by Robert Wilkinson
So far we've explored many elements of the general influences of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Today we introduce a re-cap of what's happening, and the larger Spiritual lessons the outer Invisible Triad has been and continues to bring us in terms of specific lessons and influences.
First let's discuss Pluto. In 2007, Pluto danced around the end of Sagittarius, with 29 Sag a key point of focus, helping us all "get in shape." That degree stayed in play as a major hot zone up to now, and its influence will last well into 2009 since it the same degree where Pluto goes stationary direct on September 8-9, 2008. Expect any time a transiting planet crosses through late Mutable signs (Pisces, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius) it will trigger the larger Pluto effect.
In January 2008 Pluto left Sag and entered the unknown zones of 1 and 2 degrees of Capricorn, marking a moment of Cosmic shift. This is a span we haven't experienced in 250 years, mas o menos. It went retrograde at 2 Capricorn on April 2, and gave us a new way of experiencing these early Cap degrees through mid-June, when it re-entered Sag for the last time in this 250 year cycle.
In July-August it retrogrades back through 30-29 Sag, preparing to go direct soon. While retrograde, it has been bringing us feedback from external and subconscious sources about how well we're handling our Pluto purification challenge, and come to awareness of what needs to be adjusted by what's coming to surface.
Now let's discuss Neptune In September 2007, Neptune moved retrograde from 21 to 20 Aquarius, then went stationary direct the last day of October. This degree was a previous station, and has been bringing us all "rewards and gifts from Spirit" since early 2007.
Autumn 2007 it again resumed forward motion, retracing ground from its station May 2007 at 23 Aquarius. The last half of 2007 was a training period of self-induced movement and self-discipline. We were challenged to build adequate "vehicles" so we could demonstrate our spiritual awareness and power in the future, which means NOW into the future. Many found abilities that transcended our previous awareness.
It crossed 23 Aquarius late Feb 2008, and entered virgin territory on a collective consciousness level. It moved forward through 24-25 Aquarius, then went stationary RX in late May 2008 at 25 Aquarius.
Whenever the outers enter a zone they haven't occupied for a whole cycle, it introduces new dimensions of transpersonal experience. This is because Neptune only passes back through any given sign every 150 years, mas o menos. Since Neptune rules the collective consciousness and unconsciousness, it symbolizes the "ocean of consciousness" we all swim within. It show the broader "atmosphere" we're all affected by and dealing with, since we all "live and breathe and have our being" within it.
A brief overview finds that due to things unveiled in 2006, we were challenged in 2007 to rise to some occasion, show strength and a sense of indomitability, using everything at our disposal to deal with "an exaggeration of life-problems" revealing our truth and expanding us. To the degree we did this, we've been reaping rewards from Spirit for moving through crises with courage and strength.
The Solar Eclipse of February 2008 was on the same "unveiling" degree that Neptune activated in 2006. While before it was a vague notion, dream, or ideal, it's now becoming a reality with each transit of 18 Aquarius.
That could mean that a previous thing we dreaded, or an ideal we longed for, is now coming to form, even as transits to 20 Aquarius continue to bring gifts from Spirit. So whatever continues to be unveiled, see it as a prelude to some blessing.
Since March we've been dancing in Neptune's "Unknown zone" of 24-25 Aquarius. We saw the span first in forward motion through May, and RX through the second week of August. This 5+ month span has shown us how and where we can learn or teach deep wisdom on the basis of our experiences, demonstrating dispassion and self-discipline. This is helping us be more volitional, less instinctive in how we approach problems. We are finding "alien ideas" opening choices that will become clearer by early 2009.
In August Neptune re-enters 23 Aquarius, and moves back to its coming 22 Aquarius SD degree mid-September. It will go stationary direct on November 1, 2008, when it again retraces the familiar span of 22-25 Aquarius until March 2009, when it again enters unknown zones.
Now we move on to Uranus. An overview of the Spiritual symbol of revolution, awakening, and individuation shows in 2005-2006 we opened to a new "higher law". We "walked on" and moved into a greater spiritual individuality, opening doors to a new life if we were courageous when moving through ordeals challenging us to stand up for our ideals.
2007 was a rehearsal, and we got positive results from facing our inner fears and becoming willing and able on all levels to move into a larger realm. We had to prove our worth and abilities, and in doing so received rewards, and found techniques of protection and camouflage.
