Tag Archives: Libra

Weekly Forecast January 20: Mercury Trines Mars, Enters Pre-Retrograde Shadow

Facing power. © Pat Paquette, 2014.

Facing power. © Pat Paquette, 2014.

Astrologically, there’s not much going on this week, so we should have some breathing space to adjust to developments over the past month and make room for what’s to come.

The only major planetary aspects this week are a trine from Mercury to Mars on Friday and a square from Mercury to Saturn on Saturday. The Mercury-Mars trine is perfect for discussing relationship issues in a detached manner with a good amount of give-and-take. I suggest you do this now, because Mercury enters into the shadow period mid-week ahead of his station retrograde on February 6.

Many of us avoid talking about things that bother us, because we want to give the impression that we’re cool, we can let the little things roll off our backs, and we can allow others their quirks. If you truly can do that, go for it. But more often than not, the little things start adding up, and then you’ve got one complicated mess that’s hard to untangle. It’s usually better to talk about the small things and air your concerns while you can still be cool about it. Also, the risk of misunderstandings increases after Mercury turns retrograde.

That said, you may meet with some resistance this week, causing one or both of you to “back off” without resolution. Although you can’t force anyone to talk, look for an opening, even though it might take some work. If you do end up in an argument, do your best to find a compromise – and remember, “compromise” typically means that you don’t get everything you want. If you can’t live with it, you’ll need to spend some time alone to reflect.

Saturday’s Mercury-Saturn square is good for solitude and gaining insight into sticky problems. The downside is that it can be depressing, all the more so with the Moon conjunct Saturn less than two hours later. You’ll need to be mindful not to automatically grab onto the worst-case scenario. Relationships go through rough patches, especially when one person is working to change and grow. Try to focus on the overall balance in the relationship. If you’re not getting what you need, is it because your relationship is a one-way street, or is it just going through a natural fluctuation? Some people are able to maintain a constant state of give and take, but others maintain the balance over time, with periods in which one or the other needs more support.

The Mercury-Saturn square also favors mental work, especially regarding finances. The weekend is a great time to round up your tax documents to give to your accountant. If you do your own taxes, get working on it now. The reward could be an early refund. If it turns out that you owe, at least you’ll know so that you can budget ahead for April. Essentially, any task requiring concentration and focus will be easier under this influence.

The most difficult day of the week is Wednesday, when the Moon in Libra revisits the challenges of the New Moon on January 1 and the Full Moon on January 15. The charts for both of those astrological events contain intense cardinal energy (the cardinal signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn), which represents breakdowns, loss, and sudden and fast change. There could be some repeats of recent situations and possibly some new developments.

As we’re swept along with the tide, it’s hard to see where we are or where we’re headed, let alone the purpose to it all. Change by nature is disruptive, and change on a planetary scale is accompanied by widespread tension, fear, and anxiety. Even those like me who have a lot of fixed energy in their charts and are normally able to remain grounded are experiencing a lot of anxiety, much of it due to the inevitable changes (we fixed signs have a hard time with change) and the gross uncertainty about what lies ahead. I know, that’s ironic coming from an astrologer. All I can say is that it’s like meteorologists predicting tornadoes. They can see the big storm coming, and they know that conditions are right, but they don’t know how many tornadoes will touch down, where, or how much damage they’ll cause.

Notwithstanding, I think that aspects mid-week will help us recognize the path we’ve been on and to see it as a continuum. And that recognition may be precisely what helps us adjust and regain some balance. The next lunar cycle contains the same turbulent energies, but also holds the potential for some good news, innovative solutions, and long-overdue rewards. And remember, Pluto remains in positive aspect to Chiron, so the undercurrent of healing energies is ever-present. The healing process can be painful, but it eventually leads to regeneration.

Wishing you all much love and courage,
Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

© Pat Paquette, RealAstrologers.com, 2013.

Libra Rising: The Libra Soul

White Buffalo Calf Woman, original artwork by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie. See end of article for more info.

White Buffalo Calf Woman, original artwork by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie. See end of article for more info.

As we continue our journey through the twelve signs of the zodiac, exploring the fear-based reactions and highest love-based expressions of each sign, we arrive at the beautiful sign of Libra. Symbolized by the scales, Libra is associated with balance, harmony, justice, ethics and the law.

Esoterically, Libra is associated with the Law of Harmonics, and the whole of nature is governed by harmonics. Perfect balance. Ecosystems depend upon it.

Taking the twelve zodiac signs as symbols of developmental stages on our soul’s journey, after the soul has found love in Virgo, Libra now realizes the power of choosing the highest expression for that divine love. If you have Libra Rising, you can consider yourself to be a Libra Soul, and your purpose is to bring greater degrees of harmony and balance into the world through right relationship. The Libra Soul resonates with harmonics, and Libra’s innate sense of harmony comes from deep inner knowing of this universal law. This is an important key to understanding both the lower fear-based expression of Libra and the highest love-based expression, so we will take a moment to explore harmonics and how it relates to the sign of Libra.
[quote cite=”~ Pythagoras, Astrologer and Mathematician, 570-495 BCE”]There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres.[/quote]
The universe is made of consciousness, which expresses itself through various frequencies. We can think of a human being as an instrument of perception created for detecting some of those frequencies within a specific range. We do this through our five senses. We feel vibration at a physical level and then once this vibration speeds up, we experience it as a sound. When it becomes even faster again, we experience it as light. In this way, consciousness experiences itself through a human being, and in turn we are aware of the conscious universe through our five senses.

