Aquarius Papers - Global Astrology

What the 2006 Venus Retrograde in Aquarius and Capricorn Means For Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Caprocorn, Aquarius and Pisces

by Robert Wilkinson

The Venus retrograde happening now through February 3, 2006 offers us many ways to view our Venus function from a different point of view. Besides showing us great opportunities to find a deeper compassion, it also offers us all a chance to review and rethink our vanities, our likes and dislikes, and take a new look at old wounds. It may also trigger remembrances of old relationships and see them from our present maturity rather than continue to hold the image of what used to be. Venus is our inner romantic picture of things, people, and ideas, mirrored out to our world. Its glyph, resembling a hand mirror, shows that it symbolizes our vanities and our self-reflected images of beauty. None of these are a bad thing, but we must revise these from time to time lest we be pursuing images that will no longer satisfy our evolved self and life.

Astrology 2006 for all signs -­ The Year of the Fire Dog

by Robert Wilkinson

Usually what is posted here falls within the realm of “Western Astrology,” i.e., astrology generally derived from the Greco-Roman-Babylonian model established thousands of years ago. Over the years, Western Astrology has greatly evolved beyond its roots in that era, so that most of what we now know to be "Western Astrology" bears zero resemblance to what our ancestors studied and practiced. Every culture has had its form of astrology, and there are also many other types of astrology practiced in our world.

The two most prominent forms of "Eastern Astrology" are Vedic Astrology, derived from the Vedas, ancient Holy books of India, and Chinese Astrology, supposedly the elaboration of the twelve creatures who first made obeisance to the Buddha, indicative of the twelve types of natural human characteristics. Eastern systems are more based in Lunar cycles, whereas Western Astrology has a much different focus and is primarily a Solar based system. However, most systems have 12 “signs” of some sort, and Chinese astrology is no exception. In this article we will elaborate on the Chinese Astrological indicators regarding the quality of the year to come, said to be the year of the Fire Dog which begins January 29, 2006 and ends February 17, 2007.

Mars square Saturn

by Robert Wilkinson

I just got off the road, and the Mars square Saturn equalled a massive airline snafu so that it took me 23 hours from the time I started for the airport on the East coast to the time I actually got home on the West coast, stranded at a remote city in between start and finish. I suppose I should have seen it coming, but my schedule was such that I couldn't leave earlier and didn't want to leave later. Oh well. And TSA airline security was extremely fascist. Now that the odyssey is over, I'll post more on what's coming in 2006 for all signs in the next few days. Happy New Year!

Venus Retrograde - Finding Compassion

Venus just went stationary retrograde today, a great time to begin reflecting on values and relationships. This would include our relationship to money, wealth, and things in general, as well as why we value what we do in our relationships, and whether we're working off of old tapes, old hurts, old attachments, and old aversions in relationships that bear no resemblance to what we're living with today. As I mentioned in a previous article, we have the chance over the next few weeks to be liberated from adverse conditions by forms of "cosmic visitation" that will probably galvanize many into action.

Rudhyar, the New Age, and the Eternal Wisdom Tradition

Today I offer you a new look at an article that has major implications for everyone on Earth. If you follow a spiritual path or wisdom form of any sort, you may want to consider what confronts humanity as we move through one of the heaviest transition periods we've ever known. For your consideration, "Dane Rudhyar, Occultism, Kumaras, Masters of the Wisdom, and the Future of Humanity."

Dealing With Karma

This is a new look at an article of some importance, given that we're all dealing with karma all the time. Karma is very misunderstood, yet if approached as teaching us how to be our Higher Self, then what we have to do and how we have to do it becomes much clearer. Hopefully today's offering can give a new look and a deeper understanding of how to use that which teaches us to vault into a higher head and heart space. For your consideration, a notable reprint, How To Move Through Karmic Storms.

How to Manage Life Changes

Today's post is a very special article written a while ago but you may have missed since it was the very first one when I transitioned to this new and improved website. Originally titled "Life Is A Rhythmic Dance," it is a take on what we learn and why we learn it. You may want to take a second or third look at it in light of what's come down since then, and enjoy learning to dance with life's rhythms since we're all living in an extraordinarily dynamic time. For your edification and enjoyment, Life Is A Rhythmic Dance.

