Pluto is that aspect in our psyche that rids ourself of dead or dying aspects of ourself. Pluto is farthest from the light of our consciousness and closest to the core of our primordial instincts, which is why the process of psychological death and rebirth that Pluto promises often feels like it is coming from forces outside ourself and beyond our control, rather than within ourself and actualized by ourself. Pluto, the celestial messenger of mercy, swiftly delivers a death blow to our psyche removing thought patterns and emotional attachments in ways that rarely feel merciful. Under the influence of Pluto we are forced to face our demons and journey into the darkness of our soul and stripped bare of our worldly accomplishments, we stand naked, perhaps for the first time in our life, and witness the awesome powers of our self- creation. The tighter we cling to what Pluto is seeking to destroy the stronger the taste of our bitterness. The lessons of Pluto are hard fought, harder won, and bring to us a calm acceptance and appreciation of  ourself as we are. Perhaps the greatest gift of Pluto is to bring the radiant light of our being into consciousness.

Quote by  Rumi

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2011/09/21/radiant-light/feed/ 4 laurenlesko Shamanic Transformation http://laurenlesko.com/2010/06/20/summer-solstice-and-the-nourishing-of-our-creativity/ http://laurenlesko.com/2010/06/20/summer-solstice-and-the-nourishing-of-our-creativity/#comments Mon, 21 Jun 2010 04:21:06 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=11628 ]]>

“As the Sun spirals its longest dance cleanse us. As nature shows bounty and fertility bless us. Let all things live with loving intent and fulfill their truest destiny.”*

In the Northern Hemisphere day is swallowing night as the Earth rotating around the Sun approaches Summer Solstice and the triumphant returning of the longest day of the year. As the dawn of Summer Solstice ascends the golden rays of the Sun illuminate our life with eternal vitality and creativity. We have reached the annual summit of our creative potential and dancing in mimetic grace with the Sun we stand poised to bring to fruition  something uniquely our own. The joyful pleasures and sensual playing of summer begin as soon as the Earth enters Cancer. When we are under the influence of Cancer we are seeking nurturing, sustaining, and protecting. Our sensitivity to being hurt is on high alert and we intuitively guard against being bruised by the outer world. When the Sun is in Cancer our instincts are hot and humid. Our life force and creative vitality is thriving and we are at the peak of our creative potential.  I find a tender pathos knowing that when we are at our most creative we feel raw and exposed.

This Summer Solstice our creativity is more vivid and electrifying than usual. Jupiter and Uranus, momentarily fused in the fiery spirit of Aries, have inflamed our desire to break free from conventional  wisdom and expand our conscious awareness beyond what feels safe and secure. Jupiter and Uranus conjoined in Aries is the celestial signature of the impulse to change. Aries garners a new beginning, Jupiter expands, magnifies, and exaggerates what it touches, and Uranus delivers sudden, unexpected, even shocking change. The cosmos is setting at our feet a golden opportunity for a radical change in our beliefs about ourself and our Universe, which can become the new foundation supporting our primal need for security.

The first aspect the Sun in Cancer makes is a square to Uranus in Aries unleashing a torrent of impulsive actions feverishly bent on breaking free from all manner of restraint that could easily backfire if we forget to first secure a balance between our needs and the needs of others. The Sun-Uranus square is softened by the Sun-Chiron trine creatively directing our impulse for sudden change toward healing a wound to our individuality. The time is ripe for us to recognize and value our individual contribution to the entirety of life. Whatever it is that we are giving birth to within our own psyche has something to do with sustaining and protecting the needs of humanity, which is why it is imperative that we become aware of our actions and the influence they have on the collective front.

At this solstice there is a blind spot in our psyche. When the Sun enters Cancer on June 21 the Moon, the source of our eternal being  and ruling deity of Cancer, is unerringly silent at the last degree of Libra. We may discover that our first impulse to act is aborted before becoming fully formed, which can become the catalyst for our self-acceptance. The Sun-Pluto opposition is telling us that our dependency on the past for nourishing and sustaining the present has left a dark hole in our heart, and that when we assume personal responsibility for our actions and what our actions are creating in life we allow the light of our creative vitality to shine forth in the world.