By fine-tuning our instrument and increasing our sensitivity (our ability to perceive through our senses), we become aware of subtler and subtler levels of awareness. We are on a journey of experiencing conscious awareness through our senses and then recognizing that conscious awareness as ourselves. We call this our spiritual journey.

[quote cite=”~ Kate Chopin”]I wonder if anyone else has an ear so tuned and sharpened as I have,
to detect the music, not of the spheres, but of earth,
subtleties of major and minor chord
that the wind strikes upon the tree branches.
Have you ever heard the earth breathe?[/quote]

Experienced meditators tell us that once we are able to sense subtle frequencies beyond thought and mental activity, we enter a different state of consciousness where there is a natural state of peace and joy, and even more subtle vibrations can be detected. The pathway to this innate natural peace and joy requires navigating the energetic scale from the lower frequencies such as strong painful emotions to the higher frequencies of love and light. We do this in much the same way as climbing the musical scale from the lower octaves to the higher octaves. Before we can navigate any scale, we first need to understand the relationship between the different levels, and this is where harmony enters the picture.

Harmony exists where there is “right relationship.” For example, in music there can be consonant (congruent) sounds and dissonant (incongruent) sounds. Contrary to popular belief, harmony doesn’t happen only when there are consonant sounds, but where there is a balance between consonant and dissonant sounds. So when our Libra friends focus only on having pleasant (congruent) experiences to the exclusion of what might be causing discomfort (incongruence), they actually move farther away from the very harmony that they so deeply desire. Harmonizing means bringing both the consonant and dissonant notes in our lives into right relationship with one another. This is an ever-unfolding process whereby we open ourselves to greater degrees of harmony and congruence.

[quote cite=”~ Mahatma Gandhi”]Happiness is when what you think, what you say,
and what you do are in harmony.[/quote]

We can now see why the themes of harmony, peace, higher thought, natural law, and right relationship are important for the soul’s journey through Libra. In order for humanity to make music together rather than just noise, there needs to be right relationship between our consonant and dissonant notes! The true inner peace that Libra seeks is the result of harmonizing all our experiences, both pleasant and unpleasant, into one cohesive whole so we experience right relationship with ourselves, others, and the whole of nature.

The purest essence of Libra is higher love, peace, beauty, and harmony. Anyone with personal planets in Libra innately resonates at this frequency and therefore not only has an innate ability to detect subtle nuances of disharmony and incongruence, but also has a deep inner knowing of what needs to happen to restore harmony, balance, and congruence. However this spiritual essence is filtered through the lens of a fear-based human mind, which colors its expression. When our Libra friends experience fear, they may try manipulating the people and environment around them in a misguided attempt to “keep the peace” by avoiding incongruent experiences. The motivation beneath this behavior is their desire for peace, but this will only happen when they embrace that which is incongruent, thereby bringing it into harmony, balance, and congruence.

This is why a major theme for Libra is balancing relationships, especially the relationship between self and other. One of the skillful ways in which Libra “hides” to avoid dealing with uncomfortable issues is by keeping their attention on others and on meeting other people’s needs. While this seems to work for a short time, it isn’t really a firm foundation for a healthy relationship, because in itself it is incongruent and ultimately leads to resentment. For there to be balance in any relationship, our Libra friends have to bite the bullet and look at the causes of discomfort and incongruence. This involves going within, looking closely at themselves and the role they are playing in other people’s lives. Then our Libra friends will have a precious opportunity to fine-tune their skills of harmonizing through right relationship. Right relationship means being at peace within ourselves first, and then we will always be in right relationship with others.
[quote cite=”~ Marcus Aurelius”]He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe.[/quote]Libra is a cardinal sign after all, and cardinal signs are pioneering signs of leadership. If you have Libra Rising, your soul’s purpose is pioneering in the field of right relationship, bringing innovative solutions that contribute to world peace and harmony. When you become fearful, you have a tendency to avoid discomfort and seek only pleasant experiences, but this cannot bring the true harmony you so deeply desire. By having the courage to look directly at the causes of discomfort and then takinng inspired action to harmonize them, you can access the power of higher love and express your soul’s purpose in the real world through effective relating skills.


Ruth

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Ruth Hadikin, Soul Astrologer

Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”

Karen MacKenzie is working on a series of astrology inspired paintings using goddesses from different cultures. For more information about the symbolism in this print and to view other works in her ongoing series, check out her website, Karen MacKenzie Art.

Venus, Uranus, and the Inner Journey of Libra, Part II

White Buffalo Calf Woman, original artwork by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie. See end of article for more info.

To make progress on our spiritual path, we need a degree of stability in our ordinary life. If we have a chaotic life where we are constantly in turmoil meeting our daily needs, we will have no inclination to pursue a spiritual path.

