The Moon joins the Sun at zero degrees Aquarius on January 20 at 5:13 AM PST. New moons offer us a window into planting the seeds of our intentions, what we're calling forth at this moment our lives. Explore for a moment this celestial body, orbiting our planet as Earth orbits the Sun. Linked up to our gravitational field, the moon waxing for two weeks (from the new moon to the full moon) and wanes for the following two weeks. Astrologically the Moon represents the polar opposite of our Sun.
Where the Sun represents our conscious inspiration, the Moon embodies our unconscious motivations. Where the Sun drives us to be and do, the Moon reserves us to feel and remember. The specifics of when to do, how to be, what to feel and why to remember is strongly influenced by the sign of the zodiac where they join forces during each new moon.
Which brings us to the sign of Aquarius, that part of us that recognizes change is necessary, not just individually, but primarily collectively. Winter has asked us, or perhaps more accurately demanded us to integrate all the challenging lessons of 2014. We’re stepping out of our personal story a bit with this lunar cycle and putting our attention more on the universal. Aquarius demands progress. Wherever there’s stagnation, disease or anything outdated, Aquarius shocks us awake to bring about movement, revolution and change. None of us can deny there is a lot in our lives and in this world the need our immediate attention.
While this might sound like a great scenario to implement the measures necessary for change, and to forge ahead with new innovations and a fuller expression of our eccentric self, there will be plenty of time (and need) to act swiftly come spring. Right now there’s a unique twist in the mix that begs us to first go INWARD before we launch ourselves fully OUTWARD.
The twist to which I’m referring is Mercury retrograde. The little trickster planet that normally races around the Sun and interfaces our communicative faculties with the Sun's creative source is slowing to a halt as I type. It begins its official retrograde, also in Aquarius, on January 21 at 7:53 AM PST. **Please see previous post to better understand the basic three part structure to the Mercury retrograde transit and how best to orient with this three week transit.
As it regards this new moon, the best thing you can do is explore the inner boundaries of what you think you’re capable of. Cultivate your inner resolve to go beyond what your ego thinks is possible and imagine what you’re up to this year. If you’re not exactly clear on what that is, take advantage of this time to tune in and feel your truth. Even if you are clear, be open to what Mercury’s retrograde might reveal.
The key with Mars conjunct Neptune in Pisces is to let yourself be guided by your inner-feminine and your higher faculties of intuition. While that’s always good advice, there’s less room right now for linear thought and brute force to try and “figure it out." Turn instead to the more abstract, transpersonal faculties that transcend the very idea of limitation. As Carl Sagan loved to remind us, we’re all made of star stuff. We’re inextricably woven with the fabric of the cosmos. Just as every planet, every asteroid and every celestial bit of matter has an influence on the bioelectric field of our planet, so too our individual part to play is essential to the whole.
Drop in and feel where change is necessary. Align with what you know you need to embody and don’t for a second doubt you capacity to manifest this destiny. This may be a time to review your conditioning. The indoctrinations of your assorted environmental and societal influences. Aquarius disdains conditioning. It loathes the constructs of society. If you let it, Mercury's retrograde through this super mental sign offers a realization of just how cosmically badass you are, and thus will likely expose false beliefs to the contrary. Transmute that inner resistance and let go of your sentimental love of your own folly. In a phrase… Carpe the hell out of this diem.
It's encouraged to have an astrological or psychic reading during Mercury retrograde because you will bring to it a different, more expanded listening. If you’re looking for a new spin on how you do what you do, why you do what you do and where best to focus your attention, look outside the box of what you think you know. Seek the guidance of a teacher or teaching with which you resonant. Aquarius is about community. Open yourself to connecting more with like-minded kindred spirits. Realize that you are not alone. Remember your Self. Ask for help. Help others remember themselves. And above all remember… This human experiment is basically a cosmic joke. Either you’re in on it, or you’re the butt of it. The choice is yours to dig deeper and know thy Self...
"This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill -- the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill -- you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.”~ Morpheous
Stellar blessings,
Ryan
www.bodyworkastrology.com
Monday, January 19, 2015
Understanding Mercury retrograde and its transit through Aquarius...
"The first fundamental law of the universe is the law of three forces, or three principles, or, as it is often called, the law of three. According to this law every action, every phenomenon in all worlds without exception, is the result of a simultaneous action of three forces—the positive, the negative, and the neutralizing.” ~ Gurdjieff
Through the lens of astrology we can use the fundamental "law of three" to better understand the transit of Mercury retrograde. While this planet goes retrograde three times a year, in three week increments, there are also three phases of Mercury retrograde. The first phase is known as the Stationary Retrograde period. This occurs approximately a week before and several days after Mercury’s official retrograde transit. During this time, Mercury is farthest from the Sun in longitude and is about to swing back toward Earth. This marks a time when the forward motion of life is impeded, rhythms are disrupted and emotions can run dramatically high.