The Sun is in Cancer from June 21  through July 21

* an ancient Pagan blessing for Summer Solstice

Today, Venus enters Pisces and our goddess of love wrapping herself in a velvet cloak of compassion softens our questing for personal gratification. For the next month we on Earth have the exquisite opportunity to experience the depth of our connection with the source of All Life. Venus in Pisces stimulates our deepest imagining and allowing our creative talents to flow like healing water we have Pluto and Mars in Capricorn giving form to every drop. Venus in Pisces is demanding that we surrender our illusion of our separateness and isolation if we are to experience our love transformed.

Later in the month, on January 21, Venus and Mars unite in creative harmony and our self- asserting impulse finds balance long side what we want in life. The good will and charm between these two planets can bring love and peace into our life making it a fantastic day to acknowledge the love we receive from others.

However, not all is love and peace this month and we need be very weary of slumbering in fanciful dreams and escapist delights. Venus in Pisces makes us dangerously susceptible to confusion and delusion as we struggle to balance our boundaries and recognize the differences between what we value and the values of others. Self sacrifice and martyrdom can be rampant when Venus is in Pisces and we need to be watchful of not falling prey to unconsciously manipulating situations dressed as service to others.

On January 22 Venus conjoins Uranus either sky-rocketing our wildest imagination into orbit or stimulating our wanting to break free from an imprisoning relationship either imagined or real. This is a time to remain calm and measured in our actions and rely upon the creative harmony we just experienced between Venus and Mars to temper our lust for freedom. Moderation, taking the middle path, is this month’s theme and in case we miss the point at the ending of the month we have a hard angle between Venus and a retrograde Saturn in Virgo providing a stern reminding that temperance  along side commitment are two vital ingrediants for preserving what we value in life. One key to self-awareness this month is understanding what aspect of our self-worth we have imprisioned within ourself which is ready to be set free.

What a celestial line up above our head this morning rising: the Moon in Sagittarius leading the pack followed by Mars getting ready to enter Capricorn; Pluto, the Sun, Mercury, and Jupiter in alignment in Capricorn; and the North Node, Chiron, Venus, and Neptune in Aquarius. This unusual clustering of planets is sandwiched between the Saturn- Uranus opposition with the singleton South Node in Leo hinting that our shinning light must resonate with self-respect and confidence if we are to achieve the lasting changes in our life that will improve the quality of all life on Earth. And so it seems among our many blessings this year is our ending the year with the bright promise of lasting change! Mercury and Saturn have been in mutual exchange since December 12 and today they make a loving trine together insuring that we will end the year giving concrete form to something a long time on our mind. Whatever it is comes just in time, that is just before, both planets station retrograde in early January giving us a celestial nudge to “get our act together” in the New Year.

Taking concrete action certainly is the focus today as Mars in exalted dignity enters Capricorn to temper our impatience and sober our rash, brash enthusiasm so that we can actually instigate a plan of action with the serious intention of achieving our goal. Hallelujah. Establishing the foundation for taking action is the Moon-Pluto conjoining in ambitious Capricorn strengthening the depth of our emotional commitment to make the necessary changes in  how we assert our will to get what we want in life. The Capricorn face of Mars is deadly serious, determined, and cautious; which is blessed news considering that the first aspect Mars in Capricorn makes is face to face combat with Pluto igniting a brute force of will that if not tempered with prudence could turn into a harsh ruthlessness. The planet disposing Mars this month is Saturn stationing retrograde on January 1 and delivering a cautionary message that if we do not want to turn that brute force within we need be mindful to begin our New Year in victorious self-awareness.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/12/26/getting-our-act-together/feed/ 0 laurenlesko Cosimo I http://laurenlesko.com/2008/12/21/celebration-of-lights/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/12/21/celebration-of-lights/#comments Mon, 22 Dec 2008 04:55:40 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=877 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

