Major Irrationality in January 2008 - Forks in the Road of Personality Choices

by Robert Wilkinson

A brief note before I begin composing the Spiritual Astrology series for January-February 2008 where you'll find more on the Grand Irrationality at work. For the past few days, and right now, a major configuration is precipitating choices and changes in our lives. Many people are breaking up or coming together and leaving or starting jobs or other new initiatives. If you've noticed any obsessive compulsive behaviors showing up in you or in another, it's due to a powerful nonrational formation involving the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Uranus making for some volatile shifts.

Since it only lasts a few days and is already waning in influence, we're through the thick of the storm. However, the Moon in Sag today is triggering it again, bringing final focus to what started around Dec 31 and Jan 1 when the Moon was in the Libra zone. This configuration should help to explain any recent strange shifts in our lives, of which I've noted quite a few, both in my own as well as in the lives of my friends, loved ones, and clients. This is occurring simultaneously with the Grand Irrationality, thus the weirdness has been triggered more often than usual in recent days.

Right now, Mercury is 25 degrees Capricorn, Venus is 5 degrees Sagittarius, Mars is 29 Gemini, and Uranus is 16 Pisces. Thus we've had 4 points of a seven-pointed Star, or Great Septile, at work the past few days (5 at New Years' Eve and Day!) Mercury is septile Venus, triseptile Mars, and septile Uranus. Venus is triseptile Mars and biseptile Uranus, while Mars is biseptile Uranus.

Therefore the "hot zones" of this configuration involve 24-26 Capricorn, 15-17 Pisces, 6-8 Taurus, 29-30 Gemini, 19-21 Leo, 10-12 Libra, and 3-5 Sagittarius. Any planets we have in these spans were just put through and/or are going through major shifts and different ways of showing themselves. It's been triggered at least four times a day whenever the Ascendant or Midheaven transited one of these zones, and definitely has had major effects for those whose birthdays fall around mid-January, March 4-7, the last four days of April, June 18-21, August 11-14, October 2-5, and November 24-27.

It is triggering major shifts in many generations. If you're wondering why some heavy things have come down recently, chalk it up to these personality planets configuring with your Transpersonal planets, symbolizing your higher Spiritual individuation, sense of the collective, and longwave transformational process. For instance, those born late 1949, Aug 1950-Sep 1952, Sep 1975-Aug 1977, the first half of 1996, and Oct 1996-Nov 1997 are all feeling it through their Pluto, thus setting some major purifications and seeds of future growth and power into motion.

Those born late 1945-early 1946, Oct 1946-Sep 1948, the first half of 1971, Nov 1971-Dec 1972, May-Oct 1973, Feb-Jul 1994, Jan 1995-Feb 1996, and the last half of 1996 are all experiencing it through their Neptune. Those with Uranus being triggered at this time include those born July-Dec 1948, Apr-Jun 1949, Feb-Apr 1950, Aug 1959-July 1960, Apr-May 1961, Sep 1970-Nov 1970, Mar 1971-Sep 1971, Dec 1981-Jun 1982, Sep 1982-Dec 1982, Jun-Oct 1983, Apr-May 1993, and Jan 1994-Jan 1995.

Please take careful notice if you are one of many with Saturn in one of these 7 zones. If this applies to you, welcome to a shift in your personality and a fork in the road of your sense of purpose, duty, limitation, and destiny. The choices and responses you're making now will affect your life for quite some time to come.

As it has involved or still involves the rulers of Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Virgo, Libra, and Scorpio, along with the Spiritual ruler of Capricorn and Aquarius, no doubt you've seen some heavy action in these areas, as well as the sectors of the ego involving Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars, all major components of our personality. Given the planets fall in Sagittarius, Capricorn, Pisces, and Gemini, you can see that at least 11 signs are involved. Thus we're all moving through this time hitting important forks in the road of our lives across almost ALL of our total experience, whether we know it or not, or whether it involves us or someone else we know.

