Saturn Opposite Neptune Exact

This aspect has been building for some time and the two planets are now exactly 180 degrees from each other at opposite sides of the zodiac - Leo and Aquarius respectively.
It’s the first of 3 oppositions that these two make over the next 10 months. The second is the end of Feb 2007, with a final hit at the end of June next year; during that whole time both planets are weaving to and fro in around each other.

Because this aspect takes place over a long period of time it’s going to be an important pattern of energy expressing through events, so how to recognise its expression on both a personal and collective level? An easy place to start is by identifying some keywords for each piece of the aspect, and see they how they mix and match with relevant themes in situations and events.


Some keywords to mix and match for Saturn in Leo opposite Neptune in Aquarius...

Saturn = limits and boundaries, structure and formation, permission and approval, denial and resistance, time and tradition, law, government, authority, responsibility, maturity, adulthood, blocks and obstacles, outcome, conclusion

In

Leo = individual, self-awareness, creativity, artist, performer, the heart of the matter, focus of attention, warmth, play, enjoyment, recreation, free child, recognition, acknowledgement.

Opposite = confrontation, conflict, seeking balance, seeking resolution.

Neptune = non-physical, imagination, illusion, deception, smokescreen, impressionability, passivity, surrendering to greater power (whether through spirituality or substance abuse, addictions, etc), blurred edges, lack of clarity, sleep and dreaminess.

In

Aquarius = lifestyle, freedom and liberty, human rights, collective consciousness, group purpose, networking and circulating thought and ideas, support structure and friendship, current trends and vision for the future.



So keeping the keywords in mind, we can now see this pattern at work in last weeks news about Pluto’s reclassification - Saturn, the planet of authority, boundaries, and conclusions, was embodied through the collective boffin debate that restructured our vision of solar system, by drawing the line at Pluto, concluding that Neptune is now the final member of the traditional group line-up.

There have also been a couple of stories peppered with the keywords, involving the smoking ban (Saturn/Neptune) recently introduced in Scotland. Both stories involve the Leo/Aquarius axis of individual/collective, through the associated theme of performer/crowd. The first involving time-served legend Keith Richards, who apparently smoked through the entire set of a stadium concert in Glasgow. The ripple of disapproval was only quelled when it was discovered the stadium was classified as open-air, and Richards escaped the 50 quid fine (phew!)

The second story involved actor Mel Smith, who was appearing as part of the Edinburgh festival, in a production about the life of Winston Churchill. Smith threatened to smoke the necessary cigar that Churchill was famous for, happy to risk arrest and a fine for the sake of his art. He was threatened right back with an overblown response by the powers that be, who said he wouldn’t be arrested, they would close the theatre down instead; rather sneakily relying on their rebel's social conscience to win their battle for them.

Follow this story through the thread of astrology symbols, and you reach down to a deeper dynamic, more relevant than the smoking issue. I am neither for or against smoking, I believe in individual choice, so I see this particular expression of Saturn in Leo opposite Neptune in Aquarius as being another manifestation of a law that denies the authority of the individual (Saturn in Leo) and their right to make a choice.

The issue of passive smoking (Neptune in Aquarius) is a perfect smokescreen to lose this deeper issue behind, because no- one disputes the effects on health. It’s a non-issue on the surface, something you can’t complain about and expect to be taken seriously. However, take the heat out of the issue, and look at the structure of that law. The introduction of the compliance officers to enforce the ban might be the anti-smokers best friend, but like the proposed UK ID card, it’s a reminder we're just another shiver down the spine away from Big Brother.

You see, as much as I would have liked to have called in the fashion police to swoop down and stop the madness I saw around me in the 1980’s, if I’m honest I’d prefer to see shoulder pads of Dynasty proportions any day than suffer a regiment of compliance officers enforcing fines for those indulging in legwarmer and lycra abuse. I just don’t want to collude with or condone a landscape of limited choice, whatever the price.

Surely there's room for both smoking and non-smoking buildings in the world? But more importantly surely it should be down to the individual to assess the risk of visiting a theatre where their health might be endangered by a cigar on the stage? I mentioned previously that I see Saturn in Leo opposite Neptune in Aquarius as describing a collective craving to reconnect with our true spiritual identity. But the more our power for individual choice is taken away, the further away from our unique selves we will end up.

As the scientists proved last week, it only takes 300 votes to reshape the vision of consensus reality, so let’s take a leaf from their new textbook and make it our responsibility to draw the line somewhere. It's time to reclaim the right to choose - our spiritual health requires it...


astrology, freedom, choice, free-will

Tagged For Trivia

I’ve been tagged! From Lynn Hayes at Astrological Musings!
I love these tag thingy’s, as you can follow links endlessly, reading interesting facts about your favourite bloggers, and maybe discovering some new favourite bloggers on the way. Ok here's my contribution...