When the Sun reaches its lowest point in the northern hemisphere at 00 Capricorn those of us living in that hemisphere experience Winter Solstice: the seasonal demarcation heralding the birth of solar vitality without which our life would cease to be. Our ancestors well understood the significance of this celestial event as a festival of lights harbored in the sacred flame of candles and the burning of yule logs. On December 21, Winter Solstice punctuates the longest night of the year and the Sun dramatically accentuating this event stands still for three days before ascending upward insuring the lengthening light of day and affirming that life has prevailed the deathly darkness of the long nights passing. From an astrological perspective one meaning for this deathly darkness is our preparation for an illumination in consciousness. This Winter Solstice is spectacular with the promise of just that because for the first time since the Winter Solstice in 1762 the Sun and Pluto conjoin on the solstice point. Their momentous meeting is launching a cosmic torpedo guaranteed to bring to surface a deeply rooted anxiety shared by our collective unconscious that will illuminate an overwhelming fear of loss in power and control.

There is an alchemical axiom that says, “the tree wanting to send its branches to heaven must send its roots to hell”, and heaven and hell are as far apart in our consciousness as are the Sun and Pluto. Pluto, the planet furthest from the Sun is deprived of solar light and vitality, and any celestial contact between the two reflects a time when something alive needs to  die in order for something new to be born. Human death is but one form of the myriad of deaths we experience during our life time and the force of Pluto influences everyone of them. The physical size of Pluto is admittedly tiny in comparison to the enormity of its impact on human consciousness which is one reason why many astrologers compare the force of Pluto with an atomic bomb.* The magnetic pull of Pluto acts as a vacuum sucking the life vitality from the Sun into a vortex and placing this whirlpool of concentrated power at the disposal of a radical cosmic surgery we on Earth are insured of  an irrevocable change in our consciousness.

Pluto has been busy all on its own bringing to light the ruthless ambition and institutional corruption that created the faulty structures crumbling before our eyes. Our life has suddenly and irrevocably changed in ways beyond our control, and now, with the support of the Sun these two mega giants, in the sign of Capricorn, are insuring a profound transforming of the traditional structures that  because of a misuse in power have weakened over time. We need only look to the raping of the Earth by international corporations, the ravaging of nations and peoples in the economic interests of the elite seeking to control the Earth’s natural resources, and the wholesale killing at every corner of the globe in the name of Truth, to fully understand the depth of destruction and deprivation administered which now is in need of radical transforming.

The Sun and Pluto joining forces in Capricorn promise that new structures will replace the old but not without each of us assuming personal responsibility for making changes in our own life that support the changes made in society.  Capricorn is providing self-discipline, perseverance, and the tenacity to accomplish what at the moment seems like an insurmountable  task. The Sun and Pluto working together suggests that something obstructing our life force is ready to be eliminated so that our experiences of life are transformed into something entirely new and utterly unknown.

The planet Saturn rules Capricorn and has had its hands full since November 4 when it opposed Uranus igniting social unrest and upheaval throughout the world. It also ushered the historic presidential election in the United States in stride with President-elect Obama’s promises of a new humanitarianism. Saturn and Uranus will cross paths again in the new year, once in February and then in September, emphasizing the significance of the social changes taking place at this time.  On January 2 Saturn stations retrograde mixing disruption into the brew that will force us to re-evaluate our commit to the goal. During the first few months in 2009 we are well advised to expect circumstances in our life to challenge our commitment to achieve what we began in 2008. The somber influences of Saturn and Capricorn have definitely dampened the party atmosphere of the past years and heralded a time of social responsibility demanding that a public and private commitment be made to achieving prosperity for everyone not just for a few.

* The planet Pluto was seen for the first time in the 1930′s, and astrologers say that is was not by chance that the discovery of Pluto coincided with the creating of the atomic bomb.

