A Lunar Eclipse punctuates a shift in our conscious by marking the completion, sometimes the passing, of something we have created in our life. When a Lunar Eclipse is in Sagittarius and Gemini we are challenged to look closely at our reality and follow our heart in search of the meaning of our existence. A series of eclipses in Sagittarius and Gemini will continue unfolding throughout 2012 illuminating the ebb and flow of our existence. Those experiences that touch us most deeply will force us to look at what we believe and how our beliefs create what we experience. The cosmos is encouraging us to let go of our attachment to the beliefs of others and rather than mindlessly follow the thoughts, feelings, and actions of others, discover what is true for ourself.  The spirit of Sagittarius inspires us to reach beyond what we know in search of something never before experienced, and the spirit of Gemini infuses our life force with boundless curiosity and a youthful wonderment ready to embrace everything that life has to offer. Our consciousness is awakening as never before imagined encouraging us to free ourself of the limitations imposed by our past and open our heart to the infinite possibilities awaiting us in the unknown.

I was unable to find the name of the author of the quote or the artist of the sculpture.

The message in 2011 is love: opening our mind to receive it; opening our heart to give it. I spent the first hours of 2011 watching the balsamic Moon in Sagittarius rise from the frothy foam of Neptune’s snarl and lie crescent fallen in the sky  a delicate sliver receiving the illuminated light of Mercury poised above. It was a dreamer’s vision bringing with it the sensual embracing of the New Year ‘s breath gently caressing my lips. 

A balsamic Moon brings the gift of stillness, contemplation, and the bitter sweet knowing that something in life is ending. One archetype of the Moon is maternal nurturing and when in the sign of Sagittarius our personal beliefs are nourished  with plump morsels from our past. When we are under the influence of Sagittarius we can be fanatical in our beliefs and rather than opening our mind and heart to new ideas we seek security  and safety in an array of fundamental ideologies. The illuminated light of Sagittarius is the archetype of both the wanderer and the philosopher each seeking the meaning within the experience; one by way of the ordinary the other by way of the abstract.

To begin 2011 under the reflecting rays of this Moon is helping us gain a more far reaching understanding of our past that can help us to be more inclusive and less fearful of that which is unknown and foreign to us. The Moon lying under the light of Mercury guarantees a year of emotional and mental traveling that will expand our awareness, deepen our self-knowledge, and broaden our perception of reality. When Mercury, the archetypal communicator and translator, journeys in Sagittarius we are given the celestial gift of insight  to help us navigate  every aspect of our life. Remembering that Sagittarius is that aspect in human consciousness challenging each individual to travel beyond the familiar, embrace the foreign, and cherish the unknown will help us break down the walls of defensive behavior protecting our deepest fears.

The boldest signature inscribing the birth of 2011 is the January 4th Solar Eclipse illuminating the greatest obstruction to love, our fear.  Hours before the Moon conjoined the Sun in Capricorn it conjoined Pluto underscoring the archetypal principles of death, destruction, and rebirth. Pluto is that aspect in each of us  intimately connected to the chthonic  forces in nature that turn the wheel of life in the wake of death. Under the influence of Pluto our fear for survival is on red alert. When coupled with the Moon in Sagittarius we instinctively prepare to attack the unknown. If we project our fear of survival onto external events  and blame others for what is inside ourself we attack what is unknown within ourself and tragically forfeit the self-understanding that gives birth to a deeper self- acceptance.

Capricorn is the archetype of a leader who is guided by responsibility, discipline, commitment, and tenacious hard work. Every Solar Eclipse garners an awakening in consciousness and in the sign of Capricorn our wakening requires a  sobering reality check if we want to accomplish our goals. When we are under the influence of Capricorn we are aware of contributing the best of who we are to life.  2011 is not a year for mindless, frivolous effort. Every moment will be measured and accounted for so it is important that we live in each moment with awareness and take nothing in life for granted.

The first aspect the Moon and Sun made after the eclipse was a hard aspect to Saturn in Libra challenging our relationships and insuring  a year of working hard to create peace and justice in the world. 2011 is asking us to take personal responsibility for the well fare of our collective humanity and work together, regardless of our differences, to end  the pain and suffering of social injustices and to bring love and light into the world.