Spring 2007 Uranus helped us feel the source of strength behind and around all manifestations, with potential for inspiration and a "deep, vibrant realization." In silence many found gifts to offer society to fill a collective need.
In May-June 2007 Uranus entered a zone it hadn't occupied for over 80 years, showing we were at a threshold state of discovery, revolution, and individuation. Its RX station at 19 Pisces late June 2007 dominated that Summer, releasing us from old "race" karma. We could understand past and future events with intelligence, synthesizing our previous view of life into forms of Soul energy strengthening us.
Uranus stayed retrograde through November, challenging us to continue to consolidate the awakenings of recent months, internalize them and see how we could become more autonomous, inventive, broad-visioned and connected to the life around you. It then went direct in November 2007 at 15 Piseces, and re-traced its RX span through mid-March 2009.
Still, 19 Pisces has set the theme for 2007 as well as 2008-2009 because Uranus continues to activate this degree. We have been and will continue to be "instructed by our Master," for many months to come. The lesson is by accepting our excellence and effectiveness we can move through unstable imbalances with relative ease. Keep eliminating all that diverges from your special skills that ultimately are leading you to perfect and enjoy your individuality.
Uranus has been in its "Unknown zone" since March and went stationary RX late June. This entire period it has transited 22 and 23 Pisces. March-April 2008 an "ordeal" ended, helping us "gather our medicine" and find spiritual nourishment. This opened new potentials and expanded us so that we could find "success in meeting the challenge of a new order." We began to codify new values and were challenged to hold ourselves to our highest standards.
In May-June, Uranus the Individualizer continued to show the Higher Law of Synthesis pointing us to continue to live this emerging new set of life standards. We should have had successes to confirm our new patterns. From mid-May through early August Uranus moved into its stationary degree, "a materializing medium" summoning "ghostly shapes." This symbolizes our power to command the natural world by understanding and conforming to its laws.
July-August continues to show us how to substantiate our heart's true desire, as well as how we are or are not being true to our new life awakened April-May. This process will be mostly finalized by March 2009, though powers and abilities will continue to reveal themselves through late 2009 into 2010.
Uranus symbolizes our ability to become a true individual. This degree is about displaying at least one of our inner powers in ways that show our mastery of some form of life force. Those who resist individualizing will go passive or feel victimized by life in some way.
If we can cooperate with our immortal potential and give continual attention to what reality we would see made manifest, we will achieve a measure of a clear picture of what results we desire. This is about learning to shape our lives using our Higher sensitivity and cut through confused perspectives.
By all means, please revisit other recent Spiritual Astrology articles, since you'll get a clearer picture of how the planets from Jupiter out to Pluto are showing us a greater view of our lives and affairs. The links are below. Of course, updates will come regularly in the future.
Especially check out Part 2 covering the Grand Irrationality, explaining why things seem so strange during these years. Saturn is about to enter the configuration in a few weeks, so it's important to get ready. In this case, readiness can be found through knowledge, and we understand knowledge bestows both power and the ability to respond, aka "response-ability."
Copyright © 2008 Robert Wilkinson
Hello Robert,
Really enjoy your overview to spiritual astrology.
Feeling like I've been crossing a great desert, conserving all my resources. I am currently riding some tectonic plates in my marriage, and divorce has just been announced by my mate to go with the eclipse effects. If there were no power struggles and inequities in our marriage we would not be here, so I am concerned about "landing well" in full possession of my worth, my home, and want to increase my professional abilities to support myself and my child.
Do you see any successes in the next few months.
My birthday 8/30/1953 Pontiac,MI
Posted by: INANNA | August 18, 2008 at 02:24 PM
Hola Senor,
I am feeling sick....I am starting to see how I have lived my life...is being born on a full moon the reason? Or 5 planets in fixed signs? Needs vs Wants is coming into my conciousness...I NEVER cared about needs...I have been ruled by my "desires"...(Travel-new situations)all my life...like an addict looking for its next "fix"...but for me it was excitement..once the excitement was gone out of anything/person place/thing...so was I...if it was hard...I split. But I guess before you can change anything, you have to know you have a problem. On a positive note...I am noticing changes in other parts of my persona...hopefully the phoenix will rise from the ashes by natal return Full Moon of Nov 15, 08.
