” All of  life springs from the primeval waters that flow from the tree of life and gather at its base, waters which are limitless, an essential sea circulating through all of nature. These waters are the beginning and end of all existence, the ever-moving matrix that nurtures and preserves life. The World Tree, expressing its milky golden sap, denotes ‘absolute reality’, a return to the center and place of origin, the home of wisdom that heals.”*

Under the influence of Pisces I am having trouble giving form to my thoughts and  I am still sorting my impressions of this New Moon as it approaches the waxing phase of the cycle. Two days after the New Moon I saw a delicate sliver of light rising in the night sky, a budding crescent open to the cosmos to receive the light of the Sun, and I felt the haunting beauty and tender vulnerability experienced with every new birth. The birthing of this New Moon is the last New Moon of winter and it is illuminating a deepening empathy for all of life.

When the Sun and Moon, luminous lights of spirit and soul, conjoin in Pisces the collective feelings of humanity are emerging from the primal flow of life, and tasting the golden sap of immortality we on Earth understand the precious giving back of our mortality. When we are under the influence of Pisces ridged boundaries dissolve allowing the numinous light of the source of our origin to filter into conscious awareness.  We feel what others are feeling and we suffer what others are suffering.  In the wake of this new born consciousness our usual indifference to the eternal flow of nature subsides and our joyful participation in the totality of life bestows a deepening  gratitude for the rich nourishing we receive in kind.

This New Moon foretold of a healing to that aspect of our soul deprived of the spontaneous and joyful celebrating of life. At the time of the New Moon the transiting Nodes changed signs ** and immediately bumped into the rebellious nature of Uranus.  Radical change is in the air demanding that we break free from collective thoughts, feelings, and actions that, however well intended, have censured our efforts to creatively express our unique self.

For those of us with a world weary cynicism or a tyrannical mistrusting of realities beyond the pale of our rational mind this New Moon may surprise us. We are promised the opportunity to release our attachment to ideas we inherited from our past that are not reflecting our individual experiencing of life.  The waxing phase of the New Moon has activated our emotional defenses and challenged us to break free from our patterned behavior in order that a new aspect of our consciousness come to light.  The cosmos is asking us to honor our contribution to the ebb and flow of our daily life and to witness with conscious light the life that we created in the past,  are creating in the present, and hope to create in the future.

The approaching Jupiter-Saturn opposition will rock the ocean waters of our collective feelings turning our individuality upside down and inside out. This is not going to be an easy month for many of us feeling at times that our individuality is being overwhelmed by external forces beyond our control. When this happens it may bring comfort remembering that we alone have woven the illusory web separating our inner realty from our outer reality. Under the watchful guiding of Pisces we can remove the illusory veiling of our separateness and feel our interconnection with all of life.

The influencing of the element air, the waxing Moon in Gemini and transiting Saturn in Libra, adds perspective and emotional distance from the sorrows and sadness reflecting the shadow face of Pisces. We are warned not to drown the light of our life vitality with emotional withdrawal or to become a victim to our external circumstances.  It is worth reminding our self that while we cannot control the actions of others we can control our responses to those actions, and in so doing, accept responsibility for what our actions manifest in the world. One healing offered by Pisces is the gift of  acceptance, and the grace given when we accept what is at the deepest level of our self.

* Joan Halifax, Shaman : The Wounded Healer

** The North Node is Sagittarius and the South Node is Gemini

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On Saturday, Venus entered Sagittarius and stimulating our adventurous impulse to embrace the unknown we may find ourselves during the next four weeks standing at the precipice of humanity’s consciousness as the goddess of love waits ever so sweetly to push us into the darkened abyss. The conventional wisdom of Venus expresses in our appreciation of our physical pleasures and the quality of our personal relationships because both offer us the opportunity to share with others what we value. Venus rules our earthly delights in Taurus and our  aesthetic judgements in Libra. When Venus enters Sagittarius the focus on what we value shifts from what we own and who we have in our life to what our life can be in the future. When under the influence of Sagittarius we understand that we are a part of something greater than ourself so we gravitate to those experiences in life which teach us something new about who we are. When Venus travels in Sagittarius our mind is open to new ideas and new experiences, and because they are different than our own they offer us the opportunity to expand our conscious awareness of who we are and what we value if we are willing to reach beyond what is familiar.