The action of Venus in Libra plays a vital role in balancing and stabilizing our mundane “ordinary” lives, ensuring we live simply, in alignment with natural law, so that our energy is free for transformation, and our being is open and receptive to our spiritual development. The action of Venus in Libra harmonizes, balances, and stabilizes our personality, and thereby our mundane world. When the light in Libra has “come to rest,” we are then open to receiving the subtle energy of Uranus, which transforms consciousness.

Uranus is the energy of rebellion. Not rebellion for the sake of trouble-making, but rebellion because it is necessary to evolve and align with Divine Law. In Greek mythology, Uranus is the sky, vastness, space. The primordial being from which all other beings arise. He is the father of the gods who begat all the gods on Mount Olympus and their rivals, the Titans. Primordial consciousness. Uranus is a planet of transformation who has the power to transform consciousness in particular. When we have been touched by Uranus our lives are never the same. There is no going back.

He who has penetrated to the limits of thought, dares to take the leap into the Great Emptiness,
the primordial ground of his own boundless being. ~ Lama Anagarika Govinda

Sometimes in mundane astrology, Uranus is referred to as a revolutionary, but it is important to make a distinction between a rebel and a revolutionary, if we are to fully understand the spiritual purpose of this rebellious energy of Uranus and his ability to transform consciousness. A succinct explanation of this distinction comes from the Indian mystic OSHO, who says:

The rebel … brings into the world a change of consciousness – and if the consciousness changes, then the structure of the society is bound to follow it … No revolution has yet succeeded in changing man; but it seems man is not aware of the fact. He still goes on thinking in terms of revolution, of changing society, of changing the government, of changing the bureaucracy, of changing laws, political systems. Feudalism, capitalism, communism, socialism, fascism – they are all in their own way revolutionary. They all have failed, and failed utterly, because man has remained the same … The rebel is a spiritual phenomenon. His approach is absolutely individual. His vision is that if we want to change the society, we have to change the individual.”

The revolutionary has the same consciousness as the society in which he arose. He may overthrow a dictator and then himself become the new dictator. He is just the other side of the same coin. There has been a change in name, but not a change of consciousness. The energy of Uranus is not revolutionary, it is rebellion. It transforms consciousness. The rebel brings inner change, a change of consciousness within the individual. The rebellion is not “against” anything but, like a flower blossoming, is a natural unfoldment into the next stage of evolution. Where Uranus is concerned, it can be a complete quantum leap that bears no resemblance to what has gone before.

Once Venus has done her job of opening the heart, then the individual is open to receive the touch of Uranus – to allow inspiration to move them and break free from the limitations of the lower mind. Venus initially brings desire, attraction, animal magnetism. Through the experiences of Venus, the individual experiences the beginnings of love, but this lower consciousness love has a price: it comes with conditions. There is a possessiveness to it. Once Venus has softened the heart, Uranus is able to bring in expansiveness. The expansiveness of space, of being, and the individual is never the same again. They are made anew. Passion can now make a quantum leap into higher love and then further again, into limitless compassion.

Love is Higher Thought about someone.” ~ Anya Sophia Mann, Visionary Intuitive

We are evolving from instinct, through intellect, to intuition. In this process, Venus initially opens our hearts and minds, opening us up to shift from instinct to intellect. Then Uranus catapults us from intellect to intuition. Uranus brings inspiration, clarity, intuition and vast, clear space. Boundless sky untouched by clouds. Initiating, catalyzing the evolution from intellect to intuition. Unexpected, because how can we know what to expect from a level of consciousness which we have not yet experienced? Under the influence of Uranus, without the limitation of intellect, Libra is capable of leaping through “octaves” of higher mind to higher love.

Reason, the highest property of the intellect, is what guides purposive thought. Purposes, however, are limited; and therefore reason can operate only in what is limited.

Wisdom alone can accept and intuitively realize the unlimited, the timeless and the infinite, by renouncing explanations and by recognizing the mystery, which can only be felt, experienced, and finally realized in life – and which can never be defined. ~ Lama Anagarika Govinda

If you have Sun, Moon and especially Rising Sign in Libra, you are here to go beyond your own limitations and become an expression of higher love in the world. You will do this through right relationship between yourself and other. When you lean too far toward the Aries end of the spectrum, there is too much emphasis on self; when you lean too far toward the Libra end of the spectrum, there is too much emphasis on others. When you come to rest at the center, the balance-point, you are in perfect harmony, and this creates the window through which the energy of Uranus can enter to transform consciousness.


Ruth

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Ruth Hadikin, Soul Astrologer

Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”

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About the artist: This oil painting, the seventh in the Empowered Feminine Zodiac series by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie, envisions Libra as White Buffalo Calf Woman, who brought a message of peace to the Lakota people two centuries ago. For more information about the symbolism in this print and to view other works in her ongoing series, check out her website, Karen MacKenzie Art (her prints are very affordable).

Libra-Aries, Part IIThere Must Be Higher Love…

© Olga Fesko for Dreamstime.com

As the Soul travels deeper on its journey through the zodiac, the higher octaves of the signs become ever more esoteric, mysterious and difficult for us to comprehend with our limited intellect.