1 - Things that scare me
House spiders. I don’t even like writing the word as it feels it’s got some sort of summoning power. I know it’s irrational and I know they are more scared of me, but I think that’s the problem actually, because they move so fast when frightened. It’s the mutual blind panic – we’re both running screaming at the sight of each other. But there are those fearless ones as well; the ones that sit in the middle of the wall at 3am and stare at you till you wake up and think ‘how long has that been there, and where was it before that?’. I can’t kill them, but I can’t go near them, which has caused great problems and sleepless nights in the past, but happily I have now bought a spider catcher; a nifty long-handled device which means we don't even have to cross auras. I just scoop them up and release them safely into my neighbour’s garden.

2 - People who make me laugh
People like Ricky Gervais and Eddie Izzard, Stephen Fry, The Marx Brothers. Too many to mention really, but at the moment my favourite is The Mighty Boosh. It's good for my soul, I find.

3 - Things I hate the most
People who think animals don’t deserve respect or appropriate care and attention. Food producers who neglect animal welfare...And I hate that I have to check ingredients all the time, to keep an eye on unscrupulous food producers who don’t care what is added or taken away... Bullies... Closed minds... Ignorant, ill-thought out belief systems that keep us all in the dark ages (...and breeeeeathe)

4 - Things I don’t understand
Maths. It’s utterly beyond me. I can’t even add up properly. The numbers seem to jumble around on the page or in my head. Don’t know if you can get number dyslexia, but if you can, I have it. Thank goodness for computers, because if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be able to calculate a chart. It’s why I haven’t got a recognised qualification in astrology, as I couldn’t calculate a chart from scratch so couldn’t sit the exam.

5 - Things I’m doing right now
Apart from writing this, I am listening to an album by Jose Gonzalez, (bought for the song from the advert with the coloured balls bouncing down the street).
And am trying to build my new website from my ultra, easy-peasy website maker. And that’s something else I don’t understand – html, psp, and don’t get me started on rss.

6 - Things I want to do before I die
Hmmmm…. I would really like to lose my fear of death. That would be a weight off my mind.

7 - Things I can do
Astrology, Tarot, Spiritual/Aura healing. The healing bit comes most naturally, it was always there, but the rest involved lots and lots of hard work :-)

8 - Things I can’t do
Sing or play any instrument. Bizarre as it sounds, I’m frightened I spoil the wonder I experience if I learn the technicalities of music. I have never lost the childlike awe I have for music and musicians. It’s magic! I don’t want to know how David Blaine does it, I’m happy being spellbound.

9- Ways to describe my personality
A mix of Gemini, Virgo and a dash of Aries, with a strong Uranus/Neptune energy tying it all together. For those who don’t speak astro, that means I’m an optimistic, nervous, curious, chatterbox, who will tell you straight that she can see the universe in a grain of sand.

10 - Things I think you should listen to
Always your own heart. Whatever inspires you, even though it might not be what inspires others in any way at all. Also all your favourite tunes, as often as possible.

11 - Things you should never listen to
Well I’m not a fan of censorship, and I never say never; but it seems daft to listen to anything more than once that brings you down in anyway.

12 - Things I’d like to learn.
To not be so self-critical. I beat myself up for beating myself up.

13 - Favourite foods
Green and Black’s Organic Chocolate. Wow.

14 - Beverages I drink regularly
Tea. Lots of it, hot, strong and sweet. Also wine, especially red, especially with food.

15 - Shows I watched as a kid
The Clangers. Maybe this is where my fascination with the planets started :-) ‘White Horses’ (oh that theme tune!!!!), and ‘Champion the Wonder Horse’ - they were always on over the school holidays, and ‘Grange Hill’ of course.
Wonder Woman and Charlie's Angels. And I was jealous of my older sis who was allowed to watch all of The Rockford Files and Policewoman.



There you go, it's over to you...
April
Crazed Mom
Guru
Susan

Virgo New Moon Ends Planet Palaver

So it’s been decided, under the dark phase of the clear the clutter new moon - our solar system has undergone a much needed reclassification, and we now have 8 planets instead of 9. And Pluto, the cause of much head scratching and furrowed brows in science circles due to the is it/isn’t it debate, has been demoted to ‘dwarf planet’ status. Ceres and Xena are now also dwarf planets, with plenty of room for more to join them in the coming years… I might be missing something here, but didn’t we all already know that Pluto was a small planet? Anyway, apparently this fine-tuning of name-tags is part of a greater plan by boffins to ensure we can tidy up all that trans-neptunian clutter that has become such a problem over the last decade. Only on Virgo new moon, eh? I have cupboard in much the same state requiring my urgent attention.