The last aspect the Moon and Sun made after the eclipse, and before changing signs, was a harmonious aspect with the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction in Pisces. Pisces is the archetypal principle of our collective feelings. When we are under the influence of Pisces we lose our sense of separateness and feel a deep empathy for the suffering of others. Jupiter, the archetype of expansion, and Uranus, the archetype of revolution, have been dancing  cheek to cheek since the spring of 2010. ( For wonderful commentary and wise insight into the significance of the 2010 Jupiter-Uranus I direct you to astrologer Anne Whitaker’s “Tales From The Wild Side”.)

When the archetypal principle of expansion meets the archetypal principle of revolution it is time to break the chains that bind us to  our old, out dated modes of being in the world. Our personal beliefs are in revolt and nothing in life will be the same. Our perception of who we are and what our life can be is expanding beyond what we have imagined thus far. Our only limitation is our fear of who we can be and what e can do.The choice is ours to make.

Happy New Year and may our individual and collective choices in 2011 reflect the light of our love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMyq7xvlH08

The current New Moon cycle is reflecting the mutable signs Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces; and as we follow the unfolding of the Sun and Moon relationship, keeping in mind that every lunation cycle heralds a potential conscious awakening of an unfamiliar aspect of our self, our attention is drawn to the inter-playing between this New Moon cycle and the approaching Saturn and Uranus opposition; an opposition that always delivers a challenge to the precarious balancing between tradition and innovation, restricting and liberating, the status quo and the unorthodox. With Saturn in Virgo opposing Uranus in Pisces we are asked to improve society by breaking apart stagnant social structures and traditional ideologies that are preventing us from a more inclusive engaging with the diversity offered in life. Yesterday, the Moon in Virgo squared the Sun in Gemini creating tension accompanying the green light to embrace the rich diversity of life as we search for a safer and more secure belonging in our global community. Today, the Moon cautiously joined forces with Saturn and reflecting  our emotional maturity we acquired the opportunity to spend the coming week working on practical solutions that  will nourish the health and well being of our society. This is a good time to avoid emotional retreating or withdrawing because we feel insecure and fearful. Tomorrow, the Moon discreetly opposes Uranus and reflecting our emotional independence and originality  we have the  unique opportunity to invent unusual ways of improving the quality of daily life. It is important this week to resist the temptation of becoming  frustrated by any imperfection we may experience that unexpectedly appears with a defiant stance manifesting as a hyper-critical viewing of our self and the world surrounding us.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2009/05/31/precarious-balancing/feed/ 2 laurenlesko Prognostication 1502 http://laurenlesko.com/2008/12/25/a-celestial-gift/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/12/25/a-celestial-gift/#comments Thu, 25 Dec 2008 21:10:46 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=1023 ]]> click on the image to red about the art

Today, the Sun is born anew and with each new day gaining  in light  as the Sun journey’s toward the Vernal Equinox we on Earth are gaining in conscious awareness. Yesterday, Mercury made a sweet sextile to Uranus stimulating our self- conscious awakening to speak in the voice of our truth. Chances are the experience of speaking our truth with others was unexpectedly contentious and definitely not a meeting of like minded friends. Fortunately, the experience gave us the celestial gift of self- differentiation and clarity of intention just in time for the Moon to make a jolting T-Square with the Saturn-Uranus opposition triggering an emotional discontent  hidden deep within and in chronic need of forgiveness. We are under the influence of a waning Virgo Moon flashing neon bright “self-forgiveness” and today, held in the loving embrace of the Moon and Venus, we are promised the emotional distance necessary to expand our view of what we need to feel safe and secure in relationship with ourself and others.

The last waning Moon of the year is under the meticulous care of Virgo directing our attention within insisting that we spend the next week in contemplation ruminating the  glaring imperfections in our life. Admittedly, there are many, but when we look at ourself through the critical eyes of Virgo  our imperfections can take on monstrous proportions overshadowing our best intentions leaving us cowering in the corner. Virgo is that aspect in each of us that can be holy unforgiving of ourself and others but it need not be so if we remember that our striving for perfection is our sincere wanting to improve something that is not working well. It stands to reason, and Virgo demands that we be reasonable, that one meaning of this waning Moon is for us to improve something within ourself beginning with self-forgiveness.