This week garners unavoidable change in the air tempting us ever closer to a new awakening in consciousness. We were ushered into a new Epimetheus awareness with the Sagittarius Mercury-Sun superior conjunction along side a cycle of inevitable changes accompanying Pluto’s entrance into Capricorn and Uranus stationing direct in Pisces. All three celestial events guarantee that something in our life is changing direction and even if the change seems insignificant at the moment it will eventually be recognized in time as a meaningful shift in our conscious awareness. Rest assured that whatever is percolating within each of us at this moment is penetrating to the deepest depths of our humanity.

Humanity has inherited through the DNA of the collective unconscious a deeply intuitive understanding of the cycles of the universe and the cosmic rhythms of change which continually arise in our conscious awareness of “self and Self” as an intrinsic part of a greater whole. Of the many gifts offered astrology none seems more important than the guidance we are given to navigate the inevitability of change in our life and to decipher the meaning of that change when it happens. While there are many celestial cycles governing insight into the meaning of what we experience in life, the most familiar, and the one directly influencing our perception of the totality of what we experience, is the Mercury retrograde cycle. We experience this cycle three times a year making it the model upon which we experience all other cycles. Unfortunately, many of us anticipate a Mercury retrograde with dreaded apprehension because we fail to understand the purpose of the cycle which is to facilitate our fullest participation in realizing who we are and what we are experiencing in our life. Mercury’s orbit around the Sun determines the rhythmic patterns of the retrograde cycle giving us two distinctly different but related phases: the Prometheus phase of attention punctuated during the direct period and the Epimetheus phase of awareness punctuated during the retrograde period.

Ancient astrologers defined the Prometheus phase when Mercury was moving away from the Earth into the light of the Sun and rising as the morning star; likewise, they defined the Epimetheus phase when  Mercury was moving away from the light of the Sun toward the Earth and rising as the evening star.  In astrology the Sun is  the illuminating principal in human consciousness and the Prometheus phase heralds a time of our active participation and conscious attention to a separate but shared relationship with the events in our life, while the Epimetheus phase heralds a time of contemplative participation and unconscious awareness that we and the events in our  life are one. Another way of saying the same thing is that in order to appreciate the entirety of our human potential we need both a profane and a sacred experiencing of our life, which  fortunately for us is offered in every retrograde cycle.*

Yesterday, Mercury and the Sun shared a superior conjoining in Sagittarius which simultaneously announced the  ending of the Prometheus phase of our activity in conscious attention with our environment; and the beginning of the Epimetheus phase of our contemplative consideration and unconscious awareness of the significance of all that has just passed. This week, in the sign of Sagittarius, we begin a new cycle of Epimethean awareness suggesting the necessity to integrate the prosaic conditioning of tribal rituals with an expanded view of the world. If we add the change in direction of Uranus in Pisces we can expect upheaval and disassociation from certain events in our life which can be blessings in disguise helping us dissolve rigid  attitudes and a prescribed world view. Uranus is entering a phase of Promethean attention propelling us into a conscious relationship with our environment that when coupled with the Epimethean awareness of Mercury’s cycle, speaks in the voice of our creative change in consciousness.

Admittedly, whenever Uranus changes direction it can feel as if our world is turning upside down and inside out.  But what is more deserving of our attention  than a drastic changing of circumstance, and attention paid to our relationship with our environment is crucial if we want to successfully navigate an unpredictable sea of change. Uranus is that aspect in each of us that is wholly unpredictable and defiant of outside control preventing personal freedom. This Uranus cycle is prodding our conscious attention to accept our common humanity and admit that we need the help of one another to fulfill our life potential. Uranus in Pisces opposing Saturn in Virgo tells of our opposing attitudes; wanting to dissolve the boundaries that separate us from others but unwilling to let go of all the hard work and human effort that created the separation in the first place.  In the first week of December Mercury in Sagittarius will square this touchy Saturn -Uranus opposition possibly triggering moral indignation, self-righteous resistance, even fanaticism directed against social change. Whatever the external circumstances of our life as adults we have the freedom to choose how we respond to them. Especially now it is worth remembering that one treasure of Uranus is expressed in our collective concern for all of humanity .

