Full Moon 1º Taurus October 24, 2018

Full Moon on the Fixed Grand Cross

North Lunar Node 1º Leo, South Lunar Node 1º Aquarius

Sun 1º Scorpio conjunct Venus Rx, 

Moon 1º Taurus conjunct Uranus Rx

Here in Austin, Texas, the land was once the bottom of the sea. The soil today is mostly limestone in layers like pancakes. In some places those have been carved by water creating ancient phreatic tables or caves when the running rain water moved a lot in circles. Sometimes people get a surprise hole even under their property, or under the street or any other structure, because the excessive rain ends up weakening the layers that finally sink down. That's the power of water. It can be so soft that can wash your face, but it can be so persistent that can penetrate the rocks, right?

During 18 months, the Lunar Nodes have been carving our life so hard that now, we may implode... or explode!  I hope you've read my recents blog posts about the Lunar Nodes traveling through the Leo-Aquarius Axis. If you didn't I invite you to do it, because to understand this crucial Full Moon today, we should have understood what the Lunar Nodes have been trying to tell us for the last 18 months. This is also a life cycle that we started 18.5 years ago, when the Lunar Nodes were on that axis last time. If you can remember what happened in your life in 1999-2000, what all the eclipses brought to your life then is coming to a close now. There's been a different situation, conditions, events, process for each of us. Take a look at my post where I explain the themes for each sign. 

Why this Full Moon is so crucial, I think? One of the reasons is because it triggers a Grand Cross, squaring the Lunar Nodes. The Sun and the Moon are the big Luminaries that show us truth, bring clear understanding by illuminating the houses where they fall (Scorpio and Taurus fall in different places on every person's Birth Chart). For example, for Leo and Aquarius (the most affected signs of the zodiac with this Full Moon), the Sun and Moon, Father and Mother, will cast this shining light on the axis of the most public life and the most private life (which are 10th and 4th houses respectively). For them, those are the challenged areas, where something comes to a close, or needs to be changed,  under the undeniable shining light. No easy task, though. The Grand Cross falls on the 4 FIXED signs of the Zodiac, Leo, Aquarius, Scorpio and Taurus, those that don't like change, and are often times so stubborn. 

In order to achieve what the North Node is pushing us towards, and use the skills learned in the past from the South Node (see the previous post), we need this last kick in the rear end. Here is where the magic comes! Because the ruler of the North Node, the Sun in Scorpio, is opposite the ruler of the South Node, Uranus in Taurus. I see the two Titans showing spears face to face. As I always say, opposites attract... but they also repel! The Sun in Astrology represents our personal authority, power, yang or masculine energy that drives our personality, our self confidence, ambition and happiness. Whereas Uranus is the higher level of the mind, the sparks of insight coming from the Heavens, the altruism, the electrical rebellion, the revolution. Uranus is the lightening bolt that changes everything in the blink of an eye. It comes suddenly and unexpected, bringing renewal, freedom and the need for innovation. Imagine what this clash will provoke today or during this Lunar cycle, in your own life according to where it falls in your Natal Chart! 

There are other helpers in the struggle. Venus and Mars, respective rulers of the Moon and the Sun, because Venus rules Taurus and Mars, Scorpio. They are in a harmonious 72 degree aspect that supports the process. However, Mars is the strongest, because is direct, while Venus is shy hiding in retrograde motion under the close rays of the burning Sun. Again, draw your conclusions, because Mars is the muscle of the zodiac, the physical feat, the action and assertiveness, if not aggressiveness and violence... and it's transiting the sign of Aquarius where he had conjuncted the South Node three times a while ago.  

Mercury is talking big in conference with Jupiter. In agreement with Pluto, you can imagine what they are talking about. Yes, they are exposing the most deepest secrets of your life. What was hidden in your subconscious, or unconscious is coming up for you to SEE and make a good riddance so you can move ahead in the direction Leo North Node is showing. 

All the energies are working to guide us and show us the way to our best SELF, our best life, our best choices, a highest level of happiness. Events can happen in the blink of an eye, and we may be confused, like in a natural catastrophe, earthquake or hurricane, but even if we lose a big part of our identity (Sun), it's just a part that is in decay, the digested pieces that we need to purge. Coincidentally, we start the Scorpio season, Fall time, when Nature is letting go of what is no longer needed to go to sleep for a while. We see trees around us getting naked, retiring inside to brew the new life that they will create next Spring. Let us ride the energy smoothly, knowing that the Universe works for our own wellbeing. 