“One must not fall asleep but always be alert. One must know what is necessary at each moment, or one may stumble off the path into a ditch.” ~ Gurdjieff
The 4th Way, also known as “The Work”, establishes the incalculable value of Self-Remembering. To remember one’s Self, the capital S-Self, from which all and everything is derived, requires constant attention. During this initial phase of the retrograde, distractions are many and our capacity to focus is thus weakened.
“If we use our store of energy in useless associations - anxiety, resentment, worry, and so on - we shall have only enough energy, say, for the morning, and none for the rest of the day; and without energy man is only a lump of flesh.” ~ Gurdjieff
In the second phase, approximately ten days after Mercury goes retrograde, it enters the Inferior Conjunction period. This is when the planet is at its closest point to Earth, lining up between the Sun and the Earth. Thus, we have a Sun - Mercury conjunction at ten degrees Aquarius (on January 30). In the words of Pythia Peay, this day is called the “New Mercury” and marks the midpoint of the retrograde cycle. This signifies a turning point. What was feeling slow, dense and murky begins to shift. The pace of life quickens. While things feel better than they did, we’re not out of the woods yet and thus must resist the impulse to act or make major decisions. Use this time instead to consolidate the inner work evoked by the outer circumstances of your life.
“It must be understood very clearly and established as a principle that you must not let yourselves become slaves to other people’s opinions; you must be free from those around you. And when you become free inside you will be free of them.” ~ Gurdjieff
Following the inferior conjunction, Mercury moves away from the Earth and reaches its farthest point from the Sun. The third phase, the Stationary Direct period, is when it hovers just before and after Mercury goes direct (on February 11). During this phase we get to experience the relief we feared might never come. Once Mercury gets back to its normal trajectory, so too we can return to business as usual. The review is complete. If the subjective dynamics that unfold are navigated with an objective impartiality; a deeper trust that the universe is unfolding in the highest good of all, this transit can be exactly what we need to progress in every area of our lives. Within and without.
“It is necessary to work on oneself, to learn to be unbiased, to sort out and analyze each situation as if one were another person; only then can one be just. To be just at the moment of action is a hundred times more valuable than to be just afterwards. And only when you can be really impartial as regards yourself will you be able to be impartial towards others. A very great deal is necessary for this. Free will is not to be had for the asking, nor can it be bought in a shop. Impartial action is the basis of inner freedom, the first step towards free will.” ~ Gurdjieff
*AS IT APPLIES TO THE MERCURY RETROGRADE IN AQUARIUS...
With Mercury retrograding through the sign of Aquarius, the freedom loving revolutionary in us all, right alignment with your free will is the first order of business. Now is the time to get your head straight, your emotions in check and your instincts aligned with your dharma. Remember your aim. With conscience, let it be so.
We’re in a deep preparation for what’s to come in March and April. The celestial bodies are building us up to something big. Now is the time to shore up our inner-resources and fine-tune the mental, emotional and physical faculties. I implore you not to take lightly the opportunity to take the next three weeks and gather all you have learned, felt and embodied to this point. Make it yours. Yogi Bhajan reminds us “Wisdom becomes knowledge when it becomes personal experience.”
Whatever your spiritual orientation, Aquarius pours water on the seeds of awakening. Whether you’re awakening to Buddha-mind, Christ-consciousness, the center of the Tao, or some such realization of the interrelatedness and interdependence of the microcosm with the macrocosm, this Mercury retrograde in Aquarius invites you to free your mind and root down into the heart of whatever resonates for you. It’s always a powerful time of review. This retrograde also imparts the altruistic awareness that it’s not all about you! The narcissistic gene is up for transmutation during this time. Can you recognize your Self in all? As the saying goes… "If you cannot see God in all, you cannot see God at all."
There are some important transits on the horizon, each deserving of its own blog post. What’s to come this spring has extraordinary potential, as well as (thanks duality!) substantial challenge. The key to how we relate with what’s to come depends on how we spend these last weeks of winter. Drop in and explore what you’re creating with this precious human life. At the present moment, introspection is of greater value than extroversion. Get clear on and seed your vision of the astrological year that begins at the Vernal Equinox (March 20). A LOT of energy will become available.
The Aquarian archetype begs one simple question…
"How can you best work with this energy and contribute to the whole of creation?”
From the highest side of the Aquarian mind, the answer might be…
“Meditate on the sacred light of the effulgent source. Let that inspire your thoughts, nurture your emotions and inform your actions.”
www.bodyworkastrology.com
Through the lens of astrology we can use the fundamental "law of three" to better understand the transit of Mercury retrograde. While this planet goes retrograde three times a year, in three week increments, there are also three phases of Mercury retrograde. The first phase is known as the Stationary Retrograde period. This occurs approximately a week before and several days after Mercury’s official retrograde transit. During this time, Mercury is farthest from the Sun in longitude and is about to swing back toward Earth. This marks a time when the forward motion of life is impeded, rhythms are disrupted and emotions can run dramatically high.