A positive attribute of Sagittarius is our capacity to think freely, to decide for ourself what we believe, and then share our beliefs with others using a shrewd eye toward inclusive rather than discursive commentary. This bright face of Sagittarius was self-evident the day after Venus entered Sagittarius when during an interview on Meet The Press General Colin Powell, former Secretary of State under the Bush administration, judiciously outlined what he valued and personally believed was the best future for the American people. Stepping outside Republican rhetoric General Powell overwhelming endorsed Senator Barack Obama for president of the United States. I was delighted hearing Sagittarius sentiment underpin his reasons for his endorsement by exemplifying Senator Obama’s “ability to inspire; to reach out all across America; to cross ethnic, racial, and generational lines; and to understand that all villages have something of value”. General Powell’s words resonating the very breath of Sagittarius rallied optimism, enthusiasm, and broader support acknowledging Senator Obama as a world leader engendering intellectual rigor and substantive style; a transformational figure.

The ancient symbol of Sagittarius, half human and half horse, alludes to our capacity as humans to integrate our instinctual needs to survive and our lofty ideals in equal measure to enhance and advance human consciousness. As we grow in self-awareness we need to recognize the shadow side of Sagittarius, the dark face of our self-righteous fanaticism which rears an ugly head disregarding the the beliefs  and values of others. What I found to be of equal significance in the interview, the other half of the equation, was General Powell’s commentary on his belief of the imprint of the Republican party upon the well being of the American people. General Powell described what I believe to be the dark face of Sagittarius as he eloquently spoke of his concerns about the future direction of the Republican party. He voiced his concern that Senator McCain’s campaign was dangerously polarizing, and that it had become narrower and narrower in the weeks sense Governor Palin’s nomination as vice president. General Powell also said that he was greatly disturbed that  some leaders in the Republican party we intolerant of people’s religious differences and that  in his opinion the party had moved so far to the right that it was out of touch with the broader spectrum of American values.

The American people face a serious challenge on November 4, a challenge requiring them to broaden their perspective and crossing racial and ethnic prejudices reach out across America in unity. The day before the election Venus makes a square to the Saturn-Uranus opposition warning Americans that there could be outside influencing interfering with the elections similar to the voting manipulations witnessed in 2004. Venus in Sagittarius offers us the opportunity to speak out, to broadcast when necessary, our beliefs and values. The  Venus square to Saturn in Virgo highlights our fear of letting go of all the hard work that has gone into making our past, and the square to Uranus in Pisces highlights our potential to sacrifice ourself if we resist breaking free from the status quo .  A square aspect between planets connotes an internal tension demanding release through action. It seems likely that we are being called upon to take action on behalf of what we believe and value because it is no longer advisable to submit our freedom to the action of a few. If this is the edge of the precipice where we stand today then what happens next is truly in the hands of every individual.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/20/edge-of-the-precipice/feed/ 1 laurenlesko Pallas and the Centaur http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/19/weighing-our-heart/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/19/weighing-our-heart/#comments Sun, 19 Oct 2008 19:57:52 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=387 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

The balancing scales of Libra make their earliest imprint upon  our human consciousness in the Hall of Maat, solemnly described in the Egyptian Book of the Dead as the place where the judging of a dead soul was performed. Judgement was passed by weighing one’s heart (conscience) against the feather of Maat and if the scale tipped even slightly the person was sent back to earth with the solemn responsibility of releasing the extra weight. Maat personifies the concepts of balance, truth, and justice  which were primarily conceived modeled in social relationships and remain so today visible in our contemporary understanding of the unconscious expression of Libra.  When we are under the influence of Libra we are unconsciously aware of our personal responsibility to balance our behavior while alive, which is one reason why we consciously weight in judgment the behavior of others. Libra, the aesthetic realm of Venus, is our mirror as well as our scale of conscience reflecting what we value back to us in our judgment of the values of others. One of the greatest gifts offered to us by Libra is the grace and beauty of our love reflected in the dignity of our ethics honoring justice and fairness especially when looking into the face of overwhelming difference.