* My thoughts on the significance of a retrograde cycle are inspired by astrologer, Erin Sullivan, and her insightful book, Retrograde Planets.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/26/epimetheus-mercury/feed/ 0 laurenlesko Mercury's Staff http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/22/shooting-for-stars/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/22/shooting-for-stars/#comments Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:00:31 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=446 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

When the Sun enters Sagittarius our nights are growing longer than our days and our conscious attention in tandem is seeking an expanded meaning of life beyond our daily toil. The wisdom of our ancestors honored the cycles of the seasons choosing to awaken the story-telling of their life experiences during the lengthening nights when human activity is beckoned inside. In the decreasing daylight of the fall season we find our self spending more hours indoors than out appreciating this time for exploring  unfamiliar territory within our self, and expanding our consciousness we set upon an inner journey home to the source of our creation. For the ancient Maya Civilization this home was found at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, the World Tree rooted at the crossing point of the Milky Way along the ecliptic in Sagittarius. In Roman mythology Juno, the wife of Jupiter, is responsible for the birth of the Milky Way Galaxy born from the milk of her breast spilled from the mouth of Hercules. More recently, in the 20th century, the astronomers discovering the Galactic Center, a black hole in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy located along the ecliptic at the same place as the Maya World Tree, believe it to be the source of everything in our galaxy including human consciousness. When we are under the influence of Sagittarius we instinctively understand the evolutionary calling of cosmic consciousness expanding our perception of life beyond the contours of our ordinary experiencing taking us to a place different than our material self.  Taking our cue from the symbol for Sagittarius, half man and half horse shooting an arrow to the heavens, when we are under the influence of Sagittarius we aim our sight for the stars.

The motivating force of Sagittarius is our quest for the quintessential meaning of life requiring the full immersion of our mind and senses in a broad experiencing of life. In Greek and Roman mythology  centaurs were creatures born of raw instinct with an unbridled sensuality often expressed in human form as a fun loving and robust sexuality not mired in the tribal mating rituals of either fidelity or commitment. On the surface of life this behavior appears lacking in respect and sensitivity to the feelings and needs of others, yet, if we reach beyond the surface we encounter the unconscious motivate; sensitivity to a stultifying tribal view of reality that compels us to break through the “chains that bind” into a more universal perspective that is respectful of the source of all life

Chiron, half brother to Jupiter, and progenitor of the race of Centaurs, was a wise teacher and healer of gods and humankind alike who himself suffered an incurable wounding which only his death could absolve. He arranged with the Olympian gods to exchange his immortal life for the release of Prometheus, the giver of fire to humankind, by entering Hades and freeing Prometheus from his chained bondage to a rock. The planetary body discovered in the 1970′s and named after the mythological Chiron orbits between Saturn and Uranus offering us on Earth a mediator between our bondage to traditional authority  and our ability to unleash our full creative potential. When we are under the influence of Chiron we are made aware of a wounding we inherited from  the collective experiences of humanity which can only be healed by dying to an aspect of our individuality which has inhibited our conscious awareness. The necessity for our healing is made all the more urgent with the insistence of the current Saturn-Uranus opposition.

Yesterday the Sun entered Sagittarius following Mars and followed today by Mercury. This celestial trio is offering a period of cosmic expansion broadening our perception of what our life can be. Mars our impulse to be, the Sun our essential life force, and Mercury our interpreter of reality, are under the influence of an evolutionary growth in consciousness that can shift our focus from what we do, our achievements in life, to who we are, the discovery of the essence of our life. Admittedly, this journey  is an elaborate odyssey taking the entirety of our life before reaching our final destination, but this month we are given extra guidance from a potent cluster of planetary ruler ship with Jupiter and Saturn at the helm.