This configuration is already passing so it won't be strong much longer, at least in these specific degree spans. That said, Mercury will continue to be in septile with Venus for awhile since Mercury is slowing down, and Mars will also continue to biseptile Uranus for a few more days, eventually moving into a 98 degree aspect for about 6 weeks before again making the biseptile in early March. That period will be especially potent since Sun will conjunct Uranus in this particular irrationality span, thus triggering the Sun biseptile Mars, always a very potent aspect lasting a week or more.

Of note is that in mid-January the Sun will triseptile Mars just before it septiles Uranus, again triggering this configuration. What Mercury is heralding now and in the recent past will become more a part of our lives in mid-January, so heed recent signs and signals and make preparations accordingly.

Just after that Mercury conjuncts Neptune and Venus conjuncts Pluto triggering the Grand Irrationality, setting off even more critical choices and changes along the generic lines we've all been living with for over 12 years. As I said earlier, I'll address this configuration associated with the on-going weirdness in the very near future, so hang in there, ride the waves of change and strange, and remember that flexibility is a virtue in an Age in Transition.

© Copyright 2008 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[hitchhiker72]

Happy New Year, Robert! And thanks as always for making sense of a very weird time.

I'm one of those that's moving on. Just found out I start a new job in April, winding down a long 12 year cycle (Jupiter-Pluto), and pointing towards a new one.

I look forward to navigating through 2008 with you. Thank you very much!

[Lainie]

Robert, as always, very helpful . . .Jan 1 was an extremely obsessive-compulsive day for me, swept into an old vortex just as I was aiming for a new start. All in all a very strange week, hard to stay balanced. So, thank you for wise words.
Wishing for a very wonderful year for you!

[Mary]

Robert Thanks again for the New Year's information. My son a virgo just came home from a sudden unexpected shift in his girl friend's take on their relationship. Needless to say he is heartbroken that she was so committed to being a playmate, while he wanted to propose marriage... This irrationality has got to wind down soon.....

[TrumansCat]

Hello Robert.
Whew!
For me the New Year & the time prior has been disruptive & a return to seriously outmoded behaviours. Had a family reunion with my 3 brothers from all corners of Oz & it developed into a return to our old ways of operating, such a challenge!
It has given me the opportunity to reassess but not sure what yet! :~)
Can you give me some clues? Saturn 16 Pisces 37 12th House.
Jules.

[Dinnah Pladott]

Dear Robert,

I have applied your Solstice Ritual to a New Year ritual.

I posted it - with warm acknowledgment to you, and to the guidance you provided during the last couple of years.

It appears just before New Year Eve, as 'Celebrating Endings and Beginnings,' on my blog: http://maximizesuccess.blogspot.com .
Then I carried the rite out, and something transformative happened.

I report it on my blog on New Year Day, 'Releasing the Old, Attracting and Inviting the New'.

I will be thrilled if you could visit my blog, and read both reports.
There is magic there.

I am grateful for the gift you have given me, and to my readers through me. Thanks for the Light (n), the light (adj) and the lightness that you are bringing into my life.

May you get it back a thousand fold.

Dinnah Pladott

[Damien]

The winter cold here in the Colorado Rockies has been ADVERSELY affecting me psychologically and emotionally, i'm wondering if that has to do with this grand conjunction in IRRATIONALITY that you're referring to...also with the GREAT desire to get out of my current housing situation immediately to ASAP. This coincides with an increased sensitivity to just about EVERYTHING in my world since September of '06. Also, i'm wondering why there's so much Scorpio energy around me right now. Especially coming from those corners with people with Scorpio rising who are really trying to take me apart and dominate me. :/ 1/7/82 Fullerton, CA 2:09pm just for the record!!! ;)

Thanks

[Damien]

hah, not to mention i'm entering another one of those (rut-like?) periods when getting a job is that much closer to tying myself to a sinking ship.