Last Wednesday Mercury in Libra stationed direct, and it seems that every time our celestial messenger shifts direction in the sky we on earth shift direction in our consciousness. In all probability, Mercury delivered a direct challenge for us to become more consciously aware of how we communicate to others what we value most in our life; a challenge immediately self-evident on that same Wednesday evening during the US presidential debate between Senator Obama and Senator McCain. With Libra vibrantly alive that night, Mercury having stationed direct and basking in the after glow of the Aries Full Moon, is it any wonder that the majority of people watching and listening looked with disfavor at the aggressive attacking emanating from Senator McCain toward Senator Obama? I watched in stupefied fascination as Senator McCain valiantly undermined the credibility of his values with every barbed attack against the values of Senator Obama, and I thought it worth while to look  back at the debate using an astrological lens to gain insight into understanding something about ourselves.

Both candidates have Libra on the cusp of their natal eighth house, the house of other people’s resources including what they value, which suggests to me that Senator McCain and Senator Obama are equally aware of respect and fairness when considering the values of another. Senator McCain also has natal Mercury in Libra further highlighting his love of peaceful and harmonious communication thus making his aggressive attacking all the more wounding to himself. This is not surprising considering that his natal Chiron, astrology’s “wounded healer”, conjoined the Ascendant of the event chart making his self- wounding visible for all the world to see; a wounding that has something to do with him lacking self- confidence in communicating his ideas in an articulate and comprehensible manner. Senator McCain’s natal Chiron opposing his natal Jupiter is in square with his natal retrograde Saturn-Venus and Neptune opposition which creates a powerful Grand Square, a celestial signature of conflict, that sequesters an enormous amount of self-contained frustration usually released onto others. The natal Saturn-Venus opposition in his natal 1st and 7th houses suggests that Senator McCain is  expecting rejection and criticism from others, and though he stands in ready self-defense, Mars in Leo, he never the less experiences criticism as a powerful undermining of his self-worth.

Senator McCain’s obvious frustration Wednesday night was agitated, actually exaggerated by debating with Senator Obama, because his natal Grand Square conjoined the Ascendant (self) and Descendant (other) of the event chart. Not only did the world witness his wounding but they saw the rawness of his insecurities metamorphose into condescending arrogance, hostel judging, and demeaning bulling  when relating to Senator Obama which seriously questioned his ability to effectively communicate upon the complex stage of global politicking. Adding insult to injury, the transiting Moon-Mars opposition made an exact aspect with Senator McCain’s natal Uranus accentuating his emotional detachment from  any genuine participation in the debate in service of obstinately insisting upon pursuing his rhetorical commentary regardless of the consequences to himself or others.

In stark contrast, Senator Obama’s self-assurance and stately command during the debate were further enhanced by his conscious integration of Libra’s gifts of dignity, honor, and justice while communicating his values to the American people; values which are dramatically similar to those of the American culture as told by the close conjoining of his natal Venus, 01 Cancer 48, with the US Venus, 02 Cancer 43. Senator Obama’s natal Venus forms a water Grand Trine, the celestial signature for emotional harmony, and shared with Neptune and Chiron underscores his empathy for the suffering of others along with his concern to preserve and protect the family and spiritual values of the country.  A Venus-Neptune contact  bestows visionary dreams which can foster a true spiritual awakening born from the highest ideals as long as one eye is left open to the practical manifestations of the dream.

If Senator Obama allows his Grand Trine to nourish his warring avatar, natal Mars in Virgo, then he can do the practical work necessary to insure his visionary dream for the American people which he consistently outlined during the debate. One of the earliest imprinting of Virgo upon our human consciousness is embodied in the sacred work of the virgin priestesses responsible for distributing the annual harvest of grain through the winter months as the earth lie fallow threatening starvation. Social conscience and care for humanity have roots reaching back into antiquity and it is not surprising that Senator Obama values the humanitarian objectives of working together and using the common resources of everyone to make the necessary improvements that he believes will help preserve a sustainable quality of life for all.

