Empathy in the Birth Chart, Part 2

 In Part 1, we defined empathy and saw how, when we are in defensive mode, empathy is not always possible. Concluding that empathy itself can’t be seen in the birth chart, we discussed, with an illuminating case study, how our chart aspects suggest where our empathy-blocking defences can kick in. In Part 2, more signifiers for defence mechanisms in the birth chart…

Saturn aspects suggest defence mechanisms because Saturn tests, blocks and controls. It represents where we have fears and doubts and lack confidence. All of these are fuel for our defences.

With Venus-Saturn, for example, there might be defences against getting hurt in relationships, manifesting in a fear of letting others get too close. The Venus-Saturn person therefore might un-empathetically hurt and reject someone else before it can be done to them. (See Part 1 for a case study example of how a generational Mercury Square Saturn played out).

Lack of empathy can also come through some of the aspects we might think of as easier. Jupiter types, for example, who are confident, upbeat and optimistic, can sometimes lack tolerance and empathy for those who are struggling with low self-esteem or who, for whatever reason, lack the faith, courage and self-belief to pursue their dreams and ambitions.

Aspect patterns are also a good place to look for defences, especially T-Squares, which so often describe the nitty gritty issues in a person’s life. Grand Trines are also associated with defence mechanisms, because they represent where we hesitate to step out of our comfort zone.

If we think about the zodiac signs, Aries types might lack empathy for those who aren’t fast-paced go-getters; Taurus or Libra might disapprove of Aries' need to be numero uno and label them as aggressive or selfish, not understanding the Aries mission to go through life as a warrior. A Gemini type might be unfairly labelled as someone who can’t commit to one thing, with others not getting that Gemini is here to experience variety and needs to keep their options open. And so on, through the signs…

Back to those sensitive Water signs mentioned in Part 1 and why they might not always necessarily be empathetic. It’s because that emotional sensitivity, if it gets too much, can be defended against to protect the Water person from pain and suffering. I recently watched a Netflix show about teen fairies learning to harness their powers. One of them was an empath, who wore headphones constantly to protect herself from becoming overwhelmed by the feelings of others. Sensitive humans can also feel overwhelmed by their empathy at times and that’s when their psychological defences can kick in, which while offering protection, but can also block empathy.

The Cancerian retreating into their shell is a well known astrological symbolism. Cancerians need to feel safe and at home. They are drawn to people who help them to feel comfortable and once they find them, they seek to keep them close. Whether it’s their blood family or the ‘family’ they choose, Cancerians need to feel cushioned by their relationships. However, this can lead to clannish cliques and those who don’t make it into Cancer’s close circle might feel rejected. This is where a defence might make someone else feel the hurt that the defended person is trying to protect themselves from. The hurt doesn’t go away, it’s just passed on.

Scorpio of course has its famous defensive sting. Using that sting to point out others’ flaws, often with merciless honesty, is Scorpio’s way of protecting themselves from such searing scrutiny. Last of all, we have compassionate, empathetic Pisces; but feeling everyone’s emotions as if they are their own can make porous, sensitive Pisces retreat into victim mode. When Pisces feels that nobody’s problems are as bad as theirs, it’s hard for them to feel empathy. Conversely, Pisces, with a genuine desire to stop someone’s suffering, might go into full rescue mode, but if this is done with pity rather than real empathy, the support they offer can feel dis-empowering.

These examples show that while you can’t judge levels of natural empathy from a chart, you can see areas where empathy might potentially be blocked. Astrology can help with self-understanding and the recognition of where we fall into our defences. We all need defences of course, they are very useful, but by becoming more aware of them we can potentially see where they have become unhelpful and where we might be unwittingly hurting others or not recognising when they might need support and compassion and empathy.

Click here for Part 1 - Empathy in the Birth Chart?

Wondering about life post-pandemic?  A consultation can help you clarify what it might look like and better understand your opportunities, stumbling blocks and options.  Details here: Consultations and Other Services  

With love,

Mandi

 

Eclipsed Again, 10 Years On!

My first post on this blog – July 11, 2009, 13.44 BST - discussed that season’s eclipses.