An Astrological Overview for late December and early January 2006 for Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces

by Robert Wilkinson

As we move into the last 10 days of December and face January 2006, I thought I'd offer a brief overview of several factors to take into consideration as we move through this period. Of course, the big news is the Mars square Saturn which will finally culminate on December 27. It is set into extreme motion by the Moon beginning Dec 26, and it will remain in full strength through the New Moon on December 30 at 10 Capricorn coinciding with the Mercury conjunct Pluto on New Year's Eve, a very intense and potentially extreme aspect. Slow down, avoid coercive situations and people, and if in doubt, don't!

Winter Solstice 2005 - Forecast for January, February, and March 2006 affecting all signs

by Robert Wilkinson

The Winter Solstice is the point in the year where the Sun reaches its maximum northward movement, and the days are the shortest of the year. It is a time often celebrated as the true beginning of the year, since after that point the Sun starts moving south in its arc, and the days begin to lengthen for the next 6 months. It marks the beginning of Winter, and it is said that the charts for the Summer and Winter Solstices indicate what we can expect for the 3 months that follow those points in time, just as the Vernal and Autumnal Equinox charts indicate the same. Today we will explore the Solstice chart so that we might understand the larger forces at work the next 90 days for all of us.

Astrology in December 2005 and January 2006 - The Mars, Jupiter, Saturn T-square Challenging Everyone

by Robert Wilkinson

Even though I've done a few posts covering the on-going T-squares and Grand Fixed Crosses, it is important to remember that this pressure is not going away any time soon, and as such is a force majure that we must learn to deal with. There are major lessons shown by this configuration that affect every sign, and for many it is one of the more difficult times in their lives. It is most challenging to Aries, Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces, though Gemini, Cancer, Virgo, and Libra are also affected when their rulers, Moon, Mercury and Venus move into the square zones. It is a time of fragmentation and reconstruction under pressure. This article discusses how best to deal with this time.

The Astrology of Destiny in December 2005 and January 2006 - The Grand Irrationality Continues

by Robert Wilkinson

Lest any of you start thinking that these very weird times are only strange and difficult for you personally, I will remind you that the Grand Irrationality continues. For the new readers of this column, I've been covering this "destiny producing" influence for some time that has racheted up the obsessive and compulsive tendencies all over the world for the past 10 years and will continue for some years to come. It's based in the Neptune septile Pluto, echoing the transpersonal patterns of the 1930s. It is easy to see how the global forces at work in many ways mirror that time of the rise of Fascism and other authoritarian models.

The Full Moon of December 2005 - How It Will Affect All of Us

by Robert Wilkinson

This Full Moon occurs December 15 at 8:15 am PST on the 24 degree Sagittarius-Gemini axis, accenting the SeeSaw configuration we've all been living with for a long time. The good news is that 24 Sagittarius is a degree of happiness, good fortune, and blessings. The Moon, or how the light of the Sun expresses itself, is on a degree of using binding conditions to demonstrate "rhythmic freedom," and the ability to have fun by demonstrating skill in limiting conditions. So we can expect some very good things to come, and will quicken the seeds of our future good fortune by how we deal with binding conditions and how we enjoy ourselves while bringing happiness in the midst of difficulty.

Astrology Stress Zones for December 2005 - Mars stimulating Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces

by Robert Wilkinson

Mars triggers whatever happens of note in our charts. During December 2005, it finally went direct on December 9 at 9 degrees Taurus, promising the ability to "create inner happiness in dark hours," and without doubt relieving the pressure, bogged-down feelings, and general difficulty of the past two and a half months while it's been maddingly slow. The best part of it is that we are all now much stronger than we were not that long ago, and whatever we've been forced to learn in doing our being will yield results much more satisfactory than the results we haven't been getting lately.

December 2005 Overview For All Signs - The Fixed T-square continues and Mercury and Mars go direct as Venus goes retrograde

by Robert Wilkinson

Though I gave you a pretty good overview of many different forces at work on all of us throughout the month of December in this article, I figured I'd try to sum up some other factors as well in today's offering so you can mark a few key points about this month and when to lay low and/or surf the strange shifts and fragmentations we're all going through.