On the evening of the debate Senator Obama’s natal Ascendant-Uranus opposition prominently conjoined the MC and IC of the event chart highlighting his humanitarianism at the top  of the chart opposing sudden change at the bottom of the chart. That night, he succinctly broadcast to the world his ideas for social change and spoke eloquently of his ambitions and goals if elected president which, in the words of his campaign, “will require building a movement for change from the bottom up”. I cannot imagine a more fitting sentiment recognizing that we the people are the change coming from the bottom up and we the people are the ones solely responsible for balancing the scales of social justice.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/19/weighing-our-heart/feed/ 0 laurenlesko Maat http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/14/disarmed/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/14/disarmed/#comments Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:34:42 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=385 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

Every Full Moon promises self- awareness  heralding a time of awakening when something which has been gestating in our unconscious ripens ready for birth in consciousness. Today, knowing that our conscious birth is eminent we direct our attention within and standing perched on the edge between  our unconscious motivations and conscious realizations we prepare for action. An Aries Full Moon always accentuates the polarity between self -interest and the interests of others, but this Full Moon in high relief is poignantly reflecting the gross imbalance between the two. When we are under the influence of Aries we are new born, actively in a process of becoming, and not tempered by experience prone to impatiently rush without forethought or awareness of the consequences of our actions. The Aries Full Moon brings to light the necessity for each of us to discover our courage, and dare to look into the face of our inner warrior prepared to wage battle on behalf of what we value in life distilled into what we consider to be our self-interests. Remembering that Aries stimulates our impulse to act without forethought we are well advised to seriously consider what exactly constitutes our self- interest before going to battle.

Moon in Aries opposing Sun in Libra directs our attention to our self-interest in relationship to the interests of others while challenging us to ponder the conundrum that  we cannot truly consider one without considering the other. Last week I was at a seminar sponsored by Awakening The Dreamer and nicely echoing a retrograde Neptune in Aquarius the seminar spoke in the voice of what they described as the largest social movement in the history of humankind uniting hundreds of thousands of organizations throughout the world working together to integrate technology with ecology in ways that honor the rejuvenation of the earth and respect the needs and well being of every individual on it. One of a myriad of facts learned that day is  anyone having a roof over her or his head, food in her or his refrigerator, and clothes in her  or his closet has more than 75% of the worlds population. Match this with the fact that western cultures use 45% of the worlds resources and free market exploitation of the earth’s resources have accelerated faster than the earth ‘s capacity to reproduce them, it is easy to understand global imbalances imploding one into the other begging the question what side of the line do our self-interests lie?

It is a complex process trying to comprehend the cascading ticker tape of facts shrouding ecology, international economy, and corporate globalization without succumbing to our fear of change, our fear of the unknown, and pitting our self-interest against the interests of others hardening our fears into a protective armor in defense of our vulnerability. Today, traveling along side the Full Moon illuminating our courage to protect and defend what we value in life is a retrograde Neptune in Aquarius trine the Sun and sextile the Moon filling the celestial sky with anticipation that something is about to change. Some may be expecting the other shoe to fall as they prepare to protect their self-interests by consolidating their resources, while others may find it more fruitful to “go with the flow” of Neptune. When under the influence of Neptune we are seeking dissolution of structures that isolate and separate one form from another. Aquarius is that aspect in ourself  aware of a group consciousness that considers the needs of everyone in the group. Together Neptune and Aquarius seem to be directing our attention to the human imaginations and innovations that are creating a globalized community  aware of the humanitarian care for sustaining the earth’s resources, for insuring human dignity to every individual, and for spiritually recognizing that all life is interconnected rendering our self-interest inexplicably interdependent upon the self-interest of every other individual.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/14/disarmed/feed/ 2 laurenlesko Mars Disarmed by Venus http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/07/the-face-of-our-fear/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/07/the-face-of-our-fear/#comments Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:00:00 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=377 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

The waxing phase of every lunar cycle, better known as the first quarter Moon, is visible to us on Earth as two equal half circles one of lightness and the other of darkness. The waxing phase always marks a period of equilibrium before we are urged to take action along with the advancing light of the Moon culminating in the glowing face of the Full Moon. The Libra new Moon has the waxing face of Capricorn challenging us to behave with emotional maturity in our relationships in order to give form to something that we value. Capricorn brings sobriety to our relationships highlighting self-discipline and personal responsibility. On the side of the light Capricorn garners stability leading to lasting commitment and on the  side of the dark it tends toward blind allegiance to a cold authority.  Saturn, ruler of Capricorn, has a propensity for introducing us to our shadow self by showing us the face we fear within reflected in the behavior of others, Sadly we then judge and severely punish the other without awareness that we are also punishing ourself. Our fear of facing our darker self is clearly the roots of racism, sexism, bigotry, and all other forms of social injustice. When we are under the influence of Capricorn we are sensitive to the cold hands of authority limiting, restricting, denying, and when the Moon is under the influence of Capricorn it is worth considering which of our emotions we may be denying expression. The Capricorn waxing Moon is a challenged calling for us to look at the face of our fear in hope that we can see the source of our emotional denial.