Reason, the highest property of the intellect, is what guides purposive thought. Purposes, however, are limited, and therefore reason can operate only in what is limited. Wisdom alone can accept and intuitively realize the unlimited, the timeless and the infinite, by renouncing explanations and by recognizing the mystery, which can only be felt, experienced, and finally realized in life – and which can never be defined.
~ Lama Anagarika Govinda1

To discern the higher octaves of the signs, we need to go beyond the limitations of our intellect and enter the realm of intuition which, in itself, is part of our evolutionary journey. The higher octave of Libra brings us higher knowledge of the interrelatedness of all things. Whereas the initial impulse for existence begins with Libra’s polar opposite Aries – who declares, “I exist!” – the higher octave of Libra acknowledges that all existence is dependent upon relationship. Things exist in relation to other things. You exist because I exist. I exist because you exist.

That the whole of existence is dependent upon relationship is key to the deeper mysteries of Libra. Once we reach our highest iteration, our highest evolved state, we will reach for the next. There will always be a higher octave. There is no end goal. Once we have transcended all traces of our personality vibration and are resonating with our Soul vibration, there will be another higher octave that our expanded consciousness will aspire to at the hierarchical and cosmic levels.

We can relate to octaves through the musical scale: do, ray, me, fah, so, la, tee, do. This is one octave. Once we reach the highest note in this octave, we can move to the next. There is no end to the potential octaves. The only limitation is human capacity and perception. For example when we strike a single note on a bell, the sound appears to fade away. Where does it go? In fact the sound wave continues without end. It only appears to us to end because the sound wave has traveled beyond the range of human perception.

It is possible to expand our perception, as mystics have done in times gone by, until we can hear the “music of the spheres.” This is one of the mysteries of Libra: The precise relationship between notes within octaves, between octaves themselves, and our capacity to perceive them, all come under the law of “right relations.”

Librans often have the feeling of being caught between worlds. With such deep esoteric knowledge at their fingertips, they can feel like they are neither here nor there, with one foot on Earth and the other in Heaven. Now wonder the Libra personality has a reputation for being indecisive! But this is not a case of choosing between camps. Rather, it is exactly where Libra is supposed to be – bridging the gap between Heaven and Earth by spanning the Universe.

Before Libra can reach her highest octaves, however, she first has to transcend the Libra personality. To do this, she needs the self-orientation, courage, intuition and energy of her polar opposite, Aries. Ironically, Libra, you have to take your attention off others, and focus more on your Self to restore balance!

There isn’t just “other” in relationship; there is you, too. The only way you can access your innate esoteric knowledge and even begin to touch upon understanding the laws of harmonics is through your own inner journey, which opens the gateway to your intuitive Self. It is through knowing yourself that you truly come to know others. It is through healing your own system that you come to understand healing of all systems.

One of my mentors, a true Libra Soul, has a working definition for healing that could only (in my opinion) come from someone who understands the higher octaves of Libra:

Healing is the balancing of a system – whether it be a human body,
a family, a corporation, or a country. ~Anya Sophia Mann

For a case-study of Libra soul-light expressing itself through (in this case) a Cancer/Aries personality, you may like to visit her website and take a few moments to read two or three of her blog posts. Notice in particular how the Libra themes of beauty, harmony, love of music, and a powerful desire to balance the human system through compassion and right relations shine out as a common thread throughout her work.

Love is a higher thought about somebody. ~Anya Sophia Mann

If you have Libra Rising (Ascendant), it is your challenge in this lifetime to access the highest octave of Libra energy that you possibly can and express this through the talents of your two personality signs2 (Sun and Moon) for the purpose of healing (balancing) systems.

So, Libra, will you overcome your fears and undertake the inner journey to your Self? Will you elevate your relationship dynamics and travel among the stars on heart-waves of Higher Love, until you resonate with the Music of The Spheres? As Steve Winwood reminds us, the answer lies deep in your heart and hidden in the stars above… 3


Ruth

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Footnotes:

  1. Creative Meditation and Multi-Dimensional Consciousness, by Lama Anagarika Govinda. Quest Books, Illinois.
  2. This doesn’t only apply to Libra; the challenge for us all is to tap into the highest octave of our Soul Sign and express it through our personality signs. For a simple overview on using Soul Astrology in this way, read my article “How To Use Soul Astrology As A Tool for Personal And Spiritual Development.”
  3. Lyrics from the song “Higher Love,” by Steve Winwood.

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Ruth Hadikin, Soul Astrologer

Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”

Libra-Aries: Think About It, There Must Be Higher Love…

© Olga Fesko for Dreamstime.com

The words of the Steve Winwood song “Higher Love” echo through my mind as I write. Libra is the sign of beauty, truth, harmony, ethics and justice. Represented by the scales of Justice herself, Libra is also associated with law. Welcome to the beautiful sign of Higher Love.

The fully integrated Libra Soul1 is here to administer Divine Law, ultimate truth and harmony, and restore peace on Earth. No pressure there then! What does law have to do with Love, we might ask? They are intimately connected through Libra, as we shall see. Libra is concerned with all the laws of existence: the law of attraction and the law of harmonics.

Divine Law requires the balancing of energies within any system to maintain harmony. Existence depends upon it. In the natural world, we can see this fine balancing of energies within an ecosystem. Everything is very finely and delicately dependent upon everything else. Modern science is only just beginning to realize how delicately balanced and interdependent the natural world (including us) really is.