Now, as Astroair is celebrating its 10^th birthday we are in eclipse season again, with today’s solar eclipse falling at 11 degrees of Cancer.

In Cancer, it can feel defensive, especially with an Opposition to the Saturn-Pluto-South Node Conjunction in Capricorn. It’s a time to ask where are our fears coming from, that we feel the need to protect and defend ourselves? Are they real fears, kept in proportion, keeping us safe? Or are they holding us back and creating barriers that get in the way of moving forward? How can we release our fears and move forward?

It's a New Moon, so it’s a planning time, not a time for action. Eclipses are also associated with endings and we can’t see clearly during an eclipse, we’re left in the dark and must wait for the light to return (or wait to be enlightened) to see a clear path forward.

In the meantime, today we can reflect that Cancer is a cardinal sign and in common with its opposite sign, Capricorn, it’s about progress, moving forward, building something.

Both signs need secure foundations to operate at their best, but while Capricorn’s mission is to gain security through building something tangible and material, Cancer needs to needs to build security through nurturing healthy emotional connections, and this includes self-nurture.

Today’s eclipse falls in the 9^th House of Astroair’s birth chart, highlighting themes of higher learning, far horizons and deeper meaning.  I will ponder on these themes and look in more detail at the blog chart (shown below) in the coming weeks but for now, I will pause to reflect that this is not an ending it’s the start of a new beginning.

With love,

Mandi x

Click to view

Below is an excerpt from a 2009 post Working with Eclipses

It might help to go a bit further and work with the energy of the Eclipses and see how they fit into your personal astrological cycles.

You will find that the most potent Eclipses for you personally are those that fall in very close proximity, by sign and degree, to planets and points in your natal horoscope. Personally, I only consider Eclipses which make tight (within 2 ½ degrees or less of orb) Conjunction, Square and Opposition aspects with natal planets and points. You can safely ignore the Trines, Sextiles and the minor aspects and many astrologers don’t even bother with the Squares, but I think they are worth considering.

Also bear in mind that astrological measurements tend to symbolize the processes and journeys of our lives and these processes take time to develop. For this reason, life ‘events’ rarely happen on the exact date of an astrological measurement, so when considering the effect of an Eclipse on your natal chart cast your net wide, by perhaps looking back three months before the Eclipse and a few weeks after. You may find that nothing actual ‘happens’ as such, but the Eclipse reflects an inner emotional or psychological process.

Here are a few keywords for working with Eclipses: endings; new beginnings; new chapters in life; the need to release/let go/cut cords emotionally, or in specific areas of your life; events and feelings coming to a head.

The Eclipse will express itself in terms of the sign in which it falls. For example, Aquarius is to do with community, friends, innovation, detachment; Cancer is to do with mothers, nurturing, domestic matters, feeling safe; Capricorn speaks about tradition, authority, ambition, the administration of life and Leo is all about pride, creativity, confidence, being loved and appreciated.

Eclipses will also express themselves in terms of the planet or points they aspect in your natal chart. For example an Eclipse on your Venus may be about your relationships, your assets, your social reach, your self esteem, how you give and share with others. With Mars it is about where and how you channel your energy; issues around assertiveness or aggression or issues around sexuality. For the Midheaven (MC) it will be about career; vocation; your social standing and status; the authority figures in your life.

However, when looking at the way an Eclipse affects you, don’t get too hung up on making your experiences ‘fit’ the key words, these are just prompts, what really matters most is your own, personal, unique experiences.

Below are three methods of looking at Eclipses that you might find helpful and illuminating.

The 19 Year Eclipse Cycle:

An Eclipse falls at the same degree of the Zodiac once every 19 years, giving us the opportunity to review the longer cycles of our lives, to look at the bigger picture.

For example, the Solar Eclipse of 22nd July 2009 fell on my IC Angle (therefore opposing my career Angle, the MC). Looking back 19 years, the 22nd July 1990 Eclipse fell at the same point. This corresponded with me starting my first job following graduation. Looking back over the years at my career progress I feel disappointed that I didn’t follow and fulfil the dreams I had in my heart back then. However, these dreams have recently re-awakened, causing stress and upheaval, but ultimately giving me an opportunity to release the dreams of my youth and reinvent them, with the benefit of maturity and experience.