The waxing Capricorn Moon comes once each year, and this year it coincides with Mercury Rx in Libra, Chiron, the North Node, and Neptune all Rx in Aquarius, and Saturn and Uranus opposing for the first time since the 1960′s. In other words, an impressive line up of celestial stars offering us the potential for awakening higher consciousness and social justice. Each of these stars, in company with the Capricorn waxing Moon, are alerting us to the necessity, and I believe opportunity, to Rx-evaluate the face of our fear so that we can stop projecting it onto the face of others. It seems that the celestial spotlight is on our individuality, asking each of us to assume personal responsibility for our individual contribution in creating social balance in our society and in the world. The influence of Aquarius brings fresh breath to a scene ripe for a change in consciousness but that change cannot manifest if we preserve the pervasive guidelines of the status quo. Aquarius is that aspect in each of us valuing the efforts of every individual, not privileging the accomplishments of a few, and understanding that if a society is to prosper all peoples must be actively contributing.

The approaching Saturn and Uranus opposition is a green light signaling that social change is very much in the air but it will not be accomplished if individuals continue to expect change to come from others. The call of Saturn is accepting personal responsibility for the structures that govern our society, and the call of Uranus is demanding the participation of every individual guaranteeing that no one is left behind. A very wise individual, Krishnamurti, spent sixty years speaking about changing conscious awareness and he believed that people are misguided thinking that better individuals are made from better societies. Individuals, like you, me, and everyone else, create our societies and if we truly want a better society we need to first create a better individual which means  becoming more self-aware of our unconscious motives manifesting as our conscious realizations. The Capricorn waxing Moon square the Libra Sun is beckoning us to consider how our fear is limiting our self-awareness and preventing us from contributing to the necessary changes that can improve the quality of our life and the lives of everyone else.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/07/the-face-of-our-fear/feed/ 0 laurenlesko Medusa http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/06/our-high-point/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/06/our-high-point/#comments Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:42:22 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=378 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

Today, the Sun and Mercury conjoin in Libra marking the culmination of Mercury’s retrograde station and the high point in our awareness of how we communicate what is of value to us. In nine days, on October 15, Mercury will station direct and the passing days between are offering us the possibility for assimilating and dispersing a more genuinely honest, what Terry Lamb refers to as authentic, communication with ourself, and between ourself and others. Both the Sun and Mercury in Libra make a square to Jupiter in Capricorn, presenting us with a dress rehearsal for tomorrows Capricorn waxing Moon. These two celestial conversations, the Sun and Jupiter and Mercury and Jupiter, introduce the theme of self-discipline, personal responsibility, and stable commitment to our perception of our purpose and cause in life.

Jupiter is that aspect in each of us reaching beyond ourself seeking to connect with something greater than ourself, which is one reason why Jupiter is associated with expansion, optimism, and the future. The square aspect indicates conflict and can speak in the voice of inflation, over-extension, and unrealistic expectation, but if we are willing to listen Jupiter can offer us the opportunity for change.  Jupiter is known on occasion to exaggerate a situation, and in the case of the Sun and Mercury Rx we are well advised to thoughtfully re-consider what we want to communicate before expressing our unique individuality to others. Jupiter in Capricorn, approaching a trine with Saturn in Virgo, bestows the distinct possibility that we can give beneficial form to our future albeit not without improving certain structures along the way.

Venus in Scorpio makes a square to the Nodes accentuating a definite fixed attitude we have with regard to holding onto what we value even at the expense of our future emotional and spiritual well being.  A Scorpio Venus intensifies our relationship to what we value, including the people in our life, often leading to power struggles and issues of control which ultimately diminish our relationships. Today is a good day to observe ourself while relating with those whom we love and see if we unwittingly enter into any power struggles. The strength and healing presence of Venus in Scorpio is our capacity to eliminate conflict and discord in our relationships by transforming old forms of thought and feeling into new non-experienced forms. Our creative potential is absolutely boundless says Jupiter.