If you're confused and think that you might need help understanding what this process means for you, or what would be your best course of action, just email me your coordinates and I will read it on your Birth Chart. satsangatyoga@gmail.com

Grand Cross in Fixed Signs - October 2018

This month, the Moon, Mercury, Venus and the Sun are parading across Uranus retrograde in Taurus, through the first degrees of Scorpio, squaring simultaneously the Lunar Nodal Axis.

The four signs involved in the Grand Cross are the Zodiac Stubborn. The hold the highest of each season, the hottest of the Summer, the coldest of the Winter, the most beautiful of the Spring, the sharpest of the Fall. They're famous for not giving in.

Here comes Uranus, the electric Lord of Lightening, striking the massive Earth in Taurus, sending its burning beams of power across the Zodiac into the house of the Stinger.

Emotions were stirred up a couple of days right after the New Moon in 15º Libra on October 8th, when She had to face the unexpected wrath coming from Uranus. Then came Mercury running fast to bring the resulting message from a deep research down in a the dungeons of Hades. He's followed by the most beautiful lady of the Zodiac, who's coming back slowly and nonchalantly to her house of Libra where she apparently forgot something. Only that before getting there, she has to walk under the unforgiving rays of the Supreme Captain of our Ship, the Sun, who may singe her a bit, but most of all, will recharge her batteries, make her stronger and more daring on the way. When Venus then arrives home, she'll show her power to convince!

Venus de Milo

Meanwhile, the Rahu and Ketu receive the strokes as well, or send their fated demands to the houses where the challenge is striking. Rahu, the North Node of the Moon, is pulling us to become more generous, to reorient our hearts in the direction of our true identity, to follow our feelings in making decisions, and encouraging us develop leadership qualities. Ketu, the South Node of the Moon, is asking us to let go of the mooring line, to drop the hindrance of our unhealthy attachments, not to trust so much in our rational mind, but consult our heart more often.  (For more on this, read my previous article on the Leo/Aquarius Nodal Axis.) This tension is triggered by the opposing planets. Something's got to give...

Rahu Ketu

We've been pressured to change directions. For each of us, the tension and pressure is about a different issue, depending where those planets and points fall in our Natal Chart, and what Natal planets or points they activate. For example, Leo Rising Sign will be challenged to change something to balance private and public life in order to affirm their own regal identity. For all signs, the themes of Love, Relationships, Finances, assets and Values are at stake.

You can find out how this astral configuration, and other powerful cosmic interconnections, are affecting your own life by having your own Chart analyzed compared to the Transits Chart. Becoming aware of the energies at play, is the first step to make assertive and sound decisions that will certainly have long term implications. Order your Chart analysis now! Email me at satsangatyoga@gmail.com to find out more information about it.

The Mythology of your astrological Natal Chart

How the Myths in Astrology help us understand who we are, where we come from and where we go.

Childbirth is one of -if not The- most transformational events in a woman's -and to a certain extent man's- life. Seven months after having my first baby, I fell into the post partum depression, my hair starting to fall in handfuls, I couldn't gain weight, and so many other things that I had to undergo therapy. Then, I learned about a psychotherapy technique using imagery and archetypes. The patient is guided on a journey to the underworld, the unconscious, visualizing what he/she encounters on the road. This works as a guided tour into understanding yourself.

What does that have in common with the traditional children stories read in childhood, the same ones that I read to my own children later? They show images that have a meaning. The images that the person 'sees' in the mind's eye are charged with the meaning that the individual ascribe to them. Those are representations of what is hidden in the unconscious, or subconscious. The archetypes of the children stories have an already set of meanings from the collective unconsciousness. Both, imagery psychotherapy and fairy tales are equally useful to help the person reveal who she/he really is inside. They work in different ways, one reveals from inside, the other from the external world, still both reflect conceptions, emotions, representations of stuff ingrained in the person's identity. The technique works as a movie projected on a screen.  Once those images are created in the mind, the patient is able to discover him/herself by describing them. Reading fairy tales or myths, one's unconscious is projected on the story making the detachment possible.

When I was studying for my Masters in French, I became fascinated with the genre of myths, legends and traditional story tales from the old times. I dug into the most ancient versions available of our classic tales, like Red Riding Hood and such. In the beginning they were not children stories, in fact they were like the adult TV shows of the times. Some of them pretty intense and gruesome. I ended up learning that those sometimes shocking stories worked as psychological therapy then. They helped people sitting around the home hearth in the cold winter evenings -dark nights of the soul- to process their most intimate fears, phobias, passions, and conflictive traumas.

Astrology is tightly related to Mythology. Knowing the language of Astrology, one understands the messages those iconic mythological characters give us personally, individually as they are designed in our own unique Birth Chart. Let me show you an example in a chart.