[AceStar]

hi Robert! i completely agree with your artcile ... for past 4 days things r really strange and i was thinking maybe its because of Mars-Pluto opposition but u mention it right! thanks :)
i feel a change in my personality and u r right my Saturn is in that zone i feel very serious in life these past few days.. hope we all get through well :)
take care brother

good luck

[Richard]

Robert, My bipolar ex-boss called me about the 29th about something I said to a client in September. I no longer work for him, so I would not put up with his yelling and beating me down any more and kept yelling back and interupting him until I had made my point and I told him so - I was no longer putting up with his bullying. He asked another employee to interview me about things he could improve, so I refused but wrote him back direct and told him we could dance all around the many incidents but the totality of the environment was that he NEVER EVER LISTENED.

I put an exclamation point on it and have refused to communicate with him since.

It is over. I feel good.

[Henry]

Still amazed to hang to conclusions but YES, January -and the New Year- has started with some things that were "weird" going radically "mad".
Great surprise to read on this when I was asking myself exactly on this, like some people I know and that are interrelated in a common scenario.
Great job, Robert!. This Grand Irrationality is like a never-ending fog...

[Micheline]

well I am okay, i just spend the last few days hibernating, in Japan they dont work for three days straight from the first to the third, thank goooooooodddddd, i know i want to go somewhere new, but i just can not make up my mind, i am not sure Canada is the right place for me right now, but otherwise my life is fine, especially because i have been actually able to finish projects and start to study new things, (I dont think I have any planets in the hot zones, though I i have to recheck....but my friends are a bit crazy....
i had a little movie/dinner, i made dinner, and trying to watch the movie, no one except for my friend Lawrence who kept quiet as a monk, I was trying to get the girls to stop making commentaries on the movie, we were watching a Tony Gatliff Movie, Transylvania.....Our Russian friend kept making comments on Stanislavsky, it was poetically funny.....i have to watch the movie again....hahahaha so i can get the film....phewwww....i did notice though that people on the street where a bit weird, grumpier then usual, and i looked at some people and thought i could feel them in some way, and felt a bit sad for them...
my saturn is in aquarius at 29 d, the only plant might be chiron at 15 pisces but not sure yet how that is panning out but of course that planet opposes mars and uranus and maybe even pluto i have to check, i have all three in virgo
but i am feeling my venus on my sun right so i am feeling pretty easy going....

[Shireen]

I was waiting in anticipation for your words for a few days now, as it was so obvious that 'something' is going on.... :-)

I have been going through a huge shift is my emotions and also started to write a blog (and yes, of course I have a link to your wonderful site)...

I have a question and hope you could give me some insight as to what would it mean for somebody having their Venus Return on the 10th of January this year? It's not mine. (thank god!)

the direct link to the map: http://www.astro.com/cgi/chart.cgi?cid=fegfileIcjYGB-u1114783510&lang=e&gm=a1&nhor=28936228&nho2=28936228&btyp=2&mth=gw&sday=5&smon=1&syr=2008&hsy=-1&zod=&orbp=&rs=0&add=18&add=19&add=20&add=12&add=14&ast=

I'd appreciate anything... Ta

[Shireen]

sorry about the state of the link in the above comment... try this one instead:
http://venusreturn.notlong.com

[christine k]

The short version:

Your site, as always, is so helpful Robert. And I have a question: If everybody is going crazy together, do they prevent eachother from going as crazy as they might if left to their own devices?

Background:

I wish I could just deal with my own irrational compulsions right now. I've been playing host to my mother the past couple of weeks and I'm stuck between the contrasting (maybe they aren't contrasting) energies of her and my husband who's been on vacation for the same two weeks. All three of us here, in the house together. We must be good surfers because so far nothing has degenerated into anything unmanageable. But then there's this Sagittarius energy today, and I am a Sagittarius, and we're adding to the mix by having friends over for dinner tonight.

[Robert]

Hi hitchhiker72 - Well, it sure has seemed stranger than usual, so I went poking around the cosmos and sure 'nuff.... Good time for new work with the Earth trine. Glad you're on board the space-time ship.

Hi Lainie - Good that you knew it to be a challenge to stay balanced. That's always useful for self development, since it's a chance to transmute unhelpful responses into good ones through practice. Thanks for your wishes and appreciation. Happy New Year to you as well.