“One must not fall asleep but always be alert. One must know what is necessary at each moment, or one may stumble off the path into a ditch.” ~ Gurdjieff
The 4th Way, also known as “The Work”, establishes the incalculable value of Self-Remembering. To remember one’s Self, the capital S-Self, from which all and everything is derived, requires constant attention. During this initial phase of the retrograde, distractions are many and our capacity to focus is thus weakened.
“If we use our store of energy in useless associations - anxiety, resentment, worry, and so on - we shall have only enough energy, say, for the morning, and none for the rest of the day; and without energy man is only a lump of flesh.” ~ Gurdjieff
In the second phase, approximately ten days after Mercury goes retrograde, it enters the Inferior Conjunction period. This is when the planet is at its closest point to Earth, lining up between the Sun and the Earth. Thus, we have a Sun - Mercury conjunction at ten degrees Aquarius (on January 30). In the words of Pythia Peay, this day is called the “New Mercury” and marks the midpoint of the retrograde cycle. This signifies a turning point. What was feeling slow, dense and murky begins to shift. The pace of life quickens. While things feel better than they did, we’re not out of the woods yet and thus must resist the impulse to act or make major decisions. Use this time instead to consolidate the inner work evoked by the outer circumstances of your life.
“It must be understood very clearly and established as a principle that you must not let yourselves become slaves to other people’s opinions; you must be free from those around you. And when you become free inside you will be free of them.” ~ Gurdjieff
Following the inferior conjunction, Mercury moves away from the Earth and reaches its farthest point from the Sun. The third phase, the Stationary Direct period, is when it hovers just before and after Mercury goes direct (on February 11). During this phase we get to experience the relief we feared might never come. Once Mercury gets back to its normal trajectory, so too we can return to business as usual. The review is complete. If the subjective dynamics that unfold are navigated with an objective impartiality; a deeper trust that the universe is unfolding in the highest good of all, this transit can be exactly what we need to progress in every area of our lives. Within and without.
“It is necessary to work on oneself, to learn to be unbiased, to sort out and analyze each situation as if one were another person; only then can one be just. To be just at the moment of action is a hundred times more valuable than to be just afterwards. And only when you can be really impartial as regards yourself will you be able to be impartial towards others. A very great deal is necessary for this. Free will is not to be had for the asking, nor can it be bought in a shop. Impartial action is the basis of inner freedom, the first step towards free will.” ~ Gurdjieff
*AS IT APPLIES TO THE MERCURY RETROGRADE IN AQUARIUS...
With Mercury retrograding through the sign of Aquarius, the freedom loving revolutionary in us all, right alignment with your free will is the first order of business. Now is the time to get your head straight, your emotions in check and your instincts aligned with your dharma. Remember your aim. With conscience, let it be so.
We’re in a deep preparation for what’s to come in March and April. The celestial bodies are building us up to something big. Now is the time to shore up our inner-resources and fine-tune the mental, emotional and physical faculties. I implore you not to take lightly the opportunity to take the next three weeks and gather all you have learned, felt and embodied to this point. Make it yours. Yogi Bhajan reminds us “Wisdom becomes knowledge when it becomes personal experience.”
Whatever your spiritual orientation, Aquarius pours water on the seeds of awakening. Whether you’re awakening to Buddha-mind, Christ-consciousness, the center of the Tao, or some such realization of the interrelatedness and interdependence of the microcosm with the macrocosm, this Mercury retrograde in Aquarius invites you to free your mind and root down into the heart of whatever resonates for you. It’s always a powerful time of review. This retrograde also imparts the altruistic awareness that it’s not all about you! The narcissistic gene is up for transmutation during this time. Can you recognize your Self in all? As the saying goes… "If you cannot see God in all, you cannot see God at all."
There are some important transits on the horizon, each deserving of its own blog post. What’s to come this spring has extraordinary potential, as well as (thanks duality!) substantial challenge. The key to how we relate with what’s to come depends on how we spend these last weeks of winter. Drop in and explore what you’re creating with this precious human life. At the present moment, introspection is of greater value than extroversion. Get clear on and seed your vision of the astrological year that begins at the Vernal Equinox (March 20). A LOT of energy will become available.
The Aquarian archetype begs one simple question…
"How can you best work with this energy and contribute to the whole of creation?”
From the highest side of the Aquarian mind, the answer might be…
“Meditate on the sacred light of the effulgent source. Let that inspire your thoughts, nurture your emotions and inform your actions.”
www.bodyworkastrology.com
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