Happy Deathday, Dr. Winston O' Boogie - We miss you

Today is one of the two hardest days of the year for me. Take a moment to remember to cold turkey, gimme some truth in my life oh god, and since it's number 9 dream, it's real love, it won't be long and instant karma's gonna get you. I am the walrus, so anytime at all, regardless of the mind games, in a day in the life all you need is love and give peace a chance on this happy christmas while you're watching the wheels. Thank you John. Wish you were here. Aum and blessings, wherever you are across the universe.

Which Signs Square or Oppose Each Other?

by Robert Wilkinson

It occurred to me that many readers of this column may not know how the signs relate to each other in terms of the squares and oppositions I mentioned yesterday. So, for the expert astrologer, this information may be familiar, but for many, hopefully this will help you see how certain signs relate to each other in your chart and in the sky. The following table will be an easy reference for anyone wishing to understand the particularness and wholeness of the 12 sign system.

Saturn cycles - What it means when it makes a conjunction, square or opposition to planets or the Ascendant

by Robert Wilkinson

When Saturn touches a planet or significant point in the chart, we say that Saturn is conjunct that point. Often when a planet or our Ascendant is conjuncted by Saturn, it leads to feeling depressed, oppressed, or repressed. However, by seeing what is obsolete and methodically and maturely eliminating old structures of doing or experiencing, we can find our way to our true selves, freed from prejudices and traps of fear or limiting behaviors that stifle our Spirit. A Saturn transit is a time when we get clear about who we are and who we aren't.

Sagittarius - Truth-Seeking Independent Fire Spirits

by Robert Wilkinson

December is the month that features the Fire of Sagittarius, though in 2005 we have fewer Sagittarius planets than usual. When the Sun transits Sagittarius we are challenged to open to a wider view, a greater truth, and a more generous attitude regarding future possibilities. This is the sign of the quest, where the abstract mind opens to a higher reality and ideally finds a more abundant sense of humor and perspective. It is the last sign of Autumn and the harvest of our socialized activity from the past year preparing us for personal power and authority in Capricorn.  The light force is at its yearly minimum, so conserve energy and concentrate on what you need to learn.

Gandhi on Non-Violence

From the most remarkable man to walk the Earth in many centuries, a thought from the Mahatma, a.k.a. "Great Spirit:"

In this age of wonders no one will say that a thing or idea is worthless because it is new. To say it is impossible because it is difficult, is again not in consonance with the spirit of the age. Things undreamt of are daily being seen, the impossible is ever becoming possible. We are constantly being astonished these days at the amazing discoveries in the field of violence. But I maintain that far more undreamt of and seemingly impossible discoveries will be made in the field of nonviolence."

December 2005 Astrology - An Overview for Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces

by Robert Wilkinson

This article pulls together other things I've written about the various influences of December. We start with this article giving specifics for each sign in the month of December. Also important is this very extensive article on Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto effect, as well as the Fixed T-squares and Grand Fixed Cross, at this link that are at work on all of us. And there are more! This article covers the October eclipses that are still exerting an influence on all of us for some time to come, with this article specifically focusing on the Lunar eclipse and its present effect. This article covers the fragmentations and how to achieve and maintain equilibrium during this time.

Overcoming the Causes of Suffering - Finding Truth, Speaking Truth

by Robert Wilkinson

From The Magic of Space, part of a commentary that can help us get beyond the unfortunate karmas of erroneous perception and unhelpful thoughts and speech. This nugget is from Chapter 4, "Fear of Inner and Outer Space."

You must learn to discriminate between truth and falsehood, and you must learn to be true in thought, and word, and deed. There are many untrue thoughts in the world, and many superstitions, and one who is enslaved by them cannot make progress. Therefore you must not hold a thought simply because many other people hold it, or because it has been believed for centuries, but must think it through for yourself, and judge for yourself whether it is reasonable. Your thought about other people must also be true, and you must never think things of them that you do not really know to be true.