Monday, March 16, 2015

March 16 to 22, 2015 - New Moon and Equinox


NorthPoint
ASTROLOGY JOURNAL
Your Guide to Planetary Energies for
March 16 to 22, 2015
By Pam Younghans

THE RIVER is flowing very quickly now. If we've managed to stay afloat and have positioned our kayaks in the "sweet spot" of the current (in other words, in alignment with our soul's intentions), we can make significant progress in the days and weeks ahead. If we've been standing on the shore, waiting for the right moment to launch our boat and join the flow, this would be the time!

This is the week we've been talking about and building toward since the beginning of the year -- arguably the most powerful week of 2015, in astrological terms. This is the week of the final exact Pluto-Uranus square, a Solar Eclipse/New Moon in the very last degree of the zodiac, and the Aries Equinox. Throw in a Neptune-Mercury alignment in Pisces, and we have quite a mix of energies to work with.

We might call this a pivot point, a time of choosing new options and releasing the old. It is a time for breakthroughs and insights, when we can ride the energies of change into a new future.


THE PLUTO-URANUS SQUARE on Monday (Tuesday in some time zones) is the driving force behind many of the changes, breakthroughs, and even breakdowns we're experiencing now. Pluto is the Transformer; Uranus is the Liberator. When they work with us, these two planets have an almost alchemical effect. Even if we can't explain the "how" or even the "why," we know that something basic within us has shifted after an encounter with these two powerful planets.

With a Saturn-Mercury square also occurring on Monday, we have an even stronger sense of this being a time of destiny and decision-making. At the same time, Saturn in Sagittarius can make us question what it all means, and we may hesitate to trust the Mercury-in-Pisces knowing that everything will turn out all right, even if we can't yet see the outcome.

THE SOLAR ECLIPSE on Friday occurs in the very last degree of Pisces, which is also the very last degree of the zodiac. The 29th degree of any sign is called the "anaretic degree," and it indicates that we are at a choice point. Having a Solar Eclipse at the last degree of the zodiac emphasizes that theme even further.

The last degree of a sign can also be a destabilizing influence, since the energy is in the process of shifting from one mode to another -- in this case, we are moving from a water/mutable sign (Pisces) to a fire/cardinal sign (Aries). We can feel ungrounded, and yet also have a sense of urgency, a feeling that we need to wrap things up, and that decisions need to be made quickly.

This can be a helpful influence, if we're ready to take that leap and have prepared adequately. But it is also wise to watch ourselves if we are inclined to act hastily. Pull your energy to center before making life-changing decisions, and make sure you understand what traveling a new road will require of you.


AS I SAID in my teleclass in January, the Sabian symbol for this week's Solar Eclipse "takes my breath away" because it so clearly speaks to these times of change. The symbol reads:
   
"A majestic rock formation resembling a face is idealized by a boy who takes it as his ideal of greatness, and as he grows up, he begins to look like it: The power of clearly visualized ideals to mold the life of the visualizer. The capacity for self-transformation."
 
The further interpretation of this symbol by astrologer Dane Rudhyar explains that:

"At the highest spiritual-cosmic level, this is the power used by the God-like Beings at the close of a cosmic cycle in projecting the basic Formula (the Word) which will start a new universe."

This is an incredibly powerful statement. It corresponds nicely with the idea that we are in the process of shifting from the Age of Pisces into the Age of Aquarius, and that this eclipse season and the Pluto-Uranus transit are contributing to that shift in important ways.

THE ARIES EQUINOX occurs just 13 hours after the Solar Eclipse, and so we will continue to feel the effects of the eclipse pretty strongly for the next three months. In addition, the chart for the Equinox contains two aspects of note:
  • The Moon is conjunct the South Node, indicating that emotional attachments to the past may come up and need to be released
  • Saturn is trine the Sun, providing the discipline and courage we need to manifest a new reality based on the beliefs that we hold as truth
The themes of these two aspects, along with the influence of the Pluto-Uranus square, will remain with us throughout the coming season (spring in the North, autumn in the South). Based on these aspects, we can anticipate that for the next three months, we will continue to feel the urge to grow and change, and to leave the past behind. At the same time, we should also have the strength needed to manifest our new reality.

A LAST NOTE, about the Neptune-Mercury conjunction quietly holding the energies on Wednesday: Amidst the drama and flash of all the other planetary activity this week, this alignment could get lost in the shuffle -- and yet it feels important that we pay attention to its energies and its potential gifts.

Mercury represents how our logical minds work, how we communicate and plan, and how we process information. As Mercury aligns with Neptune, representative of spiritual oneness and creative inspiration, we have greater access to our intuitive knowing, to guidance from other dimensions, and to the mindful perspective that can provide the very peace and illumination we seek.


If life gets hectic this week, take a few moments to put your world "on pause" so that you can feel into that Neptune-Mercury energy -- and then hold the memory of that feeling with you, to inspire and support you during these transformational times.

In peace,
 
Pam

Copyright NorthPoint Astrology 2015.