Within a human system, the fully integrated Libra Soul has the capacity and power to fine-tune and balance these energies through right relations. This includes an ability to sense any imbalance and bring it back into alignment, to restore balance and a harmonious existence with “all that is.” You will find such individuals playing an active role in the eco-movement: restoring balance through right relationship between humanity and our earth Mother.

So does this mean that every Libra we meet exudes Divine Love, peace, and harmony? Not quite yet. Cardinal energy is about creating new pathways, and air signs are about mastery of the mind. As the cardinal air sign, Libra does have a vital role to play in carving out new pathways of thought for creating our future: a peaceful, beautifully balanced and harmonious future. But before this can happen, Libra has to recognize and fully embrace the sheer life-force energy of her opposite sign, Aries.

All Librans resonate with peace. However, at the personality level, this innate desire for peace can lead our Libra friend to avoid difficult issues in the name of seeking “a quiet life.” Libra is known as the sign of the diplomat. Our charismatic, peace-loving Libran has a tendency to wear rose-tinted glasses and a strong desire to avoid discomfort. Whereas Aries has the first awareness of self, Libra becomes, sometimes painfully, aware of others and their dependence upon others for getting their needs met. This realization can lead our Libra friend into some very unhealthy, manipulative and possibly co-dependent relationship behaviors.

Here we have the keys to the main issues for Libra: balance and relationships.

Avoidance of the deeper issues in life is not the true path of peace. Think of Libran John Lennon, who used music to work toward world peace. Like John Lennon, each Libra personality has to awaken and use their own power. Living on the surface keeps them from an awareness of their real underlying energy – the very forces of nature that they came here to balance! In order to do the very work she came here to do, Libra needs to feel the “life-force energy” of her polar opposite, Aries. Libra is a cardinal sign, and cardinal signs are here to take the lead.

Once Libra has embraced the energy of Aries, she will realize the power of thought and the reality of thought-forms. This awakens Libra to the natural law of harmonics, the law of inter-related energies that results in physical manifestation. The truth that our existence is created by thought is a high-octave Libra understanding, which explains Libra’s affinity for beauty and harmony. That which we perceive as beauty is merely harmony in physical forms. Our fully integrated Libra administers harmony throughout all the elements and multiple dimensions of Being.

Think about it… there must be Higher Love,
Down in the heart or hidden in the stars above,
Without it, Life is wasted time,
Look inside your heart, I’ll look inside mine.

The complex and beautiful sign of Libra works with harmonics – the sheer forces of nature self-organized in a precise and balanced way. It involves a deep understanding of harmony, right relationship and a capacity to recognize and use octaves of energy in creating the “music” of existence. It is all about the law, science, and application of Higher Love.

In Part 2, we journey even deeper into the mysteries of Libra: the law of harmonics, octaves, and right relations.


Ruth

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Footnotes:

  1. A fully integrated Libra (or any other sign for that matter) is one who is Soul-centred and expresses the higher octaves of their Soul Sign (Ascendant) and their Personality Signs (Sun/Moon). In contrast to someone who may have a Libra Ascendant, but is still very personality oriented. They identify with the lower aspects of their personality signs, (Sun/Moon) are personality-driven, and are not living their highest expression.

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Ruth Hadikin, Soul Astrologer

Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”

Aries-Libra: From Creation to Humanity, with Love, Part II

© Konstantin1065 for Dreamstime.com

In The Labours of Hercules: An Astrological Perspective, by Alice Bailey, the first labor in Aries requires Hercules to capture and corral a herd of flesh-eating horses that have been ravaging the land and terrorising the people. Full of joy and enthusiasm, Hercules quickly manages to round up the horses thinking “well that was easy.” He hands over the horses to his friend, telling him to stick them in the corral, while he goes back to his teacher to find out what the second labor will be.

The horses escape, ravage the local villages, and kill his friend. Filled with sadness for the loss of his friend, Hercules re-captures the horses and completes the task himself.

This illustrates some important lessons for the Aries Soul:

• To recognise that Divine gifts come from the Divine, not the personality. They are not “ours” but come through us, to benefit all.
• That if we have a Divine gift, it is our responsibility to use it, since it may not be available to others.
• That impulse alone is rarely beneficial, unless we skillfully follow our impulses through to completion.

This story also illustrates the naiveté of Aries. As the first sign of the Zodiac, Aries is sometimes called the “child” of the Zodiac, for he has yet to develop wisdom and skill. Having never left God, Aries has no worldly experience, has never experienced challenges, and therefore cannot anticipate the obstacles that can arise. This is where the ethical thinking of Aries’ polar opposite, Libra, are needed.

At its highest Soul vibration, Libra is about ethics, justice and Divine harmony. This is where the personality-centered Libra has a tendency to develop rose-tinted spectacles. The desire for harmony can lead a Libra personality to be a bit of a PollyAnna, avoiding conflict and real challenges by trying to “keep the peace,” come what may.

Nevertheless, the Libra individual does have an innate understanding of harmonics. This leads Libra into ethical questioning. Often it is said that Libra individuals are indecisive – in contrast to the apparent decisiveness of their polar opposite, Aries. But this is an over-simplification of what is really happening. For Libra, it is important to understand the process of decision-making. How can we know when a decision is the correct one?

