and Aries insists that we break new ground.  Favorably aligned with feisty Mars and the Sun in inventive Aquarius, the desire to boldly ditch the herd to blaze trendsetting trails will be practically irrepressible.  Then, on February 3rd, when Mercury ventures into unorthodox Aquarius, our thinking will become highly original and those new frontiers brighter and more enticing.  Aquarius is after all ruled by erratic and revolutionary Uranus.  Still under the influence of that new Aquarius moon of February 2nd, Mercury’s presence in eccentric Aquarius, in combination with the Mars, Sun and Jupiter placements, will charge the air with electricity, passion and exciting new ideas.  

Fully prepared to restore law and order, should that become necessary, will be a sober and stern Saturn in Libra, the sign of partnerships and fairness, and ruthless Pluto in grounded Capricorn.  Jupiter’s reentry into Aries after all, reignites that famous T-Square, and Uranus is set to join the action on March 11th when it also reenters Aries.  Saturn in Libra will directly oppose Jupiter (and then Uranus).  And like a cosmic referee, sitting 90 degrees apart from both sides, Pluto is set in pragmatic Capricorn.  With Venus also moving into the austere earth sign on February 4th, a healthy balance should be able to be struck between the radical impulses hellbent on rebellion and the forces devoted to fair play and the common good and the preservation of useful institutions and productive endeavors.  

To fuel our nobler Aquarian aspirations, on February 8th wounded healer Chiron enters Pisces for the beginning of a seven year voyage.  If we learn empathy from pain, then life’s slings and arrows deepen our understanding and compassion.  Chiron beckons us to remember our hurts, but not for the sake of erecting yet another altar to Victimhood.  Its aim is to teach us empathy and to assist us with healing and personal growth.  In the sign responsible for assimilating our lessons in the cause of unity and integration, Pisces, we see the richest expression of Chiron’s purpose.  Best-selling astrology authors Rick Levine and Jeff Jawer describe the Chiron through Pisces transit this way.

“Its association with forgiveness while in compassionate Pisces reminds us that blame only perpetuates our problems.  This isn’t about avoiding the truth; it’s about the power of unconditional love as a healing force that releases others and ourselves from the past.”  

Now there’s a wavelength to be on in 2011.  Associated with the 11th House of astrology, one of Aquarius’s other sphere’s of influence is friends and associations.  This makes perfect tense in the context of future-building.  For as gifted and astute astrologer Steven Forrest points out, “Friends reflect our goals.” When surrounded by supportive energies, our aspirations are strengthened and energized.  In turn, and in true Aquarian fashion, we gladly share our love and support to buoy the world around us. The Chiron through Pisces transit will assist us in choosing healthy relationships so that the energies of giving and receiving are in greater balance.  So, back to that initial question; what is on your mind?  Just notice it during the cycle ahead.  The Aquarian energies on hand can help us refine our ideas, align with like energies and take those first brave steps into the future.  

Sun into Gemini 2010: Prometheus’ Flames Burning Brighly

Conventional wisdom in astrology asserts that the mutable signs are the subdued ones, those gentle, affable energies responsible for finishing up their respective seasons. For example, Sagittarius closes the autumn, Pisces winds down the winter, and so forth. To say the least, 2010 is a year when convention is being turned on its head. While the 2010 Sun through Gemini cycle brings spring to its annual conclusion, in keeping with the revolutionary sentiment abuzz on the airwaves, it also ushers in the start of the T-square and sets the stage for the Grand Cross. a series of impressive alignments we have not experienced simultaneously for centuries. So rather than a mild cycle of finishing affairs, major events will just be getting underway during this transit. Gemini’s versatility, ability to think on its feet and adaptability are our keys to peacefully maneuvering through the headline-making solar cycle and summer ahead.

To put the upcoming events into context, we need to understand the mechanics of the T-square and to distinguish it from the Grand Cross. Visualize the face of a clock with Saturn in Libra at 9 o’clock, Pluto in Capricorn at 6 o’clock at the bottom and Uranus and Jupiter in Aries at 3 o’clock. This alignment is what astrologers call a T-square. Now add the Sun in Cancer at 12 o’clock to the top of the picture. This is what astrologers call a Grand Cross. In both alignments the planets form oppositions and squares to each other. As the names imply, oppositions and squares are the more contentious angles in astrology. They tend to bring things to a head and force decisions. Note how Saturn opposes Jupiter and Uranus in both charts and how Pluto and the Sun come into opposition in the Grand Cross. In the T-square, Saturn squares Pluto which also squares Jupiter and Uranus. In the Grand Cross, Jupiter and Uranus square the Sun which also squares Saturn. Next, four of these planets, Saturn, Pluto, Jupiter and Uranus, are outer planets, those thought to represent our larger world and collective experiences. Finally, all of the signs involved in both formations are the cardinal ones. These are the zodiac’s provocative energies, the instigative energies responsible for starting their respective seasons, Aries spring, Cancer summer, and so on. They set things off so to speak.

