Urania's Well: Astrology for Changing Times


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Playing with Fire: Lunar Eclipse in Libra

Posted by on in Culture Blogs

b2ap3_thumbnail_firedancer.jpgThe Full Moon in Libra is one of the year’s lunar eclipses, occurring on Saturday, April 4 at 8:07am. This moment in space is brought to you by the Aries/Libra axis of the Zodiac, and I want you to go and gather all your hats together now, because you’ll probably be feeling the need to change them frequently as you try to keep up with the action over the next few months. It’s a dynamic chart, full of changes and interactions, opportunities for leadership, relationship, and compassion, accompanied by plenty of new ideas and inspirations. The chart also has the Uranus-Pluto square locked in tight, so all that work you’ve been doing around stripping down to the essentials and making profound changes in some area(s) of your life will continue to demand your attention, and all your skills at life-navigation.

One of the first things that jumps out from this chart is an emphasis on the Fire element. Fire is flowing freely in a Grand Trine among Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn, and a there are trines between the Sun-Uranus conjunction and Jupiter as well. This configuration highlights impassioned communication about broader social issues, and indicates possible sudden awakenings and breakthroughs in awareness.  We’ve already seen the fiery energy of the Spring Equinox chart expressed in wildfires, volcanic eruptions, explosions, and multiple airplane crashes (I’m not even going to link there are so many over the past couple of weeks — just google it. And yes, as you may have guessed, Uranus, now in Fire sign Aries and still tightly square destructive Pluto, rules air travel.) Now, with this lunar eclipse chart, we are getting even more Fire energy coming in. Those of us who work magically with the Elements have our work cut out for us.

There may be only seconds between the controlled fire of a match and an out of control wildfire, destroying everything in its path, clearing the way for new growth. The key is the fuel — and with the Uranus-Pluto square (in orb for most of the rest of the year) tightly tied into the eclipse, fuel is  abundant — and much of it tinder-dry. Watch your temper, and the temper of others. There are some intense emotions happening right now, you may find emotional wildfires springing up regularly. (Quick, get your firefighter’s hat!). Keep in mind that some of these wildfires will eliminate things that stand in the way of new growth.

Lunar eclipses affect us for about 6 months, and some Elemental balancing is definitely in order for the six months ahead. You might want to consider making balancing Fire your personal magical social work project for the next few months. The more you can keep yourself in balance, the more you'll help balance your circles of influence simply through resonance. This kind of magical work can have wide-ranging effects — but, as always, the magic starts with your Self. Working consciously with Fire energy can help you move ahead toward your goals, supercharge your creativity, help you open to spiritual inspiration, and make needed changes. You'll need to watch for pitfalls of restlessness,violent reactions, and over-consumption.

The best way to balance a situation that has an elemental imbalance is not by inundating it with the opposite Element (floods putting out wildfires is not the ideal solution), or trying to use the other Elements to contain it (scorched Earth, anyone?) The way toward balance is to give the over-emphasized Element a way to express itself productively through the other Elements. Harness the passion of Fire to the compassion of Water, and use the resulting steam to drive needed change. Use Fire and Air for smoke signals, giving the ideas and inspirations that Fire is always generating a way to communicate themselves in a clear, controlled manner to the world. The molten core of Earth offers us a vision of Fire of Earth — the ability to manifest from the  flowing interface at the heart of creation. We find more manifest creativity in the Fire of the Sun warming seeds in the Earth and providing the light that drives photosynthesis. Work with some of these or similar concepts magically to help keep Fire in balance in these troubled times.

As we get into the social/political overview for the months ahead, here is a quick paragraph about the chart for astrology students: In the chart cast for Washington, DC (and so predictive for the entire USA) Aries is building up quite a head of steam in the twelfth house, while its ruling planet, Mars, is digging in its heels in Taurus, also in the twelfth. The eclipse is intercepted in the sixth and twelfth houses, bringing a laser focus to the concerns of those houses. Taurus is on the Ascendant, with Taurus ruler Venus rising, content and powerful in her own sign. Since Venus also rules Libra, it has a lot of strength in this chart, dispositing the Moon and Mars, the dispositor of the Sun, Uranus and Mercury. Pluto in the ninth house is the focus of T-square formed from the Uranus-Pluto square by the lunation. Pluto is supported by Saturn’s participation in the Grand Fire Trine. (Keep in mind that trines, particularly Grand Trines, simply ease the flow of energy between signs of the same Element — they are not necessarily beneficial). Mars doesn’t particularly like being required to pull a plow and harrow, but he’d rather work hard than be bored, and in Taurus, near the Ascendant, he is — uncharacteristically — working hard behind the scenes toward Venus’ goals. Saturn is square Neptune and inconjunct Mars.

Now, here’s what that all means: There will be a whole lot of behind-the-scenes conflict that is likely to eventually erupt onto a public stage. We may see a rather cautious and studied diplomacy on the face of things, but “wars and rumors of wars” are definitely on the menu. Especially the rumors.  Relationships are key in this chart, and will be highlighted in personal, social and political situations, with an emphasis on the practical — even manipulative — aspects of how we all get along — or not. 

Pluto’s posture makes it likely that we will see extreme attempts at religious oppression and control from all quarters, domestic and foreign (I know, I know, you’re in shock at the news). Cynical, underhanded foreign policy, while seemingly par for the course these days, may well reach new milestones. The public, though, is demanding concrete results and focused on practical realities.

Issues of agriculture and real estate are front and center in the eclipse chart, as are women’s rights and all matters pertaining to women. There is a focus on resources, the economy and money matters in general, which may do well over the next few months or so, though the longer-term indicators for the US economy are a bit grim. (Astrologers: note, among other things upcoming, transiting (T) Pluto moving into the second house in USA natal (Sibley), and in an ongoing square to US natal Saturn, ruler of the second. Also, the waning semi-square of T Saturn to T Pluto as T Saturn moves to conjunct the US Ascendant, solar arc (SA) Saturn opposes the USA Ascendant, T Saturn moves to oppose US natal Uranus, ruler of the third, dispositing the US natal Moon, ruler of the eighth.The rumor and scandal hotlines will be humming, and, as I have mentioned before, the environmental news will not be good, particularly regarding the oceans. Public health issues will continue to be spotlighted, particularly issues of infectious disease, hospital procedures around those diseases, and vaccinations. We’ll see a lot about prisons in the news as well — one can only hope that proposals for serious reform of our prison system will be put on the table.

As always, your own astrological weather depends on your birth chart. Get in touch with me to schedule a consultation if you want a more personalized forecast.

 

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Diotima Mantineia began studying astrology in 1968, taking classes from Zoltan Mason in New York City. For the next 22 years, she practiced astrology only for herself and her friends, continuing her studies while watching an increasingly humanistic, psychologically oriented, modern astrology blossom through the work of leading astrologers such as Noel Tyl, Liz Greene, Rob Hand, Marion March, Stephen Arroyo and Howard Sasportas. In 1986, Diotima began her study of Wicca and started reading Tarot, discovering that she is a gifted intuitive. In 1991, she began practicing both astrology and Tarot professionally. She majored in plant and soil science both in college and grad school, and grows much of her own food and "materia magica" on her land in the mountains of western North Carolina. Diotima’s personal spiritual path is rooted in the Western mystery traditions, the principles of Yoga, and a profound connection with the natural world. Wicca gives structure to her spiritual journey, and she utilizes shamanic practices for healing and to live in harmony with Nature. Over 15 years of studying Chinese martial arts has given her a deep appreciation of Taoist thought which has strongly influenced her magical and personal philosophy. You can find her at www.uraniaswell.com

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