Hi Mary - Well, "breaking up, breaking down, and breaking through" seems to be the song of the season. Your son will survive this loss and find one who could be his friend, help mate, and maybe even wife. Everyone's got to have their heart broken at least once to know what love is and is not, and the heart is a muscle that grows through exercise. Sometimes we exercise to where it hurts, but we're always stronger as a result.

Hi TrumansCat - Disruption? Nawwww. We only had Sun conjunct Jupiter and Pluto opposition Mars RX! This RX has definitely brought up old behaviors in many, as well as challenged us to move everything into the present leaving the past behind as soon as possible. Especially when family systems continue to assume roles one hasn't played for many decades! ;-) Your sense of duty, as well as willingness to be limited, is being revolutionized by Uranus. By March things will be much more stable as the planets move through Pisces followed by a Jupiter sextile and then Mars trine your Saturn. You should be living a unique or specialized form of your purpose very soon.

Hi Dinnah - Will certainly go over and check out your blog. Thanks for your willingness and your efforts to bring forth a demonstration from Spirit, as well as your kind words about the work here.

Hi Damien - Well, I know I am affected by how much or little Sun there is, so it's possible you could also be affected that way. And yes, the current irrational pressure could be a factor in why you have a greater desire than usual to affect change. There are probably other factors shown by your progressions for your increased sensitivity these past 16 months as well as the Scorpio people (who no doubt are going through their own changes due to their worldly ruler Mars being RX opposed their Spiritual ruler Pluto!) You'll do fine this year with Jupiter on your Sun, which is more like a rocket ship than a sinking ship!

Hi AceStar - Yes, well, it's always good to know the times when the whirlwind swirls around us so we don't have to get caught in the general chaos! You're right re: Mars RX opposition Pluto generally agitating and exaggerating everything to extremes. With Saturn in the zone, you're moving toward your true Higher expression of Being by either moving beyond old chains or finding new authorship born of your direct experience. Serious is good as long as we remember to have a sense of humor when it's needed! ;-) Am taking care as best as I can...

Hi Richard - Thanks for checking in. Glad to know you're on track and the ex boss is more in your rearview mirror than in your face, since it sounds like he wanted to argue with a man who no longer lives in your body. With your chart, it's probably good you had to practice standing up to a bully. And your response that he doesn't listen is also probably the best thing you could tell someone like that. Something comes to mind in the I Ching about trying to communicate with someone as dense as a pig or a fish... Glad it's over. Happy New Year and life.

Hi Henry - Well, we ARE in a long term collective fog bank, and sometimes it's so thick it's hard to see which way to steer, or whether just to drop anchor for awhile. I'll just be glad when this weird world wide spell passes in a few years.

Hi Micheline - 3 days off? We should adopt that here! Now that Mars is speeding up, we should be able to accomplish more than we have been the past few weeks. As for generic grumpiness, well, it is January and the credit card bills for Christmas will be coming due fairly soon. Venus on the Sun is almost always pleasant. Open to being shown the next step in your work, and I have no doubt you'll stay or go into the right thing.

Hi Shireen - Glad this helps explain things. Will check out your blog. The eclipse on a person's Venus will shut down an old Venus set of functions, as a prelude to new ones coming forth. Could be the end of an old superficiality, vanity, value, seduction, or affection. It all depends on whether the person is functioning productively or destructively regarding that "planetary duality." Site google that phrase and you'll be taken to an article which explains the various planetary functions. These determine whether our experience leads to suffering or fulfillment or both.

Hi Christine - That's why the Sangha, or community, is one of the "refuges from suffering." If we all can support each other's sanity in an insane situation, then we don't have to fall prey to confusion. We are stronger and smarter together than we are separately. Just to examine your behavior IS dealing with compulsions. Good that so many complex energies could coexist together without a meltdown, family systems being what they are. And friends are always a good thing, since they take the energies outside preexisting local conditions and open the field to more global energies.

[Damien]

Robert you're definitely one of the most lucid philosophers of our time. When I get the scrilla i'm definitely scheduling a full reading.