Sun, Mars, and Mercury in Sagittarius are disposed by Jupiter in Capricorn, the sign of Saturn’s ruler ship, and in trine to Saturn in Virgo, the sign of Mercury’s ruler ship. Uranus in Pisces is under the  shared ruler ship of Jupiter and Neptune, and Neptune is in Aquarius along side Chiron  and the North Node, all disposed by a Saturn and Uranus shared ruler ship. Venus in Capricorn and Pluto’s ingress into Capricorn cement this cosmic union of an extended celestial family which mirrors the potential unity of the extended family of humanity on Earth. This cosmic flurry of activity promises that we can  manifest an inspired vision for the future if we reach beyond the perceptual box of what is and fully participate with all of humanity to create what can be.

This will be made more clear to us later in December when first Mercury, then the Sun, and lastly Mars square the Saturn – Uranus opposition alerting us on earth that certain structures created to serve society are ready to be fully integrated into the service of a greater humanity; the only caution being that we do not encourage those in authority to “throw out the baby with the bath water”. At the same time it is essential that we clearly understand the nature of the social policies presented in service to society and who exactly in society they serve.

At the end of November Venus in Capricorn dances in harmony with a newly directed Uranus in Pisces before joyfully falling into the arms of Jupiter. Tradition holds sway that when the two beneficent planets, Jupiter and Venus, are in joyful harmony that which we call luck springs eternal. Uranus in Pisces, the sign of exaltation for Venus, further suggests a universal awakening in what we value in life. The only advisable warning is to make sure that we do not become complacent observers expecting the change in our future to come from the efforts of others.  Jupiter and Saturn are telling us that our efforts are an essential component for doing the work needed to accomplish the goal.

Pluto, our celestial ambassador having recently conjoined the Milky Way Galaxy adds a sobering mood to this months celestial euphoria when entering Capricorn; insuring that evolutionary transformation is on our horizon but not before we experience a significant death of an aspect of our self which we have held dear to our heart. This is not a time to fearfully cling to our past if we sincerely want a better future for our self, our tribe, our species, our Earth.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/22/shooting-for-stars/feed/ 2 laurenlesko The Birth of the Milky way http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/18/true-to-the-mark/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/18/true-to-the-mark/#comments Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:46:19 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=443 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

Sunday, we experienced a celestial loop above and within; Mars entered Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter and Mercury in Scorpio, ruled by  Mars, made a creative aspect to Jupiter in Capricorn, the sign of Mars exaltation. And if that were not enough, Mercury also made harmonious aspects to the Saturn – Uranus opposition, and because Saturn is in Virgo, ruled by Mercury, and because Mercury is the second fastest moving celestial body after the Moon, we on Earth seem destined for fruitful communicating during the week, communication that can ripen into meaningful change in our life respectful of the past and honoring of the future.  For the past month, Mercury in Scorpio has been delving into our daily communications leaving “no stone unturned” in our examination of our past actions and their contribution to our current circumstances. Enter Mars in Sagittarius and we set ourself a course of  restless questing and relentless seeking of life’s quintessential meaning giving ourself a golden opportunity to discover with courage and daring what we really believe our life is all about.

Mars, our impulse to act, has entered Sagittarius at a time when reality as we know it to be is under siege and our individual efforts to effect our environment are so many cascading arrows having missed their mark.  Some might say that these are timely circumstances and that Mars in Sagittarius is helping us break down barriers, most likely in our perception of reality, that are preventing us from appreciating a wider experiencing of our life. If this is so, this cosmic message hit close to home this weekend when dear friends almost lost theirs along with thirty years of collected memories; jewelry that my mother had collected the last thirty years was stolen from her home; and the security my brother painstakingly built over thirty years is being washed away in an ocean of change; and what is left in the wake of devastation and loss is the valuing of human life  and relationship above those things which are owned.

Sagittarius is that aspect in each of us instinctively aware of “the bigger picture” underpinning every human experience. We are after all individually and collectively connected to the evolutionary consciousness of life which in times of crisis is made all the more apparent to us. Not surprising that the wisdom of our ancient ancestors encompassed knowing that the source of  all life and evolutionary change found in our galaxy is where astronomers today locate the Galactic Center; the crossing paths of our Milky Way Galaxy on the ecliptic in Sagittarius.

