by Robert Wilkinson
At least two school teachers told me over the last couple of days that their kids have been wild lately and they’ve been hit with things that forced them to rearrange what they did and when they did it. I also have been swamped with work, and it’s been difficult juggling everything on my plate. What does Astrology show about this?
A quick glance shows Mercury square Saturn yesterday, after which it left Capricorn and entered Aquarius, its sign of exaltation, or “grounds of greatest growth.” Mercury is now sextile Uranus and square Jupiter today. Remember Mercury, the Magician and Guide of Souls, is also the Juggler, the Coordinator, and the One who integrates various energies in smooth and harmonic functioning.
Certainly Mercury, the coordinating principle (and sure to be present in jabberhead situations, whether chattering children or our monkey mind!) square Jupiter puts the lower mind and higher mind in a frictional relationship, with strong and somewhat competitive releases but also a tendency to go overboard. If we factor in the closeness of the out of sign opposition between Jupiter and Saturn, we can see the oppositional “see saw” energies being released through the Mercury T-square.
This T-square throws energy into the last degrees of Cancer and Aries, as well as the first degrees of Leo and Scorpio. Most needed are positive late Cancer and early Leo energies. Taken together, as a conflicted mix it could show impulsiveness, sensitivity, reactivity, combustion, enthusiasm, and intensity. That would describe my teacher friends’ experience this past week!
It’s been a good time to put the brakes on pessimism and unrealistic expectations, and see a new way of focusing on what we truly care about. It’s also been good for finishing up some personality integration issues by seeing what limits are more boon than bondage, and allowing a new heart energy to come forth that opens newer, deeper ways of relating to others, as well as our own lives.
Just don’t overplay your hand or expect too much too soon (Mars is still retrograde, you know!), and put what’s happening into a larger integrated vision of what to move toward while detaching from getting bent out of shape by things that are basically nothing personal. Remember that overall it’s still a great time of practical steady progress (Jupiter in Taurus trine Pluto in Capricorn) and great harmony of a larger understanding of a new life standard to begin to live (Saturn in Libra trine Neptune in Aquarius.)
It’s still a time for moving forward with confidence, even though lately things may have gotten a bit out of control, overblown, or turned around, despite the slowing pace. It’s a great time to see a bigger picture, a greater contribution to our world, and the promise of things to come.
One very positive thing to remember is that Mercury, Venus, and Saturn are all in their Exaltation signs. That's tremendously productive of favorable growth. Wherever these are in our charts, whatever they rule of our planets and houses, through these planets We’re growing tremendously by synthesizing the many into the whole, feeling a deeper compassion as we say goodbye to old ghosts and feelings of ambivalence, and finding a balanced grace as we move by steps into a mature philosophical completion.
Just a few observations about the near past and present. Happy weekend!
© Copyright 2012 Robert Wilkinson
Funny about the teachers . . . my problem instructor, well we all take our turns with his inflexibility when we hit a snag in our learning process. We are supposed to get it now on his schedule. Everybody hits snags, but that individual struggling to get it suffers and suffers hard. It really cuts. He might as well physically take a switch to us. It is so bizarre. This week, it was my turn. He was relentless.
So maybe he looks at us, his students, this way. Like we are wild menaces, that just can't do it right. Alas, I shall never be perfect enough. Sigh, a sad fact of life. I am not a machine. Maybe the pharmacy can give me a drug that will make me so.
Posted by: caliban | January 28, 2012 at 12:20 PM
Hi Caliban - Actually, that's what my teacher people feel is being done to them by administration, parents, and students. They feel they are expected to be machines regardless of how the students are cooperating or not. Make no mistakes - bullies are allowing their ugly side to come out, taking it out on others. What I wrote is not specifically confined to the teacher-student relationship. Perhaps your teacher is "wild" and stepping outside of what's appropriate behavior for the moment, or something is being pushed beyond what's reasonable, or there is fixed defiant behavior that's out of control. That's all I was describing in this post. And that it's a time to be a good juggler, since there's too much going on and seemingly not enough time due to many distractions.
Posted by: Robert | January 28, 2012 at 01:02 PM
Thanks Robert, as always for describing a shape to the many strong energies surrounding us.
Your work always gives me a model in which to understand my own currents.
Posted by: Sherry | January 28, 2012 at 06:50 PM
Thank you so much, Robert, for giving us precious advice.
Posted by: Katia | January 29, 2012 at 12:53 AM
Practical Indeed. Great job. It makes awareness and gives a sense of direction, both very helpful if we want to "get anywhere" or do something meaningful.
Cheers.
Posted by: Nicolas | January 29, 2012 at 03:07 AM
Hi Robert, I think so. "Unreasonable" is really the word. And you are right, I should not let it distract me. It was good to pause, because in the end what really shook me was the fact that I stood up to him, and that he walked away mumbling in agreement. I scared myself. I mean I was right there in the moment, firm but not angry, to the point without attacking him. I don't know where it came from. And no catastrophe followed. No one died. I did not know I was carrying this thing.
Posted by: caliban | January 30, 2012 at 10:48 AM
Hi Caliban - As the great Jivanmukta Sri Yukteshwar once said, "Face your fear and it will cease to trouble you." It seems that you reached deep into yourself and found the blend of Satyagraha and Ahimsa that enabled you to win over your opponent without doing violence to yourself or him. We all have that power of "non violent Soul force" within us, but we rarely use it. You demonstrated to yourself that it does in fact reside in you, a power to be used to bring forth a better world in the moment it is demonstrated. Perfect for today's Gandhian theme!
Posted by: Robert | January 30, 2012 at 10:59 AM
Mercury square Saturn yesterday .... thats what i was thinking .... few electronic problems now i got it why this happening!!! few electronic problems in my home and Mercury u r cute got ya hehe :D
thanks Robert :)
Posted by: Shehzaad Maroof | January 30, 2012 at 11:20 AM
Thanks for the perspective, Robert. I am wondering if Mars retrograde is similar to Mercury RX in that one can move forward things that were put on hold in the past retrograde period? I was prepared for holy molasses when Mars went RX, but it looks like a project I started last Mars RX (I know...such bad timing!), which started great and encountered nothing but one obstacle after another, is now finally on the march. Is it possible?
Posted by: Tolly | February 01, 2012 at 10:17 AM
Hi Shehzaad - By now you should have gotten my email.
Hi Tolly - Yes, retrogrades do pick things up from "the last time." Doing, then re-doing, then undoing, then doing it anew after whatever was done or undone from the last time. Just remember to keep it slow and steady for the next few weeks as imaginative Jupiter races forward!!
Posted by: Robert | February 01, 2012 at 10:37 AM