And so what does this mean for astrology? Well, obviously I can't speak for everyone, but I suspect astrologers will probably give the same amount of time to Pluto’s demotion in status as your average scientist gives to astrology. And this is because astrology studies the apparent effects on us, on a personal or collective level, of planets in certain positions relative to the earth. Planetary mass (or distance) probably doesn’t have any bearing on why astrology works, as it seems to matter not how big or small the object is, it’s all in the effects, and Pluto’s impact in a chart is undeniable when studied for any length of time. However the new category means more status and fame for objects such as Ceres, and speaking personally as someone who didn’t really set aside much study time for such objects, this looks likely to change from now on.

astrology, pluto,

The New Planets

I am loving all the wonderful insights of my fellow astrologers re the proposed new planets.
Susan Custer has an indepth article here about it all, which includes great links to what others have to say on the subject.

I consider the proposed changes as a reflection of expanding consciousness. Individually and collectively we 'are' the planets, so these 'offical' changes fittingly symbolise an evolution in our understanding about ourselves and our place in the universe.

Here's a link to an expansive online ephemeris to play with that includes the new planets (Ceres, Charon and UB313/Xena), and their positions for any date between 1500 and 2099. Fab!

15 Degrees Of Leo And August Full Moon

As mentioned previously, when the sun reaches 15 degrees of any fixed sign in the zodiac (Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius or Taurus), it's the midway point between a solstice and an equinox, known as a cross-quarter day. The quarter days of two equinoxes and two solstices take place when the sun reaches 0 degrees of Aries, Libra, Cancer and Capricorn, respectively.

Here in the northern hemisphere 15 degrees of Leo marks a seasonal shift in the wheel of the year towards autumn, and Lughnasadh and Lammas are important festivals, long associated with this harvest period in the agricultural year. Kathleen Jenks has a great collection of links to info on these festivals here, at her site Myth*ings Links, and what caught my eye in amongst the collection was by Kym ní Dhoireann, concerning Lughnasadh being wrongly thought of as the time when a grain god dies as a result of the harvesting of crops:

"There is, however, absolutely no evidence to indicate that the Irish Lugh was a Sun or Grain God ----in fact, there is no good evidence for any Sun God worship among the Celtic Irish. In most, if not all, Indo-European languages the word "Sun" is feminine and Goddesses and women associated with the Sun are found but no males. The universality of the Sun God and Moon Goddess seems a rather modern myth and has no bearing on ancient Irish practices". (full article here)

There's a female figure that appears on the Strength tarot card, a card which is associated with the sign of Leo (the sign ruled by the sun), so perhaps there's a connection expressing through the symbolism here. Leo is a sign associated with awareness of creative and personal power, and in this tarot card the power that is subduing the lion is clearly something other than brute force. Goddess power hasn't been a popular notion in centuries gone by; about as popular in general consciousness as the festival of Lughnasadh itself has been, so who knows...

This year there's a full moon building as the sun reaches 15 degrees of Leo. It links to the recent new moon (which I wrote about here), and takes place on the Saturn/Neptune opposition. A full moon is a turning point, just like the 15 degree cross-quarter spot. This full moon in Aquarius symbolises a deep need for freedom and liberation, within the context of the new moon in Leo themes, and Neptune adds spiritual vision, while Saturn demands commitment. There are some strong energies at work in the world just now, so this might also be a good time to meditate on that ancient Goddess power, who has it all so effortlessly in hand.


technorati: astrology, full moon, leo, tarot

Lammas or Lughnasadh, Part One

The festival of Lammas or Lughnasadh is traditionally celebrated on August 1st, but as it relates to the astrological cross-quarter days, technically the actual day is when the sun reaches 15 degrees of Leo (a cross-quarter day is the mid-point between an equinox and solstice point).

The name Lammas is of Anglo-Saxon origin, known as the festival of hlaefmass or 'loaf mass'. In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle it was referred to as 'the feast of the first fruits' - the celebration of the first harvest.
Meanwhile Lughnasadh is of Celtic origin. It's pronounced 'Loo-nass-ah' and links to the Celtic god Lugh. Lughnasadh celebrations often lasted weeks, stretching throughout the harvest period.

This year the sun reaches 15 degrees of Leo on the 7th, and I'll be writing more about this festival for then...