To find out what this year’s Eclipses say about the bigger picture of your life, pick those Eclipses that touched planets and points in your chart very closely, then reflect on what was happening in your life 19 years previously to see if there is any connection. Were big changes occurring then? Are they related in any way to what is happening now? If you are very young, look at what was happening in your general family life, with your parents or siblings, for clues.

Looking at the Eclipses this way, can help you recognise recurring patterns in your life and show you how much progress you have made or where you have fallen off track.

Transits to Eclipse Degrees:

Tracking Transits to the Eclipse degrees is a tried and tested method used in Mundane astrology to predict events and changes in the fortunes in the horoscopes of countries and their leaders.
This method also works well with natal astrology. If an Eclipse fell on a planet or point in your chart, that planet or point will be supercharged and will be susceptible to the effects of the next planet which transits it.

For example, in September 2007, a Solar Eclipse fell at 18 degrees of Virgo, exactly conjunct my natal Uranus-Pluto conjunction. This was a happy time for me, I had just got engaged and was busy planning my wedding, but all was not well with my job. My boss had moved on and I had a new boss who I found it difficult to communicate with and who I felt did not value my contribution, but with so much happiness around me elsewhere it was easy to put the difficult work situation to one side, which I did, for too long! Then, in October 2008, transiting Saturn in Virgo made a conjunction to Uranus-Pluto, the first hit of three and I was laid off from my job. This was a very difficult and painful process, but I am now very happy in a new job and can see that the change needed to happen. It now seems clear to me that the Eclipse at 18 degrees Virgo in 2007, falling on my Uranus-Pluto, was the start of the process of losing my job, especially as Uranus and Pluto rule my 6th and 10th houses respectively, the houses associated most closely with work. Because I didn’t follow the loud and strong cues from the Universe to leave my job willingly (underlined by Transiting Uranus also opposing Uranus-Pluto) it took Saturn to finally oust me from the job. The whole process since (during Saturn’s 2nd and 3rd hits) has been about letting go of the old way of working, so I can succeed in a new career.

An Eclipse as Part of a Moon Family:

Astrologer Dietrech J Pessin discovered that all lunations, including Eclipses, form part of a family of related lunations. She found that every New Moon starts a new family cycle, consisting of a New Moon phase, a First Quarter Moon phase, a Full Moon phase and a Last Quarter Moon phase, with each lunation occurring in the same sign and approximate degree, nine months apart, the whole cycle covering a period of 2 ½ years.

A Moon family which aspects your natal horoscope closely is worth following, as the Moon phases of the family will most often reflect patterns in your own life development.

See her website for details of her book, Lunar Shadows, which explains this fascinating way of working with eclipses: https://www.lunar-shadows.com/

Other books on Eclipses that I would recommend are Eclipses by Celeste Teal and Predictive Astrology by Bernadette Brady.

The Downfall of Bill Cosby

The super famous seem to exist in an entirely different universe, like those distant twinkly constellations glimpsed on a dark night. As we watch them on the screen, spinning dream-like illusions, it’s hard to imagine that their lives are subject to the same laws as us mere mortals.

These are the beings, like the Gods on Olympus, who are allowed to behave badly and get away with it. And yet, under a Pluto in Capricorn world, that seems to be changing. Bill Cosby is the first high profile star of the #MeToo era to be criminally convicted (on three counts) of aggravated indecent assault, after drugging and assaulting a woman at his home in 2004. He was first tried for these offences in June 2017, but the case ended in a mistrial. A retrial was held in April 2018 and according to the District Attorney Kevin Steele, “he seemingly thinks that he hasn't done anything wrong. The jury thinks otherwise," and a guilty verdict was returned. On September 25, the 81 year old was sentenced to a three to 10 year custodial sentence.

Cosby - with his Sun at 20 degrees Cancer, Conjunct Mercury and Opposite Jupiter in Capricorn - secured his name in the stars with the lead role in the eponymous The Cosby Show, a joyful and extremely popular sitcom. It ran for eight seasons with Cosby as Dr. Cliff Huxtable, a clever, funny and wholesome family man and dedicated father, the beating heart of a tight knit family. Living up to the promise of his Cancer Sun Opposite Jupiter in Capricorn, he became a household name and earned the moniker of America’s Dad.

