by Robert Wilkinson
In Part 2 of this Spiritual Astrology series, we will examine different aspects and configurations involving Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, challenging us to bring forth our Higher Spiritual Self as we prepare for unknown zones of experience.
There are very powerful dynamic aspects in January and February 2009 made by various planets to Pluto in Capricorn, Neptune in Aquarius, and Uranus in Pisces.
The run of major aspects begins late January with Venus conjunct Uranus, setting a new year-long cycle of how Venusian people and situations will become more individualized. As this conjunct is also semisquare Jupiter, it will trigger some internal crises setting up future productivity as well as endings.
The importance of this is augmented by the on-going Saturn opposition Uranus (as if we could forget!), now back in full force by late January extending for months to come. This symbolizes the ongoing tension between forces of change and the status quo, between innovation and regressive crystalized approaches.
This began to intensity in September 2008, and will be a major polarizing force between late Virgo and late Pisces areas of our lives through October 2009 as well as in the Spring of 2010. When you're done with this article, you can find out more about how to deal with these energies by checking out Life Skills and Living the Higher Self - Resolving the Saturn in Virgo opposition Uranus in Pisces 2008-2009-2010.
The important element here is that since Jupiter is semisquare Uranus between mid-January and early February, it also simultaneously sesquisquares Saturn, an aspect that aggravates and stimulates in some interactive set-up.
This opposition-semisquare-sesquisquare throws the energies into 6 Leo, challenging us to admire the common ground and special qualities of our differences rather than get into confrontations between two temporary views. This grind will be most stressful for those born late January, late April, late July, and late September, as well as those born mid-March, mid-June, mid-September, and mid-December.
Anyone born during those periods is going through radical restructuring and reorganizing of many elements of life, and agitated to do what must be done to "enter into the unknown," bringing forth integrated elements leading to a larger view and life. If there's an increase in pressure, it's because there are transpersonal energies being focused through that vehicle.
We are all being led to witness what is permanent versus what is temporary. This could show as a "confrontation" between what is current fashion versus what brings forth new future oriented expressions of permanent elements of life.
Frictional aspects from planets to Pluto show us how to release seeds of fundamental purifying energies to be used demonstrating "econonmy of energy." Frictional aspects to Neptune help us release potentials of larger connectedness between us and the collective field in which we live, breathe, and have our being. Frictional aspects to Uranus help us revolutionize and renovate our lives, and individuate our expression to show our genius and unique qualities.
In this time period, we have only one frictional aspect to any of the Outer Triad besides those involving the Saturn opposition Uranus, and that's the Venus square Pluto in early February from 3 Aries to 3 Capricorn. This can release seeds of new feelings, values, and relationships to ourselves and each other. It heralds what we can expect in late March when Mercury and the Sun also square Pluto from Aries at the same time that Venus retrograde squares Pluto again.
It most affects those born in late December, late March, late June, and late September. For everyone, it marks a shift in relationships and shows we must let go of those who obstruct, deflect, or corrode our efforts and our interactions. This aspect helps us recognize and drop extreme, dishonest, obsessive and/or compulsive people in our lives.
If you're wondering if it applies to you, see where you're not getting the results you want, or where you're getting lost in loose ends. We can also end tapes in our subconsciousness from people who were like this in our past, and end patterns of liking that which undermines our efforts to capture what is pleasing to us.
The first square in early February will show us a larger life on the way that will require we do some introspection work in March and April when Venus is RX. This relates directly to what will be set into motion in late April when Venus and Mars conjunct first in late Pisces and commence their dance through Aries and Taurus in May and June.
Look at early February as a trial urging us to get out beyond the known and familiar as a result of the major reorienting decisions we made in 2008. This augurs the dawning of a new day, revealing a completely changed world. This begins the embodiment of new ideals, new images, new standards, and new icons on the world stage that will be solidified by early May.
Also of note is that Mercury goes stationary retrograde at 8 Aquarius, a degree that will be highly stimulated by Jupiter and Mars in February. This degree is an important point in the near future, since it's a threshold degree for what the "Guide of Souls" is showing us we'll be dealing with for a while. You can find out more about this by going to the article, Mercury Retrograde in Aquarius and Capricorn in January 2009, Part 1 - Signals of A Rapidly Approaching Future Launching in February.
Why this is important in this article is because it is the exact semisquare point to Uranus' stationary RX point from May 2008, it's own threshold point we've been dealing with since then. Uranus again makes this semisquare in March-April 2009, and again from late September 2009 through February 2010. Because this Mercury degree is exactly semisquare, we can surmise that there will be the inner crises I mentioned earlier.
In February, The Grand Irrationality is back full tilt boogie as Saturn re-enters its biseptile with Pluto and triseptile with Neptune, with the Sun vitalizing this long wave "fork in the road of destiny" for our planet and the human race. This will activate critical energies in the second week of the month that will show as major choices and changes that we'll confront in early March wherever these critical "non-rational" zones of influence fall. The next article in this series will cover when the Grand Irrationality will be triggered in this time period.
As I have noted in other articles, the Sun, Mercury, and Venus each trigger the Grand Irrationality 7 times a year. Venus triggered it in late December, and will again along with Mercury and Mars in early March. The Mercury and Mars activations will be very important indicators for what we'll be experiencing through Jupiter's "light of experience" beginning May-June 2009 and becoming very intensified by July and August 2009 when 5 or 6 of the 7 pointed Great Septile Star will be active.