:-)
Posted by: wild horse running | August 20, 2008 at 10:21 AM
Hi Inanna - Your second sentence describes the Sun symbol in the past Lunar Eclipse. As for divorce, well, until we find our "twin flame" we will go through many relationships. Hopefully each fulfills old karmas and helps us to our Higher Self. I would think you'll have more than a few "successes" if you follow through on the long term disciplines and sense of purpose that liberated you Summer 2007. We've all escaped from, or are continuing to escape from, "a narrow destiny" as indicated by the Solar Eclipses of 2006-2007. Sometimes we get to keep what we value, other times we must internalize the thing and walk on emptyhanded. Each is affected differently in different times, depending. I'm sure you can increase your professional abilities if you are determined, persevering, and get a plan that works for you. I really think you'll do well in Sept-Oct due to the cluster in Libra, with major developments in 2009 as Jupiter joins Neptune in your Grand Air Trine.
Hola WHR - We live our lives fulfilling old karmic patterns until we choose to change pattern. Then we can generate new patterns which will prove more fulfilling and lead to more happiness than before. The nature of the Soul is to wander eternally in the fields of love and wisdom - that's behind why we ALL want new experiences that lead to our feeling loving and/or wise. We just have to learn that there are shades of these, some higher and some not. then we come out of reflexive behaviors and begin to choose which courses to chart to move toward our Higher Self.
Scorpio loves an ever more intense union with people, feelings, experiences. That's natural. It's being able to move into the value of Sag's open view and infinite possiblities that lead directly to the disciplines of the field of Capricorn that is Scorpio's vision. You're being given a tremendous assistance through Jupiter and Saturn through the end of the year and even beyond. It also helps to remember that Libra is Scorpio's 12 sector, and so the intensity is only dysfunctional when there isn't the proper balance, perspective, or fairness in the view. Even now, moderate your judgment of the being who is no more, and learn to focus on what was good, since it did, after all, bring you to where you're at right now. Glad you're here, and making the passage with integrity. From an Aries with Pluto rising petal to the metal brother who also has gone through hell more than once...
Posted by: Robert | August 20, 2008 at 02:24 PM
Thank you Robert...
your kind words made me feel better. Someone shared with me the possibility of a 30 day "delay"...which would move things into December...(Capricorn)
I am grateful for your uplifting response. :-)
Posted by: Wild Horse Running | August 20, 2008 at 07:56 PM
Hey, Robert,
This energy brought a climax and end to my brothers life on the 11th of August between 2-4 am, he had many planets,4, in Sagittarius, and also a re-appearnce of my mom's cancer. It has been a very sad time.
Posted by: victoria | August 27, 2008 at 02:33 AM
Hi Victoria - My condolences on the loss of your brother and your mother's physical trials. Please remember that no planet causes anything, but do show us the timing on things, some of which are bigger than us and are part of the natural way of the Earth and Her creatures. Your brother checked out when his work here was done, and he's now freed from his troubles.
As I wrote in "Love Dad," the price of love is grief. Where there is love between two beings in this impermanent world, one must leave first. The one left grieves as a function of honoring that love. This is a time when you're learning about unconditional love, and exercising your heart. I'm truly sorry that this time is difficult, but you can become stronger, more loving, wise, and compassionate as a result of the experience. Meditate on sending your brother and mother the highest love energy you can feel at the depth of your being, since it will help guide his Soul to the Buddhic frequencies and will help your mom feel the greater love that surrounds us all.
Posted by: Robert | August 27, 2008 at 08:37 AM
Robert, Thank you, the day he died, Pluto in Sagiatrius retrograde conjunct his natal moon, mercury, Saturn, sun and ceres.
Transiting Saturn, sun in Virgo conjunct his natal Pluto in Virgo,
Transiting chiron, neptune, north node conjunct his natal chiron in Aquarius.
He died a quick death, he feel asleep which he had avoided due to his sleep Apnea, difficulty breathing caused by a massive weight gain due to the abundant drugs prescribed for his adolescent onset schizophrenia.
He had suffered for years trapped in his body by schzophrenia, physical illness, diabetes, high blood pressure, 60-80 lbs of weight gain caused the medications he received.
He had almost died twice last year in 2007/2008 and would not have wanted to die in a hospital restrained.
He packed all of his belonging a few days before he died, he told everyone he would travel, had passport pictures taken so he could cross the border to be with me,, placed all of his items in the garage neatly close and with my items, came into the house, sat down and finally feel asleep, and died.
Beginning august 1, i began to cry continously and could not sleep. I begged siblings to work together to help him and our mother, not to wait until their death, to express their love and concern for him and our mother.