Things are going to get pretty interesting after November 21 when Jupiter in Capricorn disposing the Sun, Mercury, and Mars in Sagittarius adds commitment  and achievement to the exuberant, spontaneous, freedom seeking Sagittarius promising concrete solutions between divisive beliefs. This is made all the more possible because  Jupiter and Saturn join in celestial harmony insuring that our expanded view of human value can reach beyond the inscribed boundaries of the past. Adding to this celestial brew is Pluto’s entrance into Capricorn and Venus in Capricorn conjoining Jupiter making the last days of November a bonanza month  for stellar achievement if we can keep our focus on the goal and our aim true to the mark.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/18/true-to-the-mark/feed/ 2 laurenlesko Sagittarius http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/03/scrupulous-unveiling/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/03/scrupulous-unveiling/#comments Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:40:01 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=422 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

Our day begins with a Sagittarius Venus challenging the Saturn – Uranus opposition creating an atmosphere of conflict between our values, social tradition, and innovation. Venus is that aspect in ourself weighing what we value with what others value to create an equilibrium between the two; a daunting challenge for most of us and harbinger of the well trodden brier path we often experience in our long term relationships. When Venus is in Sagittarius what we value is our freedom to expand in conscious awareness beyond what is familiar and comfortable stimulating our appetite for foreign adventure and philosophical questing. The gift of Sagittarius is our sincere interest in diversity and our eagerness to explore a myriad of foreign ideas with a keen intent toward enlarging the scope of our personal interests in life. When we are under the influence of Sagittarius our enthusiasm rides boundless and the one danger we may meet on our quest is our self-righteous indignation and fanatical intolerance for the opinions and ideas of others. When this happens we are definitely experiencing the shadow face of Sagittarius, and it is likely that this is the face of Sagittarius presented to us in the square Venus delivers first  to Saturn and then to Uranus.

The Saturn – Uranus opposition is a struggle between two seemingly opposing forces; Saturn preserving social traditions and Uranus championing innovative changes that break free from those traditions. At least this is what appears at first glance, however, the Venus square casts a warning that intolerance and fanaticism are blocking both the preserving of tradition and the changing of tradition. Cosmic truth says that Saturn and Uranus need one another; traditional values without the breathe of innovation offers brittle  bones, and innovation without the wisdom’s of tradition offers wholesale obstinacy. This tells me that it is possible for this Saturn- Uranus transit to work together bringing innovation to tradition but not without conflict from the extremist opinions circulating the globe, which in American society in particular seems ruthlessly bent on redistributing constitutional powers. Saturn in Virgo heralds a sharp eye to distribution suggesting that this is a prime time to redistribute social power but as a means for improving health, work, and the environment, not as a method heralding global privatization serving the interests of a few. Uranus in Pisces directs our attention away from revolutionary ideals to a revolution in consciousness asking us to shift our perspective of what our life can be.

For this to happen we need the cooperation of Mercury, our celestial messenger, translating our unconscious motives into our conscious realizations. Tonight, Mercury conjoins Pluto suggesting a definite transforming in our perceptions of what we think we know but not without confronting our personal intolerance to the opinions of others. Tomorrow, Mercury enters Scorpio intensifying our investigation into the shadowy world of our unconscious motives and the unconscious motives of others. Scorpio demands above all else self-honesty. It is that aspect in each of us seeking to free the truth imprisoned by the lies. When we are under the influence of Scorpio we are leery of what others conceal and the challenge with Mercury in Scorpio is not becoming doggedly suspicious and mistrusting of the motives of others to the extent that we withdraw from participating out of shear disgust. Instead we needed to use the surgical precision offered when Mercury is in Scorpio to cut through the mental manipulation of others and discover what really is being said.