Sun and Mercury are also Conjunct Pluto in Cancer. Pluto has often been cited as the ruler of the black race and the show received praise for portraying a black family as stable, prosperous and successful, breaking with prevailing racial stereotypes.

The only fixed sign planet in his chart, Mars in Scorpio (wilful and sexually intense), Trines his Cancer planets and Sextiles his Jupiter. The Moon at 19 Virgo Conjunct Neptune, Sextile his Sun complex, perhaps signifies how much he fell into the illusion of the role he played, the safe and perfect family guy, and how much his audience also bought into it.

His conviction occurred under Pluto’s Opposition transit to his Sun in Cancer in particular and his other Cancer planets by association – transmuting his identity from homely family man to, as the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board has recommended, classification as a “sexually violent predator”. 

Transiting Pluto cuts through illusions to reveal the naked truth, however ugly and for Cosby, it has marked the symbolic death of his old identity and a rebirth into something entirely different. That Cosby seems to have failed to surrender to the process and take responsibility for his crimes, surely increases the suffering for all involved. 

Note that during the original trial, transiting Uranus in Aries was exactly Square his Mercury-Pluto Conjunction (disruption to the status quo, challenges to a deeply held mind-set, shocking revelations, breaking down the details to shine a laser beam on the truth). However, transiting Pluto was still shy of its first Opposition to his Sun.

The crimes for which he was convicted first surfaced in 2005, when Andrea Constand, a member of staff at Cosby's former university, alleged she had been drugged and then molested by the star at his home in 2004.  A number of other women made similar allegations against him, but this was the only case that made it to court. In 2004, transiting Saturn in Cancer crossed Cosby’s Cancer stellium and Trined his Mars and transiting Pluto in Sagittarius Quincunxed his Cancer Sun. Built into these transits is the Sagittarian ideal of justness and the Saturnian idea of not getting away with it, however long it takes for justice to prevail.

Constand, taking about her assault, said the drugs he gave her had left her "frozen" and unable to move when the sexual assault took place. This is interesting in the context of Mars in Scorpio. It’s said that Cancer is contained water, Pisces is free-flowing water and Scorpio is water in its frozen form. With Mars signifying sexual desire and Scorpio about control, a naturally fiery planet in a cold sign, the imagery fits. Which is not to say, of course, that all Mars in Scorpio natives are sexual predators, nor that all sexual predators have Mars in Scorpio!  It’s notable however, that Cosby’s custodial sentence comes at the time of transiting Jupiter in Scorpio exactly Conjunct his Mars. This reminds us that Jupiter transits are not just about growth, optimism and good luck, they’re also about justice and integrity.

Birth details from Astrodatabank: 12 July 1937, 3pm, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Rodden rating DD – an alternative birth time of 12.30am is also cited)

References

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-30194819

©Mandi Lockley, 2018

Cancer Full Moon Round Up

This month’s Full Moon occurs at 29 Degrees of Cancer. Interestingly, we’re having a series of Full Moons at the 29th and final degree of their sign – October 2010 through February 2011. The last degree of each sign is known as the Anaretic or Critical degree. There’s a sense of urgency about this degree, a need to quickly wrap up any issues to do with the sign involved, because ‘any minute’ the planet involved is changing signs and new energies are about to rush in.

So what could be urgent about this Full Moon in Cancer? Look towards your home-life balance. Have you got the balance right? Certainly, the Saturn-Pluto energies of last year have seen many of us working very hard and expending so much energy as we battle to cling on to our jobs, incomes and security. The effect this has had on our home and family lives could come to light now and we may need to consider whether we’ve got the balance right. While this Full Moon makes us very aware of the need to be financially secure (Capricorn), we also need to remember that emotional security (Cancer) is just as important.