I finally feel asleep during the time of his death, which is approximated to be between 2-4 am.
He died because it was his time. His life long lesson, family poster boy for the ravages of mental illness was complete.
It is fitting that he died first. He could not have survived our mother's death. He had no idea of my plans to bring him with me. He assumed that I was dead because i had left and returned to my home. He told everyone I had died in a car accident.
I do not understand my anger, at my siblings, myself for leaving him.
I understand that he had completed his life, it was time to go and finally be free.
Suggestions? I am praying in every style every night since his passing. The anger comes in waves.
Thanks.
Posted by: victoria | August 29, 2008 at 02:30 PM
Victoria, I am sending you so much compassion. Mental illness is so misunderstood and difficult--and having it or being associated with it can often attract an additional burden of extremely negative social energy, as well. Having lived through supporting my partner in his path through that hell, and in finding some recovery, and having had a bit of a breakdown afterwards, myself, I know the burning pain and rage, the waves that overwhelm...
All I can say is be patient with yourself, and be kind to yourself, and do express those feelings when you can, but only when you are safe and internally ready to do so. Hiding the impact of the abandonment or the shaming of the ill only helps those for whom real life is just "too much" to deal with. It only makes things comfortable for them, at your expense, and at the expense of your beloved family member or friend. You are strong for having stood with him, and you are both teachers. Part of the way I've learned to understand and make sense of this type of illness is in learning to see how there are larger social patterns, much larger than any one of us, that contribute to sustaining illness, rather than helping us collectively find a way back to health. I think the term itself, mental illness, personalizes something that actually exists in relationship with many others. It's a social phenomenon, as well as a brain-centric individual one. The two are difficult to separate, in my experience.
But we don't have to be our patterns in endless repetition, and we don't have to pretend those patterns don't exist in so many families and in so many contexts. We aren't our patterns, or our thoughts, or even, our feelings. They are part of us, but they are not all of us, they pass, and we do endure.
Sorry for the length--I know this is far afield from the motions of the orbs above--but your post touched me, and I just wanted to offer my blessings of support, and light for you.
Posted by: Gemini 14 | August 29, 2008 at 04:28 PM
Thank you so much, your comments help to make sense of what happened.
Posted by: Victoria | August 29, 2008 at 09:37 PM
Hi Victoria - Even though it is "fitting" that he checked out, given his severe multiple handicaps, now your mother is a bereaved parent and my heart goes out to her. She is now a member of "the world's most reluctant club." Even though I'm sure she's relieved at the end of her son's suffering, she's still in a very painful place, since no parent wants their child to predecease them. She needs your loving-kindness now more than ever before in her life, whether she knows it or not or can acknowledge it or not.
Perhaps your siblings just don't have the coping skills. They need compassion, as hard as that may be, since it is truly a case of "forgive them for they know not what they do." Our society doesn't offer classes teaching us the skills we need when our nearest and/or dearest have severe psychological problems stemming from whatever past/present life "cause." All of this creates suffering that must be appropriately grieved or it doesn't get resolved and becomes a burden carried to the grave and therefore into the next life.
That's one reason I wrote "Love, Dad," since it can help the bereaved to grieve whatever must be grieved and learn to become better humans living a greater love and wisdom as a result of the loss. Your anger at your siblings and yourself is understandable. That's one of the masks of grief. We grieve that we didn't do more/better/different hopefully to create a different outcome somehow. We get frustrated the more we imagine we could have/should have done something different. Just remember that if you had foreknowledge and skill you would have used them to do whatever you could have done. That anger comes in waves verifies it is often directly related to grief, since grief in fact does come in waves. They are related expressions, but whether anger is appropriate entirely depends on if it's masking grief. There is healthy anger and unhealthy anger, but that's a discussion beyond this comment stream.
Gemini 14 makes some excellent points. Our society, as well as other societies that mimic this one's "values," do not assist us in understanding those who walk between two worlds. So we label a thousand symptoms as "mental illness" and give them drugs by the ton. Truly the "mentally ill" would not be called that unless society had determined certain symptoms constituted that descriptor. If society found ways to include the phenomenon in sufficiently safe conditions we'd certainly be a more compassionate and understanding society.