This is the purpose of ethics – the process whereby we can make “right” decisions. The Soul purpose of Libra is “right human relations,” and the essence of Libra carries the very wisdom that Aries needs. Aries will develop wisdom by being more Libra-like and thinking about why a decision is the “right” one. What makes it “right?”

Before charging into an impulse, Aries is always wise to ask, “What makes this right?” This allows Aries to explore whether his impulse is of Divine origin or merely a personality driven impulse. In this way, Aries will be able to see when his or her decisions will be most beneficial and when, like Hercules, they may be impulsive and incomplete.

Libra invites Aries, through ethical questioning, to become aware of harmonics. Libra answers a very important question for Aries. The highest vibration of Libra innately knows that what makes a decision right is harmonics. The right decision is the one that is harmonious, because it is in alignment with the whole of Creation. Eventually, the influence of Libra brings truth, beauty and harmony to Aries. This is when the higher vibration of Aries will awaken and Aries will finally understand how it is that he knows what he knows. However, before Aries can access the wisdom of Libra, he has to exercise discipline to control his impulsiveness.

Mercury is the Soul-ruler of Aries,* whereas Mars is the personality ruler. Mars can be seen to rule the unconditioned responses and reactions of our lower animal-urges, whereas a Mercurial influence on Aries encourages development of the Higher Mind. The Soul path of Aries speaks of the journey from lower mind to Higher Mind, through discipline and the development of wisdom. It really is a Divine, magical mystery tour that takes us from the Divine to Earth, through Right Human Relations and then back to Heaven again, with greater wisdom.

Once Aries accesses Higher Mind, he or she becomes a clear channel for Divine light and wisdom and the higher Soul purpose of Aries (which is to inspire others with ideas) unfolds. Aries, the sign of the Ram, then fulfils his own highest potential by leading his flock, through Divine Light, Wisdom, and Inspiration.


Ruth

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* Aries is associated with the development of the mind. The “wild horses” can be seen as a metaphor for taming our unruly mind. Mercury, Soul ruler of Aries, is also associated with the development of the “Antahkarana” or “Rainbow Bridge” which, once fully formed, allows access to Higher Consciousness and Higher Mind.

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Ruth Hadikin, Soul Astrologer
Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”

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Ask Real Astrologers: Will I Ever Have an Intimate Relationship?

Looking for AnswersThis week’s question comes from Dee in Maryland:

Since my Sun is in Libra, I understand that a major focus in my life is on relationships. However, intimate and romantic relationships seem to be the most difficult thing for me. I have only had about two boyfriends ever and they were pretty much incompatible, thus short-lived.

So, being a pretty much independent (solitary) person for most of my life, I’ve been recently feeling a yearning to become more partnership orientated. I’m sure that some other aspects in my chart have something to do with this paradox. Do you see anything there that could shed some light? I feel that maybe I’ve been too idealistic in my search for partners and am a little guarded in general to the possibilities.

Beautifully stated, Dee – and so perfectly Libra. Incidentally, you not only have Sun in Libra, but it’s in the seventh house, traditionally associated with Libra, in conjunction with Mercury. That’s a lot of Libra!

Your chart is not so horribly relationship-challenged that you are destined to be alone forever, but I do see a couple of difficult aspects. Fortunately, you can overcome these challenges with a bit of work.

The first issue I see is that you have Saturn in your fifth house, which rules romance and pleasure. Saturn is a limiting influence, and his position in the birth chart indicates where we are the most insecure and fearful. Moreover, he’s in Cancer, which is the sign of his detriment. Cancer is emotionally sensitive and thus tends to be cautious and protective. All of this tells me that you may feel very vulnerable in love and afraid of being hurt.

Your Saturn also is “afflicted” by a square to Uranus, which is where you get that independent streak. Taken to the extreme, you may go to great lengths to let others know how much you don’t need them in an attempt to hide just how vulnerable you feel. In your mind, showing your soft underbelly would be akin to giving them the gun and ammo and showing them exactly where to shoot. And yet, to form deep, intimate relationships, we must let others see our most vulnerable places. If you could work on this area, I think you’d see some favorable results.

The second potential difficulty I see in your chart is that Mercury, ruler of your seventh house, is retrograde. Lots of people have Mercury retrograde in their birth chart, and this alone doesn’t mean you have difficulty with relationships. But when he’s retrograde in Libra and rules your seventh house, then there’s a potential stumbling block.

In addition to doing some work to overcome your fears regarding intimacy, you might also work on understanding where others are coming from. This would help you realize that they feel vulnerable, too. We all have a dual capacity for hurting others and being hurt. The need for balance in that regard should be easy to grasp for someone with all of your Libra!

As for why you’re delving into these issues now, I’d “blame” Saturn again. He’s currently transiting your seventh house, and so your attention is being focused on relationships and the fact that you’re not finding fulfillment in this area of life, which indeed is critical for Libra.

Since you’ve started studying astrology, you might use it as a tool to help you with these issues. I’d also recommend a complete reading to help you understand more about your birth charts and current transits. I do telephone consultations, but if you’d rather see someone in person, do a search to find out who’s available in your area.