Here’s my quick round up of what other bloggers are saying about the Cancer Full Moon:

From Darkstar Astrology: Full Moon January – Star Wars

From Julie Demboski: Cancer Full Moon – Power Lineage, Power Elite

Auntie Moon’s Full Moon Giveaway for Cancer
(but hurry, you only have until 5:00pm (ET) to enter)

From Planetary Apothecary: Cancer/Capricorn Full Moon

Also check out Starcana’s Daily Planetary Weather

Happy Full Moon Day
With love,
Mandi
http://www.mandillockley.com/

Cancer Solar Eclipse and the Cancer-Capricorn Dynamic

Earth Angel by Josephine Wall

Falling in the cardinal water sign of Cancer, the Total Solar Eclipse of 11th July, reminds us, once again, that Cancer is the only Cardinal sign not represented in the current T-Square of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto.

In fact, since the T-Square began to form in 2008, with the entry of Pluto into Capricorn and the start of the Saturn-Uranus Oppositions, there have been (and will be) a number of Solar and Lunar Eclipses in the sign of the crab and in its opposite sign, Capricorn the goat (details at the end).

This I find very interesting. If you consider that the effect of an Eclipse lasts around six months of so, we are pretty much consistently under the auspices of powerful Cancer-Capricorn eclipsed lunations for the duration of the T-Square.

Cancer is ruled by the Moon, the feminine, nurturing, lunar archetype and Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, the masculine authority, the limit-setter, old father time. The Cancer-Capricorn axis is to do with mother and father and the parental archetype in general. It’s also to do with the balance between home and work and about our roots, our early home life and the authority figures we encountered there. It’s how we were nurtured and how from that point we branch out into the world to acquire our own standing, status and reputation, in the process becoming parents and authority figures ourselves. 

In essence, this axis is about where we come from and where we’re heading towards and the intricate, inseparable relationship between those two places. Both Cancer and Capricorn need to feel safe and secure. For Cancer the emphasis is on emotional security and nurturing and for Capricorn, the emphasis is on worldly, material security. 

Both signs, in their own ways need to learn to set healthy boundaries and together, they can show us the way to find the balance between a healthy emotional life and a secure material life. Finding this Cancer-Capricorn balance is all important, if we are to avoid collectively and individually slipping into the shadow expression of these signs. 

The shadow side of Cancer is needy, over-protective and emotionally manipulative. Nothing new can be learnt from this position. Rather, the emotions become stagnant and turn in on themselves, with ever diminishing returns.

The shadow side of Capricorn is rigid, over-structured and cold. Making progress in the so-called real world is the only thing that matters. Integrity, other people’s safety and security and taking responsibility for our actions goes out of the window.

In the shadow side of both signs, the world is a harsh, difficult, dangerous place. In this expression of the two signs, the energies can’t flow naturally, they are blocked and squashed and transmuted into something which can harm rather than heal and we are locked in a compulsive pattern of doing what we feel we need to do in order to ‘survive’.

Pluto in Capricorn is collectively urging us to unearth, reveal, purge and transform the Capricorn shadow. Just looking at the state of world’s economies right now is all the evidence we need to suggest we have let ourselves fall into the Capricorn shadow. It’s also evident in the way we have been raping our earth and our ocean’s resources. It is now totally clear that the way we have been doing things is totally unsustainable. Doing something about it is up to all of us.

Cancer, the missing element in the T-Square, points us in the right direction, demonstrating through its relationships with Capricorn that finding the right balance is key. Mother earth is plentiful, she has enough to go around, but her abundance needs to be honoured, respected, shared and replenished, not plundered for profit, never mind the consequences.  

Eclipse Image: Credit Nasa

So, at the time of the July 11th Cancer Eclipse and indeed beyond, I will be considering all these themes and meditating on the balance and the light in the Cancer-Capricorn axis. 

Looking specifically at this Eclipse, at first glance, the New Moon in Cancer doesn’t connect with the T-Square, in way that it did during the Capricorn Lunar Eclipse on 26th July (which formed a high energy Grand Cross with the T-Square), but if you look closely you will see that it does in fact make a Quindecile (165 degree) aspect with Pluto in Capricorn (see the chart below – also shown is the chart showing all the planets).

If you don’t use the Quindecile, it’s worth investigating. Noel Tyl counts the Quindecile as a major aspect and describes it as “an aspect of unrelenting motivation, obsession, determination, upheaval, disruption, even separation”.