I know from personal experience living with a loved one who disintegrated and were given no options except institutionalization, which was refused for reasons I cannot divulge. So out came the drugs and clinical dance which ultimately were not helpful in the least. While I resented the system tremendously at first, I learned that's a useless response. It doesn't care what I feel or think. So I disciplined my mind, heart, and feelings to redirect into more positive ways of doing my Being. Life is painful, but we do not have to suffer one instant longer than we need to. And we can only break the link between pain and suffering through radical compassion, for ourselves, whoever, whatever, remembering we are all part of a vast human drama, at times tragic, at times gloriously triumphant, and often both at once if viewed from the angle of Soul.
I must echo Gemini 14's gentle suggestion to be patient and kind to yourself, and find ways to express your grief in safe settings with those who are gentle with you and as non-judgmental as possible. This is the time to redirect all the unhelpful patterns you can while living in the NOW, loving and breathing and loving and breathing and loving and... each moment. You can open your heart to a greater unconditional love than you've ever known before, since you will never pass this way again, at least in this lifetime. This is truly one of those "life and death moments" that can change a life forever. May you be blessed with a transcendent realization helping you turn anger to compassion, wisdom, and love. Aum.
Posted by: Robert | August 30, 2008 at 03:11 PM
Robert and Gemini 14, thank for you thoughts, words and for suggesting to focus the grief, anger into compassion. The anger surprised and shocked me because I could feel no other emotion beside sadness during the last week.
Our mother is beginning to focus and be concerned with her day to day life, and the 2 puppies who appeared at her front door.
He taught us much. He asked for a chance to be treated without contempt, fear, repulsion. He asked to treated like any other person with emotions, sensations,a sense of humor and sometimes a wide open connection to god.
Posted by: Voctoria | August 31, 2008 at 06:44 PM
Thank you both for sharing your stories. It would be a much better world if we could all learn from your brother, Victoria, as well as from your compassionate response to him. What wonderful timing for the arrival of two puppies for your mother to love and take care of.
Robert, I'm very sad to hear of that experience for you, and am grateful for your words and light, as always. Indeed, the more I learned about so-called mental illness, the more I questioned the so-called sanity of the culture. Perhaps "walking between two worlds" was a profoundly sane response...
Blessings of compassion to all.
Posted by: gemini 14 | August 31, 2008 at 10:26 PM
Robert, Gemini 14
He did walk in two world, thanks for pointing that out, Gemini 14. In any culture, because of what he instinctively new, understood, and felt he would have been a shaman. He was an artist, a poet, a photographer.
I planned to bring him with me in October. Bring him to a gentler, softer culture where he could have walked around and moved without ridicule and fear. Maybe he would have improved. He would have been safe. I will return with some of his ashes, so he will go back with me.
I was gone for 6 months and worried about them constantly.
I would also like to bring my mother, maybe she'll heal.
Thank you both so much. I really appreciate your insight and very kind words.
With love and light.
V
Posted by: Victoria | September 01, 2008 at 02:30 AM
Hi Victoria - Sure. I know the anger of frustration, and the resignation of realizing that the anger couldn't resolve the situation, regardless of how justified it was. It takes time to transmute lower feelings into higher responses, so be gentle with yourself. Definitely don't repress things - work with the sensations and follow them to their inner origins. I'm sure your mom needs your loving kindness more than ever. The puppies may be Spirit's way of helping her refocus her heart energy. There will be times when she needs space, other times companionship. And she will change her mind on many things fairly quickly, so take much in stride since she may change it again and again.
Hi gemini 14 - It IS becoming a better world as we evolve into compassion for those we do not understand and share our stories within our clueless societies. I have found through contemplation that the rather extreme tragedies of my life have served as grist for the mill of Soul, and in my sharing others know they are not alone in their experience. I suppose that's why I've had so many difficult things to go through. I certainly have learned that our cultural values are often way off the mark, and incompetent to address some very real common human issues. I suppose the blessing is that from direct experience we know what works and what doesn't (at least for us), and can learn to be better, more lovingly wise beings as a result of the difficulty. Tragedy forces us to walk the walk, challenges our strength, determination, and willingness to be the best we're able, reminds us not to take things personally (even when it is personal!) and surrender to Divine Wisdom, wherever we can find it. Many of us walk between the worlds of Spirit and Matter - some are just better able to express ourselves in ways that society tolerates or understands.
Posted by: Robert | September 02, 2008 at 05:46 AM
Thank you Robert and Gemini 14.
With love and light, blessings.
Posted by: Victoria | September 09, 2008 at 10:46 PM