At the end of today, Venus and Saturn, ruling Libra and Capricorn, make a harmonious aspect together and bring a soft landing to our personal self-doubting suggesting that we can creatively balance our belief in the future with solid, realistic accomplishments. Venus in Scorpio allows us to deeply penetrate the superficial reflections in our relationships, and Saturn in Virgo insures that we can improve upon the old forms if we are willing to accept the imperfections of our mortality. In ancient mythology, Venus and Saturn are eternally connected: The sky god, Uranus, angered at the imperfection of his creations, his own children, refused to  let them live, until one child, Saturn, castrating his father took his place in the pantheon of gods. The genitals of Uranus fell into the sea and agitating the waters into a frothing foam gave birth to the goddess Venus.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/06/our-high-point/feed/ 0 laurenlesko Gods and Planetary Signs http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/01/balancing-desire/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/01/balancing-desire/#comments Thu, 02 Oct 2008 04:44:17 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=372 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

Astrology recognizes that the beginning of  any event carries the seed  that will give form to that event; and so, today, the first day of a new month, the planet Mars, god of war, makes a harmonious aspect to the planet Pluto, god of the underworld, and we on Earth are given this opportunity to creatively transform how we assert our will and take action to achieve what we want.  Taking action is always guaranteed when Mars and Pluto are in dialogue; the quality of the action depends solely upon our self-awareness. We need only consider the devastation and death ravaging Mother Earth to comprehend the horrors that these two forces can produce. Luckily, we are given a celestial helping hand this month, as the Sun and Mercury  sojourn in Libra, to gain a better balance between asserting what we want in tandem with others asserting what they want. Negotiation and compromise are very much in the air working together with the self determination of Mars and the ruthlessness of Pluto to balance the scales.

Venus, goddess of love and ruler of Libra, inspires justice, harmony, and beauty. For the next two weeks Venus is moving in Scorpio, under Mars authority, and together they are stimulating an intense concern to reveal what we have kept concealed or hidden in our relationships. Venus and Mars are opposing aspects  within each of us struggling to find balance and harmony they often challenge us to reveal hidden aspects of our desires. Mars, the aspect in each of us ready and willing to assert what we want, and Venus, the aspect in each of us seeking to love and be loved, are mythic lovers more prone to passion than discretion. Hidden  or repressed desires may be provoked when, in full regalia, Mars enters Scorpio, on October 3 and our survival antenna is attuned for a ready defense. When we are under the influence of Scorpio we are acutely aware of surviving in a world that feels unsteady unless navigated with a fierce self-control.  The internal pressure accompanying Mars in Scorpio can be severe and require self-awareness to recognize when we are projecting our inner tension  onto our relationships. If that happens this month we are well served to solicit help from Mercury to bring fresh air to the smoldering atmosphere of our desires so that we can gain a more realized perspective of what we really want.

Fortunately, most of the celestial aspects during the month favor Mars, with the exception of October 8, 15, and 22, when the Moon challenging Mars signals a time when we may feel that we have to fight to have our emotional needs realized. Challenge often brings understanding and on those three days, if we use our awareness, we may learn a new way of asserting our emotional needs which include, rather than exclude, the needs of others. Remember we are moving through the annual cycle of Libra feeling the wanting to be connected with others and share with them our unique individuality. On October 22, the Sun, harbinger of our individuality, will move into Scorpio, and guided by Mars we have the opportunity to creatively explore (Mars sextile Jupiter), constructive ways of manifesting our desire, (Mars sextile Saturn), which ultimately can  bring innovative change, (Mars trine Uranus), which certainly seems one possible potential offered us today.

Mercury is that aspect within each of us ordering our perception of reality so that we can  comprehend and communicate what we are experiencing inside and outside ourself. Mercury is our mind breathing inhaling and exhaling our experiences, circulating our understanding of what is being translated between our unconscious motives and our conscious realizations. Every time Mercury stations retrograde we are given a second chance to evaluate  what exactly is going on inside and outside ourself.