We have all made mistakes and hopefully learned from them and consequently improved our life. George Bernard Shaw is quoted saying, ” A life spent in making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”  There we have it! We have actually been living an honorable life making all those useful mistakes, and yet, life is never quite so simple nor are we so readily forgiving of ourself. It has been a difficult year especially the last months shrouded in uncertainty with many of us feeling the after shocks of choices we made that in hindsight seem absolutely wrong. Now is the time to rely upon the wisdom of Sagittarius and take a broader viewing of our life in order to grasp the grander scheme at hand guiding us to where we need to go. I am not suggesting that we mindlessly follow something outside ourself; rather, we need to honor what we have learned in life, the skills and services we have given to others, knowing that our life is lived as a continuous unfolding reflecting our uniquely, albeit imperfect, individuality.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/12/18/self-forgiveness/feed/ 0 laurenlesko Woman of the Apocalypse http://laurenlesko.com/2008/12/12/a-grand-square/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/12/12/a-grand-square/#comments Sat, 13 Dec 2008 05:02:38 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=591 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

The Sagittarius Full Moon is stimulating a restlessness within each of us which may be pricking our dissatisfaction with the way things are. This is especially  true for those of us born with a strong influence of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces at 21 degrees. This is not a negative experience, in fact, this Full Moon is spurring us onward to fulfill our dreams of the future aided with a tempering of our expectations of what that future will be. Gemini and Sagittarius have difficulty concentrating on the mundane concerns of life and yet this is exactly what we are challenged to do. One lesson taught, and hopefully learned, under the influence of this Full Moon is the necessity to create “boundaries”, which means to respect both the sovereignty of ourself and others. Another lesson offered is learning to take responsibility for fulfilling our commitments by keeping our mind focused on the goal and taking one precious step after another. In other words, this is not a fortuitous time for  entertaining distractions.  We need  to be watchful of becoming discouraged if things are not moving as fast as our mental imagining. The trick this week is to give ourself enough mental breath to “realize” what we think and feel, separate and distinct from others, without escaping into imaginary flights of fancy.

The exuberance of the Sun in Sagittarius opposing the Moon in Gemini conjures a wild horse ready to bolt, which is exactly what we may feel like doing because this Sagittarius Full Moon makes a Grand- Square to Saturn in Virgo opposing Uranus in Pisces, and corrals our expansive vision for the future.  Remember this Full Moon is teaching us about boundaries and corralling our vision for the future can actually work in our favor if we accept the celestial challenge and become more methodical in accomplishing our goals. It is also possible that this transit will highlight where in our life we tend to give up too easily fostering frustration, regret, even resentment toward others.

A real treasure of this Full Moon is found in the supportive relationship between Mercury and Jupiter reinforcing that we can accomplishment our goals but it will require self-discipline, an unwavering commitment, and personal sacrifice.  Hours before the Full Moon, Mercury, the ruling planet for Gemini and Virgo, entered Capricorn  straight into the arms of Pluto a clear signal for transforming our perception of social power, authority, and leadership. Jupiter, the ruling planet for Sagittarius and Pisces, is in the sign of Capricorn and having recently made a trine to Saturn is valiantly navigating a stormy sea of uncertainty. Together, Mercury and Jupiter in Capricorn are helping us achieve what we imagine our future to be by keeping our feet firmly planted on Earth.

The first aspect the Moon made in Gemini was to nourish Venus in Aquarius which accentuated the universal theme of “human value”, and insured that we can experience grace and beauty in the arms of this Full Moon if we put our judgement from the past to sleep and awaken our appreciation for each unique expression of life. This Gemini Moon is also nourishing the North Node, Chiron, and Neptune Aquarius, which is helping us heal a deep wounding to humanity by opening our mind and heart to the unimaginable. Aquarius is that aspect in each of us learning to receive from others, and with the help of the Full Moon after-glow our thirst for new experiences and our quest for the unknown can guide our discovery of the full potential of what the human imagination can accomplish accompanied by self-determination.

As the Moon enters Pisces we begin our experiencing of the waxing phase of the Sagittarius new Moon; and making a square first to the Sun and then to Mars this Moon directs our attention to a conflict which we can creatively manage depending upon how we assert our individuality. The Sun, Mars, and Mercury are fellow companions in Sagittarius, at best,  enlivening one another in philosophical questing and inquiring into new  concepts, at worst, in self -righteous proselytizing and impulsive proclaiming. Sagittarius is that aspect in each of us physically and mentally reaching for new horizons so that we can experience the unfamiliar, the exotic, and the foreign as aspects within ourself but first we need to be willing to let go of what we believe to be “truth”.

The waxing Pisces Moon signals that the time  has come for us to dissolve those boundaries separating  “me” from “you” in order to experience a reality of inter-connectedness and oneness with all of life. And because reality is construed in the form of what we perceive reality to be the waxing Pisces Moon offers us a golden opportunity to question our perception of life. When we are under the influence of Sagittarius we are seeking universal understanding, and when we are under the influence of Pisces we are seeking universal surrendering: and both expressions of human experience require that we reconfigure the silhouette we call “self”.