We need to be watchful of mixed messages and smoke screens distracting our attention from the primary concerns of the moment. Tonight, Mars makes a square to a newly stationed Neptune in Aquarius upsetting our equilibrium by accentuating our fear of survival. Mars is powerfully placed in Scorpio and the square to Neptune indicates that our will to act could be knocked off balance. When Mars is in Scorpio our desire to have what we want is magnified by our fear to survive and we often act with great force to obtain what we want. The atmosphere is definitely intense under a Scorpio Mars and we need be aware of over reacting out of fear; ours and others. Either way, we need to be aware that fear is running at a fevered pitch and before taking action we need to cool down and stand our ground lest we deliver our control and self-determination into unscrupulous hands. The greatest gift of a Scorpio Mars is our unwavering commitment to uncover the hidden underpinnings of our problems to allow for transforming solutions.

Neptune in Aquarius promises rational insight into what is happening around us if we can separate reality from fantasy and not fall prey to imaginary fears. Neptune always asks for self-sacrifice and in Aquarius it suggests sacrificing what we think we know to allow for innovative solutions to the problems we are facing. There are many situations in life that contribute to the quality of our survival and we are well heeded to step back and take a look at the big picture offered Venus in Sagittarius, the scrupulous unveiling of lies and secrets offered Mercury in Scorpio, and the penetrating will to transform our fears offered Mars in Scorpio.

The Moon, our celestial mediator, is actively interweaving celestial conversations stirring up  the cosmos and events in our lives. New Moon to Waxing Moon.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/03/scrupulous-unveiling/feed/ 0 laurenlesko Celestial Family http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/28/coming-alive/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/28/coming-alive/#comments Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:05:55 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=401 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

The celestial phenomenon of the lunar cycle, the monthly relationship between the Sun and Moon unfolding in the night sky, emerges out of a darkness that begins with the passionate embracing of the Sun consuming the delicate vulnerability of the Moon. If we consider this phenomenon a mirror of our growing in self-awareness then it seems plausible that at each new Moon our passionate life force impregnates the womb of our vulnerability promising a new birth in our awareness with the Full Moon. Birth is never easy and whether born of the womb, the head, or the heart we seem destined to suffer emotional pain that  intimately links our experience of birth with our experience of death. When the new Moon is in Scorpio it is reflecting the cycle of life that nourishes death and transformation, and is helping us understand that every birth in our awareness is preceded by a dying to our past.

The Scorpio new Moon brings intensity to our need for the emotional security we once experienced in a womb protecting and sustaining our life force. When we are under the influence of Scorpio we swaddle, like a new born babe, our longing  to trust in life, yet, gripped by our darkest fears of being over powered by forces beyond our control we may try to control our environment by guarding our feelings and repressing our emotions. If we get mired in feeling overwhelmed by our vulnerability we are in danger of controlling other people in ways which we are afraid of being controlled and unwittingly perpetuate our anxieties. There is always an enormous passion and vitality in our expression of Scorpio testament to our ability to transform our past and regenerate anew, but we need to be willing to let go of our need for control. Under the guiding hands of the Scorpio new Moon coupled with trust in ourself we can create a nourishing womb within ourself that protects, sustains, and secures our emotional well-being far beyond this transit.

Scorpio, ruled by Mars, the god of war, and co-ruled by Pluto, the god of the underworld, accentuates our keen awareness of the darker forces in life working to breakdown, uproot, and eliminate what we have worked so hard to acquire, which is one reason why letting go of what we own can be a painful experience during a Scorpio transit. When a Scorpio transit is the underpinnings of the lunar cycle then we are challenged to let go of our possessive attachment to our ideals (Aquarius), our property, values, and self-worth (Taurus),  and our uniquely expressed individuality (Leo). I will be writing in more depth about each phase of the Moon as it unfolds throughout the month, but for now, what is worth remembering is that letting go of our attachment to what we own, masked as the face of our perception of who we are and what our life can be, is a liberating experience that garners our transformation and regeneration. The word “attachment” is misleading for many whom feel that loosing their attachment is tantamount to loosing their passion for life. On the contrary, loosing our attachment simply means letting go of the importance that attachment has in determining our perception of who we are and what our life can be. In order for that to happen we need be willing to die to what we know to come alive anew.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/10/28/coming-alive/feed/ 2 laurenlesko Raub der Prosepina