If you're reading this post, it means you survived one of the most egocentric Mercury retrogrades ever (complete tonight, August 7 at 10:39 PM PDT), and hopefully it expanded your awareness of your true-nature in the process. If you endured ego-death after ego-death, you were not alone. Mercury, the ruler of communication, cognition and rational thought trekked backwards for three weeks through self-centered Leo. Everywhere your ego is at play, which is basically everywhere, you're being forced to examine your attachments, most commonly by way of having them ripped out of hands clinging desperately to that which must be released.
My advice is to take advantage of this transformational time and let it go, whatever "it" is. Genuine detachment opens a window to observe the origin of these attachments, which are never the attachments themselves. It's like ripping the scab off the (many) wounds you'd rather not deal with, and letting it bleed until the healing is complete. Sound painful? It is. But pain doesn't cause suffering. It is only how we relate to pain that causes us to suffer.
Why deal with it and heal it now? Why not brush the traumatic memories under the rug and pretend aren't there? Aside from fueling the unconscious projections that are ravaging this world, I'll give you two astrological reasons:
1. Saturn enters extremist Scorpio October 5, 2012. Whatever ego-structures you've developed to protect you from feeling your wound(s) is about to be exposed with even greater intensity. When it comes to Saturn, there's no escaping doing the work that must be done. In the annihilating sign of Scorpio, it's all about transforming the darkness into light. Everyone is encouraged to do the work now, let die what needs to die, and allow yourself to be reborn anew. It's far more empowering to volunteer to do something than it is to be forced to do it. And one way or another, Saturn in transformational Scorpio will make sure you deal with it. The more you resist, the more Saturn persists.
2. Venus just finished FOUR MONTHS moving through indecisive Gemini, in which her five weeks of retrograde exposed the imbalanced ways we relate, what we're unconsciously attracted to and, perhaps most importantly, how well we're relating with the groundlessness of a world spiraling out of control. Most of us are in denial, on some level, and that will either intensify this month or be radically polarized into accepting and loving ourselves and this world without condition. This morning Venus entered insecure Cancer, where it will spend almost two weeks in harmonious trine aspect to Neptune and Chiron in delusional Pisces. This aspect gives us a unique opportunity to tune in with what's real in our lives, vs. what we've conditioned ourselves to believe (and continue to attract people and situations to substantiate those beliefs) based on protecting ourselves from feeling the imbalance generated by our deepest wounds. It's a powerful time to shift the paradigm. Rather than suppress the intensity our emotions, we can create with them like never before.
On the skillful side, Venus is extra sensitive in compassionate Cancer and Neptune is transcendental in psychic Pisces. With our inter-personal and trans-personal feminine archetypes optimally placed in water signs, we're best served at this time to feel our way through, as opposed to think our way through whatever is arising in the fabric of our lives. When we listen, and allow ourselves to be guided by what we hear, we will align with our purpose at this pivotal time on the planet. We're navigating wider and wider bandwidths of polarity, light and dark, masculine and feminine, and key to all of this is the Golden Mean - which reminds us to remain always in the middle.
When Mars conjuncts with Saturn, exact on August 15, the masculine warrior and drill sergeant archetypes will align together in the sign of justice and balance. Sounds powerful, and it is. But it isn't likely to be pretty. Impetuous Mars doesn't like to be told what to do. Saturn won't take no for an answer. This conjunction will show us where and how forcing and controlling can no longer be tolerated (whether your the one controlling, or being controlled, it could get ugly). This aspect implores us to acknowledge and take ownership of where where where power is imbalanced by excessive force. There's a big difference between power and force. Mars is inclined to force things to happen. Saturn offers much needed guidance in the human condition that inspires us to do, do, do with force driven by the fear that we're going to run out of "time." David Hawkings, MD Ph.D, in his book POWER vs. FORCE, wrote...
"The source of all life and all form is, of necessity, greater than its manifestations; yet, it's neither different nor separate from the manifestations to any degree. There's no conceptual artifact of separate between creator and created. As scripture states, that which is, was, and always shall be.
Time, then, is much like a hologram that already stands complete; it's a subjective, sensory effect of a progressively moving point of view. There's no beginning and no end to a hologram, it's already everywhere, complete - in fact, the appearance of being "unfinished" is part of its completeness. Even the phenomenon of "unfoldment" itself reflects a limited point of view: There is no enfolded and unfolded universe, only a becoming awareness. Our perception of events happening in time is analogous to a traveler watching the landscape unfold before him. But to say that landscape unfolds before the traveler is merely a figure of speech - nothing is actually unfolding; nothing is actually becoming manifest. There's only progression of awareness.
These paradoxes dissolve into the greater paradigm that includes both opposites, wherein oppositions as such are only related to the locations of the observer."
What is your location? We have a spectacular window to see the origin of the endless chatter in your ego mind, and polarize the negative valence of fear and doubt with the higher frequencies of love and peace. Trite as it may sound, it's the order of the day. Think about it, not from the rational mind that's going to shrug it off as some new age woo woo that's impractical, but from the intuitive mind, the feminine that senses and embodies this foundation of our true nature. Venus is in the sign ruled by the Moon (our emotional self), so this is where feeling becomes the key ingredient for the alchemy necessary to attract exactly what we need, both as individuals and as a collective, for peace and harmony in this holographic universe. Beware the gravitating force of the unconscious that leads us blindly towards what "it" wants. Remain vigilant in focusing on what "you" need for the embodiment of your true purpose.
When Mars begins his assent into magnetic Scorpio on August 23, we'll be able to assert ourselves with even greater power. Mercury will be strong in his forward motion through magnanimous Leo. Walk and talk with renewed power and channel the light that's increasing in equal measure to the darkness that's surfacing around the planet. It all comes down to choice. What are you choosing to focus your attention on at this incredible time on Earth?
In gratitude to everyone for your unique contribution to our collective awakening.
Stellar blessings,
Ryan
www.bodyworkastrology.com