Between the Sun and Moon in Cancer and Pluto in Capricorn, this aspect speaks of an intense drive for power, of the urge to achieve goals through the use of control and manipulation, of planting seeds of fear and insecurity. At best however, this powerful connection between Pluto and the Eclipse, gives us the collective opportunity to disrupt and upset that pattern, to expose it for what it is and demand a healthier, more balanced way of being. It also gives us a collective and individual opportunity for self evaluation, for purging old emotional wounds and facing our insecurities.

As I have said on this blog many times before, we seriously need to redress the balance between the masculine and the feminine, the inner and the outer, the yin and the yang in our individual and collective lives. We need to honour the sacred feminine spirit, nod to the goddess and respect mother earth. 

These years we are living through are a real opportunity for a positive shift in mass consciousness. Let’s not waste them.

My very first blog post here at Astroair dealt with this very same topic ~ an Eclipse in Cancer and the Cancer-Capricorn dynamic and here I am reiterating it again. Is it a coincidence that this blog celebrates its 1st birthday on the day of this upcoming Cancer Solar Eclipse?

With love,
Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

Notes

Eclipses in Cancer or Capricorn 2008-2011

• 7 July 2008: Lunar Eclipse with Sun at 15 Cancer and Moon at 15 Capricorn
• 22 July 2009: Solar Eclipse with Sun and Moon at 29 Cancer
• 31 December 2009: Lunar Eclipse with Sun at 10 Capricorn and Moon at 10 Cancer
• 15 January 2010: Solar Eclipse with Sun and Moon at 25 Capricorn
• 26 June 2010: Lunar Eclipse with Sun at 5 Cancer and Moon at 5 Capricorn ~ forming a Grand Cross with the Jupiter-Saturn-Uranus-Pluto T-Square
• 11 July 2009: Solar Eclipse with Sun and Moon at 19 Cancer
• 4 January 2011: Solar Eclipse with Sun and Moon at 14 Capricorn
• 1 July 2011: Solar Eclipse with Sun and Moon at 9 Cancer

What is the general meaning of an Eclipse?

Eclipses are very dramatic events to observe, as those lucky enough to have witnessed a Total Eclipse of the Sun or watched a Lunar Eclipse on a clear night as the Moon disappeared behind the shadow of the Earth, will verify. However, you don’t need to directly experience an eclipse for its symbolism to reflect in your personal experiences. The old adage as above, so below, stands firm. That said it is difficult to predict exactly what will happen when an eclipse touches your personal astrological chart. Their effects are sometimes exciting, sometimes stressful, often passing by without having any sort of obvious effect at the time, only to manifest as an event some weeks later. In most general terms though, eclipses represent endings and new beginnings, times when the light goes out and something is taken away, creating a space for something new to germinate. If a particular Eclipse falls on a planet or point in your natal chart and you want to work consciously with the energies, they are good times for beginning the process of releasing, letting go of outdated, worn-out emotional baggage and planting the seeds of new beginnings. For some more astrological ideas on how to work with eclipses see Working with Eclipses.

Will this Eclipse Affect You?

The July 11th Eclipse will be particularly relevant to you if you have a planet or angle between 17 and 21 degrees of Cancer or Capricorn. In particular, if it's your birthday between 10 and 12th July this is a powerful eclipse indeed and the potential for major change is in the air for you. If you do not know if you have planets or angles in the relevant degrees and/or signs you can quickly download your own birth chart which will provide you with this information in a simply understood way at http://www.alabe.com/ 

Recommended Reading on Eclipses

Lunar Shadows by Dietrech Pessin

Eclipses by Celeste Teal

Predictive Astrology by Bernadette Brady

Capricorn Lunar Eclipse: Letting Go & Yin & Yang

Capricorn by Josephine Wall

Just like the chart for the Solstice, the Capricorn Lunar Eclipse on June 26th picks up the ongoing cardinal t-square formation of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto, bringing the themes of this formation even more strongly into the frame of our consciousness.

In my blog about the Solstice, I talked about how so many of us have had a challenging couple of years. We’ve been dealing with big changes, responding to the need to set new boundaries, adjusting to restricted or reduced circumstances, not to mention trying to keep up with the tiring juggling act we’ve had to perfect in order to keep everything in balance! This could be operating at any level or all levels - the emotional, mental, spiritual or material level, for instance.