But the Sun isn’t in Cancer you astutely note; it’s at 11 o’clock or Gemini. Yes, on May 20th at 8:34 P.M. PST it moves there, but by the summer solstice of June 21st, it arrives in Cancer. For those of you paying even closer attention to your astrology these days, you’ll likely also note that Saturn is also presently not in this exact alignment because it has retrograded back into late degrees of Virgo, to about 8:54 on our clock. Correct you are. But on May 31st, the planet ruling lessons, structure and discipline turns direct and sets its course for Libra where it will arrive on July 21st. As the Gemini solar cycle begins indeed Jupiter and Uranus are spending their last days in dreamy Pisces, at about 2:58. However, on the full moon of May 27th wired, rule-breaking Uranus heads into the aggressive, fire sign Aries, and expansive Jupiter follows suit on June 6th and also heads into the feisty energies of the sign of the Warrior. What is important here is that these planets are traveling in very close degrees in their respective signs, thus creating more precision and intensity in the T-square and Grand Cross. It is also worth noting that on the full moon of June 26th the moon will join Pluto in the cardinal sign of Capricorn, strengthening that Cross on the day of an eclipse.

To get some insight into how the T-square, which will last into late 2012, might play out, we can look at the history of some of the transits involved, such as Pluto in Capricorn. The last time the planet of destruction and transformation traveled through the sign that rules governments and institutions was 1762-1778, when the American Revolution brought the beginning of the end of monarchy as the world’s ruling “system.” The previous Pluto Capricorn transit was from 1516-1532. In 1510 Martin Luther traveled to Rome where he witnessed the extent of the corruption, including the sale of Indulgences, of the then almighty Roman Catholic Church. Determined to change what he saw, one year into this tumultuous transit, in 1517, Luther initiated the Protestant Reformation. Protest and reform are indeed an integral part of the language of Pluto in Capricorn.

The ruling institution most likely to be radically altered this time around, 2008-2023, is the corporation. Current examples of its authority being challenged include the sweeping financial reform bill now in Congress and President Obama’s recent decision to better regulate the major oil companies by separating the revenue collection and enforcement powers of the Minerals Management Service. Activist Jamie Oliver has launched a widely embraced “Food Revolution” and Buddhist scholar and Columbia University Professor Robert Thurman an “inner Revolution,” and we have one political party relying heavily on imagery from the American Revolution while a growing trend amongst voters is to register as Independents. With this T-square, the already charged political atmosphere will be given extra voltage from electrifying, innovative Uranus moving through pioneering Aries (from May 27, 2010-May 15, 2018). The last time we experienced a Uranus Aries transit was 1927-1934, when it was part of another T-square. It’s also interesting to note that during the 1762-1778 Pluto through Capricorn cycle, Uranus transited through confrontational, autonomous Aries from 1760-1768, when the British government passed the Stamp Act and other incendiary legislation that would ultimately lead to the War for Independence. Also, during that Pluto transit, Saturn went through justice-seeking Libra from September 1774 through December 1776, during which time the American Declaration of Independence was signed. What is significantly different in the summer of 2010 is that all three of these major transits will occur simultaneously, from July 21st - August 13th, they will be very close in degree to one another, and Jupiter will be adding its magnifying energy to the mix as it travels along side Uranus. The two are in fact conjunct (at the same exact spot) on June 8th.

The sign of journalism, travel and international commerce, Gemini will have a keen eye on global events. International affairs in the spotlight while the Sun moves through the sign of the Twins include the World Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa, the escalating push of the U.S. military into the major urban front of Kandahar, Afghanistan, the European financial crisis and activity at the Federal Reserve. While we in America are inclined to think of the Fed as a domestic entity, its role in global markets is noteworthy. Its chart is set to be heavily impacted by the coming T-square and Grand Cross, and on June 3rd and 21st we may get a glimpse into what’s ahead. I’ll be writing more about the charts of the Fed and Cancer born U.S. next month in the Sun through Cancer/Grand Cross edition of this series.

While 2010 may or may not be the official “dawning of the Age of Aquarius,” a dramatic and transformational time is clearly upon us. Remembering the legend behind the namesake sign of this New Age, the story of Prometheus, can serve and inspire us. From Mark Husson’s “Lovescopes”:

“One of the ways Zeus maintained power over the mortals was to keep them in the dark-literally. He forbade anyone on Olympus to teach them how to wield fire. Being one of the brighter gods, Prometheus didn’t like the suffering this caused humans, so he brought them this forbidden element, forever changing their existence. Because Prometheus broke the rules, Zeus chained him to the top of a mountain and ordered an eagle to eat out his liver - only for it to re-grow and be eaten day after day.”

In times of uncertainty, and in the face of seemingly invisible hands that ravage the earth, loot the financial systems and fund corrupt political systems, what Light, what Fire, will you be in the world?

For more on the T-square and Grand Cross, be sure to tune into “Simpletales” this Tuesday at 11am PST/2pm EST on 12Radio.com where astrologer CA Brooks and I will be talking about the upcoming cycle.