It is not by chance that our ancestors gave the benevolence of Jupiter as guardian ruler to both Sagittarius and Pisces, especially when we consider that Jupiter is that aspect in each of us seeking to connect with something within ourself which seems far greater than ourself. The planet Jupiter is currently transiting in Capricorn adding  stability  to Sagittarius and containment to Pisces which is helping give form to our eternal quest for meaning and significance in life. Add the guidance of the waxing Moon in Pisces and it is likely that something we believe to be sacred will be challenged in the coming week. The probability of this happening is further emphasized because the Moon contacts the Saturn-Uranus opposition highlighting a sudden and unexpected breaking free of tradition, which may expand our conscious awareness that our perception of reality is much more fluid than we often believe it to be.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/12/05/asserting-our-individuality/feed/ 0 laurenlesko A French Zodiac http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/27/unwavering-belief/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/27/unwavering-belief/#comments Thu, 27 Nov 2008 14:00:00 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=451 ]]> click on the image to read about the art

A Sagittarius new Moon heralds a golden dawn challenging each of us to break free from the  bondage of our tribal rhetoric so that we can dance in naked splendor with the universe falling blissfully into the open arms of the cosmos. When we are under the influence of Sagittarius we have an unshakable faith in our future and in our trust of life. What matters most to us is our unwavering belief that life is so much more than the sum of its parts. Sagittarius is that aspect in each of us expanding beyond the contours of what is familiar, shattering the prosaic realities of our daily life, disregarding our sentimental attachment with the past, and insisting that life be a mythic adventure riding gloriously off into the sunset of our future. Unfortunately, for those of us with a healthy dose of Sagittarius in our natal chart, I have Sagittarius on the cusp of my first house, we can be susceptible to Jupiterian inflation and defying the gravitational pull of Earth can be a major obstacle to achieving our goals in life; so too can be the believing that what is right for “me” is right for “thee”.

Every month, when the Sun and Moon kiss they share an intimate secret which then takes us on Earth the entire month to comprehend. This month the Sun and Moon are not alone in their shared secret, Mercury and Mars are nearby sharing in the intimacy of the moment. When the personal planets, Mercury, Venus, and Mars, involve themselves in a lunar transit the theme of “the personal” is accentuated. However, this offers a quandary to the Sagittarius new Moon considering first, that Jupiter ruling Sagittarius is a social planet, and second, the Sagittarius thirst for universal wisdom tends to be rejecting of the personal.  So then, what exactly is the cosmic message we are about to receive?

In my last post, Epimetheus Mercury, I wrote about the underpinnings of the celestial cycles governing human experiencing which leads me to think that the Sagittarius new Moon is working in tandem with the Epimetheus cycle of Mercury to underscore the importance to personally break free from self- imposed didactic rules and regulations governing our worldly perspective. In the coming month we will be challenged to let go of our cherished beliefs especially those that chime a self-righteous note or two. Sagittarius can be our teacher and our healer if we allow our self to grow in tolerance of difference in the world, and in acceptance that perception, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. Questioning why we believe what we believe is not an easy task. We need to be willing to break free from the dogma of our past and look at the present with new eyes. Sagittarius is a universal principal in human consciousness and without conscious awareness of the unity of humanity what we believe can segregate and isolate especially when we think that  our belief is more righteous or sacred than another.

The shadow faces of Sagittarius are fundamentalism and fanaticism which when left  unattended become the poisoned faces of fascism. This is not the month for pointing fingers, on the contrary, the Sagittarius new Moon is suggesting that we stop blaming others for the difficulties we perceive in the world. We have a golden opportunity this month to claim ownership of our behavior and to stop projecting our beliefs onto the beliefs of others. Under the guidance of Sagittarius we can break free of the limited view of human potential that we have internalized as truth by broadening our perception of what is humanly possible, and with a little luck we may experience Sagittarian wisdom trusting in life knowing that it is so much more than the sum of its parts.

]]> http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/27/unwavering-belief/feed/ 3 laurenlesko The Astronomer http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/26/epimetheus-mercury/ http://laurenlesko.com/2008/11/26/epimetheus-mercury/#comments Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:13:43 +0000 Lauren Lesko http://laurenlesko.com/?p=453 ]]> click on the image to red about the art

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