<3

[Micheline]

Robert Japan has no Christmas holidays. Well, actually they get the Emperors birthday off. If it falls on a weekend then they get the monday off and can go to palace and watch him wave at his subjects. It is bizzzaaarreeeeee......
well, they dont close everything, just on the first everything is closed except for the convenience stores, but small business usually stay closed for the whole three days.....
don't think. the kids get two weeks off (winter vacation)
don't americans and canadians get a couple of weeks off from the office ????
hmmm
i forget i have not lived in north america now for more then ten years

[Molly]

What about those with birthdays from 1920's to 1945? certainly these slow moving planets affect them - especially those in their 80s with a Uranus return and Pluto approaching an opposite to their natal Pluto. But I suppose that's a whole 'nother book! These folks are mostly likely the parents of your audience, but some of that generation may be reading your articles as well.

[Ro]

Robert, thank you for being as generous as you are here. Yes, sangha is about right.

I'm reluctant to ask you as you must have so little time to respond to us all, but: the grand irrationality makes such sense of everything now. Thank you. V relevant. And still: for me I've transiting Pluto exactly square natal sun, square natal Venus (wide orb), and transiting Neptune trine natal Merc/Neptune conjunct, and sextile natal Moon.

The Pluto stuff is a really deep rollercoaster, of course, and I'm hanging on JUST this side of sanity, in danger of falling off. Any advice?

Metta and warm wishes

[Venus™]

Robert,
I have been reading your articles on this site, since about Feb. '07. The headline "Grand Irrationality" is what caught my attention.
I have gone 2 Hell and back literally since Jan. '06. I have had a complete transformation of mind and soul: (Saturn Return; Pluto opp Sun; Pluto conj Moon)... Tell me about Grand Irrationality!! I left my job, moved 2 Cali. - moved back 2 Baltimore, was in a triangle relationship. I Loss Everything in order 2 gain so much!
I no longer have the same friends, nor family. I read, I need solitude and time 2 think and I no longer like to watch tv. I have been my own teacher. I understand theories, universal laws and priciples, symbols, numbers... But I have never before. It almost feels as if the Universe is preparing me for something. At times it's so frightening... Just want 2 be "normal" again, but I no its no turning back! My intuition and physic senses has increased tremendously.
I could go on and on, it feels like a release right now, just to let this out, but I know its a Blog, and I have 2 keep it short. Thanks for listening. I appreciate your site. When so much is confusing.
My DOB - 06/19/78 Baltimore, MD
Sun Gemini
Moon Sagittarius
Neptune Sagittarius
Mars Virgo
Venus Leo
Saturn Leo
Mercury Cancer
Jupiter Cancer
Uranus Scorpio
Pluto Libra
North Node Libra

"LuvIzLuv"

[Robert]

Hi Damien - Well, being a philosopher has its rewards and difficulties, but it certainly keeps me on my toes and open-minded, since one must keep learning at all times. Whenever you're ready to take control of the keys of your spaceship, let me know....

Hi Micheline - No wonder Japan has such a high burnout rate (unlike Europe, where many work far less than 40 hours a week and maintain high productivity!) We are not meant to work without respite, since to be human is to celebrate, to feel, and to need to regenerate our magnetism from time to time. Some places offer as much as two weeks off at holiday season, while other businesses only give a few days off. It all depends on the business and whether a Scrooge is running it.

Hi Molly - When I have time I try to include my parent's generations in these types of analyses, but this time I just didn't have the extra time to include those generations.

Hi Ro - Find self confidence in the midst of the outer turmoil, use deep insights and self discipline to express your light and integrity, and begin to eliminate the relationships that are deflecting you from getting what you want out of life. Let go of ego obsessions, detach from going to extremes, allow Neptune to teach you how to flow within the larger collective tides without losing your bearings, and learn all you can about how the subconscious works. "The Wisdom of Florence Scovel Shinn" would be a good mental reminder, especially "The Game of Life" section of that work. Though things can get very weird these days, we always have the power to steer our boat where we will and not get caught in the rocks or roots of random chance.