I know you will find true love, Dee. Thanks for writing.

Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. You must use this form to contact me, or I won’t get your question. I do read all of your questions, although I am sorry that I can’t answer them all. If you need immediate guidance or in-depth advice, please contact me for a private consultation. THANKS!

Ask Real Astrologers: How Will the T-Square Affect My Sign?

Looking for AnswersAs the cardinal T-square approaches its peak, I’m receiving many questions from readers wanting to know how it’s going to affect them personally.

How will the grand cross, August 6th timeframe, affect my astrological sign and therefore me? ~ Stephanie, Manhattan, Kansas.

Can you give your insight about what the current planetary transits mean to me? I also know a little about astrology. I am a Cancer with Mercury in Cancer as well. I have three planets in Libra and, not to mention, I am an Aries Rising. My life is in total mess right now. I lost my job, and my relationship with my parents and family is in chaos. I am in huge debt. Even my love life is in total huge question.
~ Ann, United Arab Emirates

Stephanie, you are a Virgo, but you didn’t supply a birth time, so we don’t know what sign is on your Ascendant. This makes it impossible to know what houses in your natal chart are being affected by the cardinal T-square, which briefly will become a grand cross on August 6, when the Moon is in Cancer.

Still, I thought your question was worth taking, because it allows me to explain a few things about Sun sign astrology and why knowing your birth time can change chart interpretations considerably.

First, there is no way to say that “all Virgos” will be affected the same way by the T-square/grand cross. Although many popular horoscopes make predictions by Sun sign, the degree of your Sun is very important. Early Virgos will not be affected in the same way as late Virgos.

In your case, you have the Sun in the early degrees of Virgo, so on Aug. 6, the Moon-Pluto opposition actually will be quite nicely positioned relative to your Virgo Sun, and this could turn out to be advantageous for you. It’s a great time to make positive changes in your life, and if you are facing serious challenges, you should be able to summon the strength, motivation, and resources to push through them.

With a birth time, we not only would have the house positions of the planets, but we would know what other planets and key chart points were being activated by the T-square. Then it would be possible to determine which areas of your life are most affected and where you could apply your efforts to make the best use of this cosmic wind to your back.

Ann, you have six planets and all four chart angles in cardinal signs, so one might think you would be getting slammed on all sides by this planetary configuration.

However, as I pointed out to Stephanie, degree counts. As it turns out, your chart angles are in the later degrees of the cardinal signs and so will not be activated by this T-square, and the only planet you have in the early degrees of the cardinals signs, where the T-square is taking place, is Mercury at 0 degrees Cancer.

That’s plenty difficult enough, though. It means that all of the T-square planets are in conflict with your natal Mercury, which rules communications and some social interactions. When Pluto is opposite Mercury, we can get into situations in which we try to subtly or not-so-subtly pressure others into thinking as we do. Naturally, this meets with resistance, and it can be severe enough that relationships break down entirely.

As with most Pluto transits, it is necessary to learn detachment and to relinquish control over others. In some cases, the tables are turned, and we feel constantly pressured to think like someone else. If this is what you’re facing, then you have no choice but to stand up for yourself and not give in, but it sure can wear you down.

Saturn square Mercury is in some ways even more troublesome, as you tend not to be able to communicate very well, and then you end up feeling lonely, isolated, and unloved. It’s probably not true, but that’s how you feel, and for Cancer, feeling is believing.

Aside from the T-square, it’s important to note that you are approaching your first Saturn return, which everyone experiences around 28 or 29 years old. If you have been moving in the right direction in life, this milestone transit can be validating. If you’re off course or on the wrong track entirely, everything in your life can break down at this time, and you might meet severe hardship and locked doors everywhere you turn. It’s all important information to tell you that you need to follow another path toward fulfillment of your life’s purpose.

My first Saturn return was hell; I experienced all of the issues you list and then some. But it made me realize that I had to make significant changes in my life. Once I did that, many doors opened for me. I truly hope this will be the case for you, too.

Thank you both for writing. Wishing you much love and courage.
Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

Got a quick question? Click here to contact Ask Real Astrologers. You must use this form to contact me, or I won’t get your question. I do read all of your questions, although I am sorry that I can’t answer them all. If you need immediate guidance or in-depth advice, please contact me for a private consultation. THANKS!

Weekly Forecast October 13: Full Moon in Aries, Mercury Direct

Mercury and Psyche, by Adriaan de Vries I won’t be so bold as to proclaim that all hell is going to break loose this week, but do be prepared for major movement.

With the Full Moon in dynamic Aries just as Mercury is stationing direct, much of the activity that has been stalled over the past three weeks could take place all at once. To get an idea of how you may be impacted personally, look at where Libra and Aries fall in your natal chart.

Neith already has written a complete report for Tuesday’s Full Moon, and I will add only that growth and change, even when positive, can be unsettling. When we seek to fulfill our heart’s deepest desires, we typically have to go through a period of testing and challenge, and we need to do the work. Rarely do we value what is handed to us on a silver platter.

On Wednesday, barely 24 hours after the Full Moon, Mercury stations at 7 degrees Libra. The Messenger passed this degree on September 3. Think back to what was happening around that time for you and what has (or hasn’t) transpired since then. This will give you a clue about what to expect this week. It may take a few days for Mercury to gather speed before you see any results. I’d give it until Friday.

