Seeing Stars with Mark 13 - 18 December 2009 Zodiac Lounge Dec 16th: New Sag Moon!
Dear Friends,
I hope your holidays are merry and bright so far, and continue to be for the rest of the season. As you know, time moves in cycles: a time to plant, a time to grow, a time to reap, etc. Astrology is a study of those cycles. Many cycles can happen concurrently: we have moon cycles (a month), sun cycles (a year), and combination cycles, like the current Saturn and Pluto cycle (38 years), the current Saturn and Uranus cycle (44 years), or the current Jupiter and Saturn cycle (20 years).
Each planet represents a sign, and each sign represents an archetype. Archetypes are universal symbols of a certain type of energy or mode of expression. An archetype is larger than life and pure. As humans, we are a complex mixture of these twelve archetypes. As the planets travel through the heavens, they share with us a message about how to express the archetypes each of us carry in our unique way. These archetypes are symbolized by the planets and the signs through which they are moving, and these movements occur in cycles. Understanding the cycles we are in and the expressions of the archetypes in the cycles can be a beacon for us. If we understand the message of the cycle, then we can better direct or express our own personal archetype.
I have spoken at length about the larger cycles of Saturn with Pluto, Uranus, and to a lesser extent, Jupiter, over the past two years. All of these cycles are riunning concurrently, along with the solar and lunar cycles, not to mention many others. I emphasize Saturn in my column because the archetype represented by Saturn is FORM: structure, discipline, tradition, and authority. Without these things, we would not be individuals, we would be one undifferentiated mass. We need Saturn in order to have FORM: shape, direction, structure, authority. Just as biblical tales refer to the chaos out of which God brought form, Saturn is the symbol we use for this archetype in the language of astrology.
Pluto represents transformation and purification; Uranus represents rebellion and change, and Jupiter represents expansion and optimism. (I am simplifying here for ease of explanation. All archetypes embody both positive and negative expressions of the energy.) Each of these planets is at a unique point in its cycle with Saturn. With Pluto, the cycle started at 27 Libra in November 1982. Libra is the sign of harmony and beauty, relationships and balance. This promise of this cycle is to transform our relationships and to bring balance and harmony into them. However, with Pluto, nothing can be transformed without letting go of the impurities. The “letting go” is the hard part, because sometimes we have to let go of things to which we are attached because they are preventing our evolution. With Uranus, the cycle began in October 1988 at 27 Sagittarius. This cycle promised to broaden our minds and our horizons through the inclusion of new and seemingly radical perspectives in the Saturn-ruled areas of our lives: authority, government, tradition, and all other structures. The issue here is that the status quo never wants to relinquish power to the younger, more radical generation. When the phase is full, as it has been for 2+ years now, there is a struggle, a tug of war between the old and the new. Saturn always wins (we must maintain some sort of structure), but Uranian ideas are incorporated into the status quo, so that what once seemed radical (racial equality became law in the US the last time Saturn opposed Uranus) becomes common, and what was once common (allegedly, abstention from pre-marital sex) becomes old-fashioned and out-dated. With Jupiter, Saturn began their current 20 year cycle at 22 Taurus in May 2000. This cycle promised to bring structure to our expansion with regards to our stability, our finances, and our values. The trick for this cycle was to learn that less is more. Even when there is the possibility of having more, more isnt necessarily better. Obviously, many of us missed that message, or we wouldnt be in the financial situation in which we find ourselves today. However, perhaps through this trial, we are learning the lesson that less IS more and that things we can sustain long-term are worth the effort and perhaps even the sacrifice that might be necessary in order to sustain them.
These three cycles are the background for the current lunar cycle. A lunar cycle starts at the New Moon, culminates at the Full Moon, and ends as the balsamic moon turns new again. Each New Moon represents a time to plant a seed with respect to the archetype it represents. On Wednesday, December 16th, we will have a New Moon at 24 degrees Sagittarius, which is conjunct the degree of the beginning of the current Saturn/Uranus cycle as well as the Galactic Center. The Galactic Center is thought by some astrologers to be the second strongest point in a chart, because it represents the Sun of our Sun, or the source of all energy in our galaxy, our solar system, and our chart. The beginning of the current Saturn/Uranus cycle promised to radically alter and expand the structure of tradition, government, and authority. This New Moon is the lunation where this promise can finally begin to fulfill itself in our lives. This is the time to make a commitment to allow the structures of our lives to change in such a way that growth and evolution can occur by integrating new perspectives and means of expression. Even a small gesture can represent a much larger dedication to EVOLUTION. Even I, Saturn-ruled Capricorn rising, brought myself into the Age of Aquarius this week by upgrading my 5 year old cell phone to a new Droid. Not such a big deal seemingly, but on a deeper level, I opened myself up to a new way of life and a new way of connecting with it. I’ve only had the phone for less than a week, but let me tell you, it has definitely revolutionized my life, or at least it feels that way now… Uranus at his best! What are our personal feelings on authority, structure, government, tradition, and parenting (all aspects of the Saturn archetype) and how can we incorporate a new perspective in order to facilitate evolution in these areas? What do we need to let go of in order for this process to move forward? The proximity of this New Moon to these two points in the zodiac creates a super charged New Moon that brings much promise, but just like the biblical edict tells us: Saturn helps those who help themselves.
There is much more to this New Moon, but I cannot begin to share it all here without writing a 5000 word column! If would like to hear or know more, I am always available for personal consultations. For this holiday season, I am offering a special rate of $120 per 75 min session! That’s a 20% discount from my regular pricing. I make a great gift, too, so please consider giving me to someone very special! Email me directly at markspringle@gmail.com for more information or to schedule.
Happy Holidaze!
with love
m