Hi Venus - Well, we've ALL been liberated from "a narrow destiny" since late 2006, so it doesn't surprise me that many things will have ended in your life. At least you're clearer about what you can and cannot live with! Time and patience will help you restructure your Mars this year, with some beneficial effects for diligence not that many weeks down the road.

[Damien]

HAHA!!! My Spaceship... ;)

[Ro]

Once again, thank you for your wisdom, Robert, and for taking time. Good advice and helpful reminders.

I should have added that Pluto is my chart ruler, and does seem to be omnipresent in my life, esp at the moment.

I'm thinking about it mythologically, and thinking of Persephone and what it means to eat the pomegranate seeds that ensure that one spends 6 months of each year in Pluto's underworld - do we have a choice? Are the seeds necessary? How do we recognise them? Etc etc. Your words are grist to the mill.

With warmth from the ice-fire realm!

Ro

[Shireen]

As always Robert you are as encrypting as usual. I read the article about the Planetary duality, and still couldn't make a decision as to what I feel about the above Venus Rx chart...

You speak in that article about the way each planet is expressed, but what determines which way we go?

Does it sometimes happen that the universe gives the native no choice? I mean - sometimes the effects from the planets in transit put so much pressure and give a punch after a punch and no room for staying as we were. And I don't mean one particular transit, I mean several that come one after another. We then just must change our inner selves and therefore our external world changes accordingly. Are there people that are able to stop this changes from happening?

(And it's all something we chose before we came here! How precise is the world! If I was only born 2 days later or even in a different hour - my whole life would have been different! I chose to go through what I am going through now before I was born! I chose that when I will reach a certain age the planets will start putting such a mighty force on me that I will have no choice but to change.. I love that thought. It somehow gives me comfort to know it's all part of a big picture.)

And do you think or know from your experiences that some traits in the birth chart just never materialize? Let's say that this most mundane woman I know has Uranus conjunct her Sun in her natal chart and there is absolutely no sign of that in the way she is ATM. Is it possible that something like that will always stay dormant? Are there things in a natal chart that can always stay dormant?

Basically theses are all the same question - are there people that transits or traits in their natal chart don't affect them? Do we have a choice as to how a certain trait or transit affect us?

[Robert]

Hi Ro - Your comment and the one following are already subjects for future posts. All Scorpios and Aries have two rulers: Mars in this world, and Pluto in the invisible. Both are rulers simultaneously. As one whose chart is totally dominated by both, I don't believe I had much "choice" when it was time to be shipwrecked in hell, other than the choices of how I was going to deal with it at various stages of the process. Just as the Sun shines brighter in the Southern Hemisphere at this time of the year, so it will dim there when it's brightest and strongest here in the North. All beings must go down to foundations, the "underworld," and/or subconsciousness from time to time to repotentialize the growth process. It was "eating the seeds" that caused this process. Seeds are ruled by Pluto, since Pluto holds the "seed patterns" that assure the return to life follows its holographic encoding. As I said, I'll continue this at a later date on the front page.

Hi Shireen - Free will determines everything except when and where we were born and the timing on events that precipitate choices. Sometimes the only choice is to submit to circumstances and learn as much as you can while not making things worse. There are those who maintain their stance unto death, so though there is "no room for staying as we were," a being may choose to check out rather than adapt. We cannot stop change, since change has nothing to do with our resistance except within us. Change is inexorable and the way the 1st Human Truth manifests, i.e., "All forms pass away." As for traits, they always show up in one form or another, though they may be extremely limited. Also, we may not be perceiving the trait, since we look and find according to our metaphors, while another may be living completely different ones. We always have the power to choose how traits and transits affect us. This also will be the subject of an article down the road apiece.

[Shireen]

Thank you Robert. I had a feeling from looking around that some people manage to resist even the strongest affecting transits.

I see these as opportunity to become more my true inner-self and therefore be more true to my soul and by that, have the most fulfilling time on this planet.

Because my belief is that the first and worst sin a man can live-by here is not to be loyal to his true inner self.

I can only guess and never be totally sure what is right for anybody else and the only thing I can feel stronger than any other person on earth is what is right for me! And if we become as faithful to our inner selves as we possibly can, the world will be a much more harmonic place.