As I was searching for an appropriate image for this week’s forecast, I found reference to Mercury in the story of Cupid and Psyche. Quick and dirty plot summary:

Venus, jealous of Psyche’s beauty, sends her son Cupid to foul up the young woman’s love life. He botches the job and falls in love with her, but he attempts to keep his identity secret by coming to her only at night, in the dark. Through trickery encouraged by her sisters, she discovers who he is, and he flees. She is so desolate that she wants to kill herself and eventually appeals to Venus, who makes her perform a series of tasks until she is deemed worthy of true love.

The sculpture in the photo depicts Mercury, transporter of souls, carrying Psyche to Mount Olympus, where she is granted immortality and allowed to marry her beloved.

In classical mythology, Mercury is the only god who has free passage to and from the underworld. Symbolically, this speaks to our thought processes and how our thoughts impact our lives. Libra not only is an intellectual air sign, but it is the ruler of relationships. For women especially (but not exclusively), the trials and tribulations of love are among the most painful in our lives, and they are often what causes us to grow, evolve, and attain higher consciousness.

Speaking of Venus, the planet of love leaves jealous Scorpio on Saturday and enters merry Sagittarius, where she is more light-hearted. Her downfall here is only that she may party a little too hard and overindulge herself and her friends. She also can be competitive, but as long as you keep it fun and friendly, there’s no harm in a good contest.

Love and blessings,
Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

Image: Mercury and Psyche, by Adriaan de Vries, 1593. The Louvre, Paris. Mercury bears Psyche aloft to Olympus where, after forced to undergo many trials by a jealous Venus, she attains immortality and is reunited with Cupid, her beloved.

Weekly Forecast October 6: Mercury Retrograde, Venus and Mars in Scorpio

The Hallucenogenic Toreador, by Salvador DaliWe’re in a holding pattern this week, with Mercury moving through the final stage of his retrograde phase, Mars well-established in his own sign of Scorpio, and no highly challenging aspects.

As the week begins, Mercury has a week and a half left to go in his three-week retrograde period. Some of you have written to say that you haven’t noticed any major effects of this Mercury retrograde, and I have to agree with you. I’ve seen a few minor glitches here and there, but no major mix-ups. I’ve even heard a couple of good stories, and my own experience has been mostly positive. A relationship with a co-worker began getting back on track after several weeks of discord.

Because Mercury is in Libra, the sign of relationships, I do believe it’s possible that this retrograde period has been good for revisiting old wounds and unresolved issues, especially as Mercury forms harmonious trines with Neptune and Chiron in Aquarius.

On Monday, the Sun conjoins retrograde Mercury, and both bodies square Jupiter in Capricorn. If you don’t like the way a certain relationship is going, this is a great opportunity to make some real changes. Depending on where Mercury is transiting your chart, you may also have a window of opportunity to change some other part of your life. With Mercury and the Sun in an intellectual air sign and Jupiter in a practical earth sign, thinking through how you’d like things to be different is a good start. Visualization exercises and affirmations will work well with this planetary configuration.

The effects of this triple aspect will continue into Tuesday as the Moon in Capricorn squares Mercury and the Sun and conjoins Jupiter. We manifest much more effectively when we back our thoughts with emotion. Put another way, when there’s a real need, the energy we send out into the Universe is much more powerful.

Matters also start getting complicated, though, with Venus in Scorpio squaring Chiron on Tuesday and Neptune on Saturday. We can’t be truly intimate with another person if we don’t express our hurts and fears. Often we’re afraid to do this, either because it exposes our vulnerability or makes us appear less desirable. Or we may be afraid that the other person will be angry, perhaps even angry enough to leave us. Withholding information from an intimate partner or someone else close to you is a means of manipulation and control, and while you may get what you want in the short term, this will harm your relationship over time. If nothing else, be ruthlessly honest with yourself about your motives.

As she makes these difficult aspects with Chiron and Neptune, Venus also sextiles Saturn early in the week. This is good energy for solidifying your committed relationships, provided you are willing to do the work. In financial matters, this positive Venus-Saturn contact can help you make progress, even with Mercury retrograde.

The Moon in Aquarius conjoins Chiron on Thursday and Neptune on Friday, triggering the Mercury-Sun aspect earlier in the week. Also on Thursday and Friday, Venus forms a happy trine to unpredictable Uranus. Typically the surprises that arrive under this aspect are happy ones. I don’t know about you, but I’m more than ready for some of that!

Overall, we’ll get a bit of a breather this week, so take advantage while you can. Next week is the Full Moon in Aries, the day before Mercury turns direct, and I’m betting that a lot of pent-up energy will be released at that time. Neith will have more on this in a day or two.

Love and blessings,

Aquarius, the sign of astrologyPat

Image:  The Hallucinogenic Toreador, by Salvador Dalí, 1968-1970. Salvador Dalí Museum, St. Petersburg, Florida. I chose this image because it so nicely represents the confused, complicated energies of Venus this week. However, on a deeper level, this painting contains symbolism for suddenly seeing the whole, a psychological phenomenon called “emergence” in Gestalt theory.