Mars, Pluto, Galactic Centre And The Comet

Apparently the comet McNaught has been more visible than expected, shining bright in the sunrise and sunset skies of the northern hemisphere over the past few days. I haven't had a glimpse due to the relentless stormy weather that has been battering most of the UK, but there are great pictures on the BBC site here.

Along with the brightest comet of the past 30 years, Mars and Pluto are sharing the same spot as the Galactic Centre. The Pluto/GC conjunction was last seen around 250 years ago, but I'm not sure whether Mars was ever part of that line-up back then (which would make this an even more extraordinary and rare event if not).

These unusual patterns in the skies symbolise the unusual energies around at the moment. It's these sort of times that with hindsight, can end up as being stand-out, life-shaping moments in your diary. Especially with Pluto involved.

I use 'transformation' and 'rebirth' as my keywords for Pluto, as they best sum up the process that Pluto expresses, and hint at the sort of experience encountered during that process. There's a lot of letting go of the past wherever Pluto is. And because of that, there's often unfinished business that comes with this planet. It's all about closure, as getting those loose ends tied up means moving on and letting go. Closure makes room for rebirth and fresh experience, and on the cycle continues.

There hasn't been a comet so visible in the skies since 1997 (it was Hale-Bopp that year), which in astrology terms would mean '97 and 2007 share a significant link, and looking between the two years for connections can be revealing. For example in the news this week, at the time the comet was coming into view, the UK press was covering the story of Prince William's girlfriend Kate Middleton, who has been smothered by press and tv cameras ever since the media decided it was time for the couple to announce their engagement. Things came to a head this week on her 25th birthday, leading to the landmark decision of certain tabloid newspapers to ban paparazzi style photos of the possible princess to be; a decision born from the circumstances surrounding the life and death of Prince William's mother, Princess Diana, who died in 1997.

While not everyone's story is like Prince William's or Kate Middleton's, everyone has an individual theme that harks back to '97 in some form, and thinking back to what connects that year to this one for you personally might also shed light on how the Pluto/Galactic Centre/Mars alignment is expressing in your life; therefore indicating how to make the most of the energy available in abundance now.

Sun Meets Pluto And GC On 18th December

Just ahead of the New Moon in Sagittarius on the 20th, the Sun travels across the degree that Pluto is currently occupying. It's something that happens once a year, so that's not unusual, but this year Pluto is slowly travelling across the degree that the Galactic Centre sits, and this hasn't happened for nearly 250 years.

Pluto has a formidable reptuation for the intensity of impact in a chart, and Pluto conjunct Galactic Centre is a long-term influence because it moves so slowly. This means there's lots of time to ponder the effects, but the addition of the Sun's presence over the next few days just might shine a light of understanding onto your own personal relationship with this energy.

Kathryn Cassidy has an inspiring post on the current astrology energy, and its evolutionary potential. She says:

"Any evolutionary leap won't make news headlines. It is not something we will visibly witness. However an event in the world, or an event in your life around December 18th 2006 could be a trigger to something, which in retrospect (days, weeks, months or even years to come) we shall note signalled the beginning of major change - a new era in history."

Read her full article here, and be sure to check out the video clip included!