Because we will all be driven by our souls and not by fears and pressure from guilt, other people and such... And more and more people will be living the true life experiences that they came here to feel.

I'd better stop now :-) Thanks again....

[kathy]

Very wierd New Year for me,(March 10 Pisces 1963)felt very upside down and undecided about things,big decision on where to base the family for the next few years. Yet new insights looming in and lot of new opportunity.
Partener a different person(Leo 1960)

[Robert]

Hi Kathy - It was a very weird New Year's for many I know. As a Pisces, you're probably going to do well the next few years as long as you know when to shift with the tides and enjoy the ride.

[victoria]

i repeat to myself the passage from the tibetan book of the dead, I will allow myself to see the demons in front of me and know that they are the projections of my mind."
I pack with energy today in preparation for my deparure very early saturday morning, the 12th, knowing that i am undecided, and that nothing last forever. thank you.

[Miranda]

This is very interesting, I read the above and then took a look at your article on the Grand Irrationality. Fascinating, thank you for your insights!

My assumption has always been that people aren't so much getting weirder as that we are noticing it more. And because we are shining the spotlight on individuals, ourselves and others, we more clearly compare and define the old obsessive/compulsive behaviours that once upon a time we didn't have words to analyse. Your premis that the Grand Irrationality is occuring more, as opposed to being more distinctly defined by greater powers of observation, is something I will have to think hard about.

I have been looking for a reason as to why since September things have been getting harder and harder, to the point of breaking, and it hasn't relented in 2008! Certainly obsession has reared its ugly head and while my birthchart misses the above flashpoints, what I have at the moment is saturn, having just left conjunction with venus and uranus in leo, transiting my natal pluto in virgo in the third house, grinding mind and heart into powder!

I gather that the way to deal with this is to focus on work and power issues, concentrate on achievement... however, obsession/emotional overload is very irrational and at this point extremely powerful. Self doubt and doubt of cherished belief systems has come to the fore, broken faith and lack of trust, vulnerability and old hurts, all there, and to some extent, some seem unsolveable. What is one to do about them? If one is irrational, all one can do is cry and topple quickly, if one is rational, one disintegrates more slowly. What's the way to deal with this? Is there a constructive side?

Thank you for any light you can shed.

[Robert]

Hi Miranda - We are noticing it more AND it's definitely weirder in the collective field, due to humanity being at a collective fork in the road. It's something that's ongoing, and becomes weaker or stronger due to other planets configuring with Neptune and Pluto. Thus we get an acute focus 7 times each month, and 21 times each year as Sun, Mercury, and Venus move through the irrationality zones. Then there are the minor anomalies in the field, such as the one that this article covers, that are not The Grand Irrationality per se, but contribute another layer of irrationality on top of the constant field. Welcome to life in "the Winter of the 21st century."

It's really a challenge not to get too loopy when everyone else is, and the achievement factor only due to the favorable Earth planets now governing many areas of our lives. Overload is always a possibility, so the trick is to stay on top of our compulsions and make sure they're not leading us into the proverbial ditch. Doubt is one of the major fetters for humanity, which we ALL must learn to overcome completely if we are to live healthy, whole lives "doing our Being." Some of the pain we suffer is merely to give us practicums where we can exercise our Spiritual knowledge to override the suffering, thus giving us skills with which to help others in similar circumstances.

Irrationality is not necessarily emotional, though these can attach themselves to the atmosphere of the moment for any or no reason. We can live within the irrationality and not "cry and topple," and rationality may or may not ensure a "slow" disintegration. One is the constant state, the other an unhelpful tool not useful in dealing with the state. The constructive side is to be flexible, detached, dispassionate, discriminating, and regardless of how weird things get, generate an intense positivity that no external state can deflect. The Eternal Refuges remain the same: the Wisdom, the Way, and the Community. Even if things make zero sense at all, we can still grow safely and reasonably happily into a greater wisdom, moving into our Dharma with integrity and hopefulness, recognizing our Spiritual brothers and sisters along the way. Not a bad way to live when people are losing it everywhere.