This is the chart of today's transits at my location. Please look at the arrow pointing to the left to a green glyph representing Taurus with the number 10º 47'. That line represents the Ascendant, the Rising Sign on the Eastern Horizon at the moment of one's birth. The sign of Taurus gives the main personality and mission for that Soul for this incarnation. It's ruled by Venus. She is in the opposite sign of Scorpio, in a debilitated position because she is the farthest she can be from her home, even though she also rules the contiguous sign of Libra. In any case, she is in the house of Mars and Pluto. 

Now imagine the Goddess of Love, beauty, sweet, delicate, refined, romantic, well mannered, love giving, seductively gorgeous, sitting in the living room with Mars, the warrior, all covered in armor, sweaty and smelly from the battle, aggressive, forceful, violent at times, and with Pluto, or Hades, the Lord of the Underworld, the same one who kidnapped, raped and kept captive Persephone as his "wife". Colorful painting, right? 

What kind of Taurean personality would you think this person born today will have? Also, the 7th house of Scorpio represents his/her longterm relationships, the type of person with whom she/he will associate with a higher level of trust. There, together with Venus, we find another visitor to an unlikely house, Jupiter. He can be wise and spiritual, full of knowledge and understanding of higher concepts, but he also likes to exaggerate things a bit too much. With Jupiter there, the picture I described previously is augmented 300 times. Can you see what kind of partner, she/he may have?

Venus was a very nice lady, right? The Greeks called her Aphrodite, she was so beautiful that she was said to have seduced Mars and had children with him. In Astrology, Venus behaves differently depending on the place where she is in her travel around the Sun. She could be behind him or ahead, even though she does not go too far away. If she travels ahead of the Sun she's called Phosphorous, the Light Bearer or Morning Star. Then she is more outgoing, extroverted, more intense. When she travels after the Sun, she's called Hesperus or Evening Star, and she behaves more feminine, her feelings are more reserved, more receptive. In this chart Venus is Aphrodite or Evening Star. This trait describes the nature of the person's Yin energy -regardless of being a male of female. And in a man's chart, Venus describes the kind of woman he will be attracted to. This person can be shy and reserved in love, but may attract a partner that is dominant, jealous, and even aggressive, able to totally transform his/her life.

There are many other factors to consider about Venus the ruler of this person's chart when describing exactly what kind of Venus energy it gives. Because in this case, Venus is also Stationary Retrograde, she is antagonizing with Mars, in a somewhat disharmony with Saturn, she makes loose harmonious connections with Neptune, the Lord of the Oceans, and the Moon. All of that gives Venus a very particular personality, unique to her this day, at this time, in this town.  

I'm sure you have read legends, stories and myths in childhood, and you probably read them also again and again once you learned how to read. There is something in them that draw us close to a mirror where we can see ourselves reflected. I think that's why they are so appealing and we like them so much. Bruno Bettelheim in his work "The Uses of Enchantment" says that "There is a general agreement that myths and fairy tales speak to us in the language of symbols representing unconscious content" (pg. 36). 

In my approach to Astrology, I sustain that its mythology is the aspect that helps people to understand themselves, individually, to find out their uniqueness. The story telling of those archetypes is what explains our deepest psychological blueprint. Understanding them is opening the door to the most essential answers we seek: why am I here? who am I? what am I doing? where am I going? why this is me? "Modern thinkers who have studied myths and fairy tales from a philosophical or psychological viewpoint arrive at the same conclusion", Bettelheim states. And after quoting Mircea Eliade, he adds "Drawing on anthropological parallels, he and others suggest that myths and fairy tales were derived from, or give symbolic expression to, initiation rites or other rites of passage -such as a metaphoric death of an old, inadequate self in order to be reborn on a higher plane of existence" (pg.35).

This is the perspective our personal astrology gives us. We incarnate again and again, initiating a 'new life', a new cycle of 'seasons' (birth, development, decay and death) in order to better what we've done in previous ones, to change and repair what went wrong before, to have new experiences that progressively elevate our Soul to a higher state. The symbolism in our birth chart is the language that gives us the clues of what happened before, what we decided to do this time around, what is our goal and what kind of work we chose to do to achieve it. "This amounts to saying that initiatory scenarios -even camouflaged, as they are in fairy tales- are the expression of a psychodrama that answers a deep need in the human being" (Mircea Eliade).

Discovering the Myths in our personal Birth Chart can be greatly revealing. We can have insights into our consciousness as well as our unconsciousness. We can develop understanding of the reasons why we make certain choices, like certain partners, develop certain eating habits, choose a certain career, and many other life decisions. A new perspective on things can help us change direction when we're not happy about those. If you are curious and would like to discover the mystery of your SELF, make sure you find out your personal Mythology by ordering a Natal Birth Chart reading.