Today, Mercury stations retrograde in Libra urging us to look back over our shoulder and re-evaluate our relationships. We recently entered fall, the season of decay, and Mercury in Libra stationing retrograde is challenging us to dissolve what we have worked so hard to create; nothing less than our perception of who we think we are in the world. When we are under the influence of Libra we are primarily seeking balance within ourself and if we remain consciously unaware we fall into unconsciously using our relationships as mirrors reflecting our experiencing of ourself to ourself. If this sounds complicated it can be if we refuse to give up our illusion of separateness thinking that what we experience outside ourself has nothing to do with what we experience inside ourself. It may be helpful remembering that Libra is that aspect in each of us acutely aware of  our incompleteness, knowing that we are seeking our missing self, and that the people in our life are exquisite reflections of that which we are seeking.

When Mercury stations retrograde in one of the three air signs, Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius, there is a double emphasis placed upon our thinking mode, by which I mean, our preference to communicate utilizing an underlying structure of logic, something proven from our past, leading us to an inevitable judgment of the present. The danger with this mode of understanding is that we allow our past to shadow our present and we risk missing our experiencing of “what is” in the moment. Mercury in Libra is riveting our attention on the quality of our relationships; past, present, and future.  It is not uncommon that past relationships  will briefly re- appear or that we suddenly realize the similarities between a present relationship and a relationship from our past. Remember this is a time for self- Rx-flection, and the more aware we are of our unconscious motives in our relating with others the more aware we become of our conscious realizations of the quality of our relationships.

Mercury, as mischief maker, can topple the best of our intentions and I believe that one area worth considering, at this time, is the depth of our honesty in our relationships. There can be a fine line, barely visible at times, between diplomacy and deceit and we need to honestly answer to ourself what is behind our motives for “keeping peace at all cost”.  I am not suggesting that we will find a prescripted answer, our motives change depending on each situation, but I am suggesting that lurking behind the curtain of our willingness to compromise may be our fear to stand alone. It  is a cruel irony that protecting the harmony in our relationships, when it requires being dishonest about what we are thinking or feeling, actually prevents people from knowing who we are which inevitably keeps us isolated and alone in our relationships.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/09/24/honesty-within-and-without/feed/ 3 laurenlesko Hermes http://laurenlesko.com/2008/09/23/in-scorpios-arms/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/09/23/in-scorpios-arms/#comments Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:25 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=363 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

Personally I adore the fall months, comforting as they are to my natal Scorpio Moon, I always feel  this season a returning to the security of my original home, the blessed womb. With arms open I welcome the descending of daylight into night, and embrace the coming months as a precious time for contemplating what has passed.  Fall begins the season of self scrutiny inviting us to turn in naked honesty to face our failures along with our successes. Admittedly this can be excruciatingly painful but absolutely necessary if we are to grow in self awareness, which is one promised gift of the Autumnal Equinox if we have the courage to receive it.

Fall is the annual season of decay when that which we have given form begins a slow process of deterioration reminiscent of the mythic journey of the Sumerian goddess, Inanna, braving the seven gates of the underworld and the wrath of her sister, Queen of the underworld, in search of her deceased  partner. Not surprising that Inanna is the Sumerian goddess  of love, equivalent to the Roman goddess Venus; nor that Venus ruled Libra is the sign posted at the first gate of the Autumnal Equinox. At each gate leading into the underworld Inanna was required to give up something of precious value until standing naked facing her sister she was turned into a corpse hung upside down her carcass left to rot. When we are under the influence of Libra we begin to dissolve our separateness; willingly giving ourself away to another we journey closer to standing vulnerable in our nakedness.

When Venus moves into the still waters of Scorpio we take another step toward  dissolving our separateness, this time with an emotional intensity that can overwhelm ourself and another. When Venus is in Scorpio our seeking  to share ourself with another can become our private obsession, still waters running deep, we mask our turbulent desires behind a veneer of cool disinterest leaving us to smolder alone in unrequited love. This is the fearful face of Scorpio seeking to control ourself and another, but it is not the only face of Scorpio. The other face of Scorpio is transforming, honoring our descent into the night and our nakedness exposed. Inanna had arranged with a faithful servant to seek help if she did not return to the light of day in three days passing. One god came  to her rescue bringing Inanna back to life transformed. Venus is love and Scorpio transformation; together they can transform love, and that is the ultimate celestial gift that we are given when Venus journeys in the arms of Scorpio. Transforming fear into love is not an easily journeyed road. We need only witness the death and destruction abounding in worldly affairs to know that this is so. If we wait to follow others we loose this precious moment to transform our fear into our love; the ultimate giving of ourself to another.

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