All Rights Reserved.

Monday, February 16, 2015

FEBRUARY 16 TO 22, 2015



 
February 16 to 22, 2015
By Pam Younghans

Photo: Auroras fill the sky over Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, on February 13, 2015 (credit: Alan Dyer, posted on SpaceWeather.com)
 
THE NEW MOON on Wednesday this week is positioned halfway between Pluto and Uranus, at what is called the "midpoint" of the two planets. The midpoint between any two planets is said to carry the energy of both planets involved -- and so, the lunar cycle that begins this week is powerfully aligned to carry out the directives of both Pluto the Transformer and Uranus the Liberator.
 
This also means, of course, that the New Moon is  triggering the influence of the ongoing Pluto-Uranus square, which has already brought about major changes in many people's lives, and around the globe.
 
INTERPRETATIONS of the Pluto-Uranus combination are usually worded very strongly:

Astrologer Robert Hand, in his book "Horoscope Symbols," writes that when the energies of Pluto and Uranus are combined, we have "revolutionary overthrow, total transformation, sudden changes that have long-standing causes at their root, extreme conditions, sudden and explosive events."

In Noel Tyl's books about planetary midpoints, he writes that when the Sun comes to the Pluto-Uranus midpoint, we experience "the urge for independence and freedom, great tension, revolution." And the Moon at that midpoint brings "change through force, indomitable emotional conviction."
 
MY SENSE of this New Moon, when the Sun and Moon both align with that Pluto-Uranus midpoint, is that it is setting up the situations that will carry us through the energy shifts in mid-March.
 
Our next New Moon on March 20 is also a Solar Eclipse and occurs the same week as the last exact Pluto-Uranus square (March 16-17) and the Aries Equinox (March 20-21). Any one of these planetary events is a news highlight -- to have them all within four days of each other is the whole front page of the newspaper.
 
That week in March represents the mountain peak, or perhaps the rocket launch -- and for us to reach the peak or actually fire the rocket, we have to do our prep work ahead of time. The lunar cycle that begins this week is part of that prep work.
 
THE SABIAN SYMBOL for the last degree of Aquarius, where the New Moon occurs, is perhaps the longest of all the 360 symbolic descriptions:
"Deeply rooted in the past of a very ancient culture, a spiritual brotherhood in which many individual minds are merged into the glowing light of a unanimous consciousness is revealed to those who have emerged successfully from their metamorphosis."
The keynote description for this symbol illuminates its meaning further:
"The ability for the person with an open mind and a deep feeling for self-transcendence to come in contact with higher forms of existence."
THE WORDS "higher forms of existence" may evoke a different image for each of us. The Sabian symbol itself speaks of "a spiritual brotherhood," and I'm sure many who are reading this resonate with that phrase.
 
In my mind, this symbol reveals that this is a powerful time for us to connect with aspects of our own beings as they exist in higher-vibrational realms: our higher self, our soul, our Divine Self or Oversoul. This is also, in my opinion, a primary goal of this Time of Great Change, this time of shifting from the Age of Pisces into the Age of Aquarius.
 
Astrologer Dane Rudhyar, in his writing about this Sabian symbol, wraps it up with these words:
"It is a symbol of spiritual group fulfillment -- of conscious totality of being."
A lot to expect of a four-week lunar cycle! But perhaps not too much to hope for as a culmination of the past three years of working with the Pluto-Uranus square.
 
THE SUN enters Pisces just two minutes (!) after the New Moon is exact. The month of Pisces, every year, is a month to release, to surrender to the process, and to trust in the unfolding of life events, even when we cannot see or control the outcome. These directives are especially important this year, given the alignment of the planets and the upcoming Solar Eclipse on March 20, which occurs at the last degree of Pisces.
 
And yet, there is also a sense this week that the new has already begun. Mars and Venus both enter Aries within a day of each other, then align at the same degree on Saturday. As the first sign of the zodiac, Aries is always about initiating new action, taking bold steps forward, and being willing to go where no one has gone before. 
 
HOW DO WE accommodate both the energy of Pisces and the energy of Aries at the same time, when they seem so different from each other? By using the best of both.
 
We must hold the Pisces perspective, that rises above the dramas and traumas of physical reality, that trusts in the unseen realms and lives more by intuition and flow than by logic and control.
 
At the same time, we must be willing, like Aries, to embrace the new, to courageously explore new frontiers, and to lead the way as needed.
 
And it is always helpful to remember to breathe, to get good rest, good exercise and healthy food, and to connect with Nature as much as possible.
 
In peace,
 
Pam
 
NorthPoint Astrology Blog: To read occasional posts and add your comments, please visit http://northpointastrology.blogspot.com/.
 


Sunday, February 8, 2015

VALENTINE DAY SPECIAL

 
 
VALENTINE DAY SPECIAL
 
 
Treat yourself and your loved one
to a chart comparison!
Find out how compatible you are
and how you can make your relationship a Success!
 
TWO CHARTS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!
This week only (February 8 to 13)
E-mail your info to