These periods when The Grand Irrationality is activated get fairly wired and edgy, and people are stranger than usual, making crucial decisions whether they realize it or not. It's the obsessive-compulsive factors in people that make these times most difficult, since things make less sense than usual, which makes almost no sense at all. You can find out more about how to gracefully move through these regularly recurring periods at How To Deal With The General Weirdness of The Grand Irrationality.
Also of importance is the Solar Eclipse of January 25-26, 2009, at 7 degrees of Aquarius, as it makes a wide but significant conjunction to Neptune and close conjunction to the Mercury stationary RX point. While I'll compose extensively on that Eclipse in the near future, expect the emergence of "new mutations" emerging from Cosmos. We shall see the power of unrealized potential begin to emerge as social-cultural ideals freed from the inertia of local conditions and past circumstances.
AND it's the beginning of the Year of the Earth Ox in Chinese Astrology. Again, more to come soon!
Tomorrow we'll explore the zones of the Grand Irrationality in this time period, and after that article, there will be one on how the outer planets are affecting each individual sign.
Copyright © 2009 Robert Wilkinson

There is nothing wrong with your numerology coments. perfect.
Posted by: Alhaji Gariba Sidique | January 12, 2009 at 07:08 AM
Hi Robert,
Thanks so much for supporting us all with the info and inspiration you give.
I wonder if you could guide me: I have Neptune at 7 Scorpio in the 8th house, which degree will square the Jan 25 solar eclipse at 7 Aquarius. what does it mean for me? I am sun in Taurus 1 and Pisces rising.
many thanks!
Posted by: NS | January 12, 2009 at 08:18 AM
Interesting that the solar eclipse will be conjunct my venus but square my jupiter (Scorpio). I'm guessing new friends that will launch me into a more heightened sense of transformation? Although my venus is Rx so the outcome of that could be frayed.
Posted by: Damien | January 12, 2009 at 09:36 PM
Hi Alhaji - Thanks for confirming the accuracy of my specifics.
Hi NS - You're most welcome. It would indicate that elements of your old Neptune function will be blocked, while higher elements can be released. Keep it simple and loving as you get clearer about what roles you want to play in your world, overcome timidity, and move into more interesting life expressions. There will be other manifestations, but more than this is beyond a comment stream.
Hi Damien - Old Venusian responses will be shut down, releasing new opportunities to expand along Venus and Jupiter lines. Friends and group work could very well show you the way to greater values, likes and relationships freed from old suspicions and tendencies to settle for less than the best. Life should present opportunities for you to grow into a greater service as long as you keep the initiative in your own hands and are willing to express yourself in more ideal ways.
Posted by: Robert | January 13, 2009 at 10:25 AM
Hi - I've only studied astrology briefly and would like to understand transits a bit better. My question is, when a planet is transiting - say Aquarius at 10 degrees - but my 5th house Aquarius cusp states 21 degrees - does it mean that it's actually transiting my 4th house of Capricorn? Would love the answer to this.
Thanks.
Lana
Posted by: Lana Whitney | January 29, 2009 at 09:04 PM
Hi Lana - In your case, your 4th house begins at whatever degree of Capricorn. A planet after that degree enters your 4th, and is in that house until it crosses the zone around 21 Aquarius when it moves into your 5th. So Jupiter and Mars both entered your 4th when they went past the degree on your 4th house cusp, and will stay in the 4th until they get near 21 Aquarius, when they'll begin to move into your 5th. Depending on where your Ascendant is, drawing Equal House cusps from that degree may or may not alter your 5th cusp. That's why I use zones of transition between the non-angular houses. I've written some articles on that if you're interested. Site google "house cusps" if you want to know more.
Posted by: Robert | January 30, 2009 at 07:49 AM
Thanks so much for clearing that up - I can make more sense of my chart now. I will definitely read the article on house cusps.
One more irritant because I don't know, is about the nodes. My north node is in Leo and south in Aquarius. My ex-husband's is the opposite. Does it mean we were coming from diffent places as far as lessons/karma etc goes?
Last question, I promise!
Lana.
Posted by: Lana Whitney | January 31, 2009 at 12:46 AM
Hi Lana - Yes. Your line of greatest development is his line of least resistance, and vise-versa. He learns from things that are already familiar to you, and you learn from things he has little or nothing to learn from. You grow through personal love and demonstrate that through impersonal love. He learns from impersonal love and demonstrates that through personal love. In some respects, you both learn more from life than each other.
Posted by: Robert | February 04, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Hi Robert
I'm curious about babies born at the 29th degree of Pisces, since this is the "end" of the zodiac cycle. Have they completed their karmic journey to earth or do they start all over again?
Just wondering.
Thanks
Lana Whitney
Posted by: Lana Whitney | April 25, 2009 at 07:31 PM
Hi Lana - No one ever completes their karmic journey on Earth until they become Mahajivanmuktas. Then they neither are born nor do they die. At Jivanmukta, one can put on or drop a physical body at will, fully developed from particles of light. They are freed from birth, but not from Life on Earth, since even fully enlightened Beings are on the Path of Earth Service until the Self-realization process awakens an even greater Knowledge and Service, as it did with the Buddha, for one example. Then an even higher Path opens.
This being is completing a cycle of incarnation lessons, but there's always the next Spiritual Mountain to climb, and a higher spiral to traverse! This Pisces will become a progressed Aries when young, and move into progressed Sun in Taurus at a fairly young age. While this means many things, one of them is that though ruled by Jupiter, they will also come to know Mars and Venus intimately before they're all that old.
Posted by: Robert | April 26, 2009 at 11:41 AM