All in all, collectively and individually, we’ve been feeling stretched and squeezed and prodded and now we feel just about ready to pop and indeed, a Lunar Eclipse certainly represents a time when energies are released, not just on the day of the eclipse itself but in the lead up and after.

A few ideas on how to work with the Eclipse energies below, but first, a very quick look at the chart for the Eclipse below. Just like the Solstice Chart, Jupiter and Uranus (on the left) are connected to the Sun (at the bottom), Saturn (on the right) and Pluto (at the top of the chart). Joining Pluto is the Moon in Capricorn and joining the Sun is Mercury in Cancer. They’re all connected by a series of squares and oppositions which form a grand cross – see the cross pattern in centre of the circle, marked out in sharp, red lines? For more on what the grand cross means, see Solstice and the Grand Cross.

Chart set for the moment of the Eclipse, June 26 2010. Click on the chart to enlarge.

Take my word for it, this is powerful stuff, incredibly energetic, but potentially very tense. So what to do to make positive benefit of the powerful energies and to help release some of the tension?

Do Some Releasement Work

A Lunar Eclipse represents a culmination and presents an opportunity for release, for letting go, consciously and with awareness. Here are a few ideas for releasement work you could do during this Lunar Eclipse time.

First of all think about what you would like to, or need to, release. It could be negative thought patterns; old issues around family dynamics; unhelpful attitudes towards prosperity or pride and ego issues. Or perhaps you need to kick a bad habit, heal an unhealthy relationship pattern or let go of old grief that’s preventing you from moving forwards.

Breathe of Gaia by Josephine Wall

Once you know what you would like to release you can try any of the following, as suits you:

~ Say a prayer to your chosen God or spirit
~ Make a wish
~ Write an affirmation and say it aloud
~ Write a letter to yourself, detailing what you want to release then (safely) burn the letter to release the energy
~ Talk it through openly with a supportive, non judgmental friend. Acknowledging a block can be a good first step to releasing it
~ Perform a banishing spell, if you are so inclined
~ Ask the Archangels to help you cut the cords for what it is you want to release
~ Visualise yourself letting go through meditation work
~ Work with the appropriate crystals, candles, essential oils or flower remedies. If you are not sure which crystals, candles etc are the right ones use your intuition.
~ Use your imagination to make a ceremony out of it, perhaps by using pictures, music and song, dance, incense or precious objects.

Good practice for releasement work:

~ Pick a quiet time and place where you won’t be disturbed. Turn your phone off!
~ Before you begin, make sure you feel calm, centred and grounded
~ Always be positive
~ Always work from a place of love and compassion
~ Always assert that this work is done for the higher good and that it harm none
~ Always do this work only for yourself. You have no business doing this work for other people's issues. For example, if your partner's stubbornness drives you crazy, you should never write an affirmation asking for them to be less stubborn. Instead you could write an affirmation to help you stop being irritated by the stubbornness, such as: I release the part of me that is irritated by you.
~ Always use the present tense in your affirmations, prayers, wishes etc. For example, I now release past hurts that are holding me back or Please help me release past hurts now
~ Show gratitude by saying thank you or by making some other gesture of thanks

Balancing Yin and Yang and Honoring the Goddess

Just like the Lunar eclipse in Cancer on 31st December, this Eclipse reminds us that Cancer – the yin, lunar sign, is the empty leg of the cardinal t-square (the only cardinal sign not inhabited by an outer planet in 2010).

Cancer by Josephine Wall

So perhaps we should be making more time now for Cancerian things - the yin energies - such as home, family, security, nurturing, instinct and reflection.

All eclipses, being powerful alignments of the Sun and Moon with the Earth, speak of the irrefutable balance in the universe between the masculine/solar/yang energies and the feminine/lunar/yin energies. They seek to remind us of how we must work to maintain that balance here on our planet.

Letting one side take over creates imbalance and disruption. Are we not seeing the evidence of how disastrous an imbalance of these energies can be in the Gulf Coast oil spill? The yang, masculine energies have penetrates the ocean’s riches for profit, disregarding issues of safety and of concern for nature and its resources.

This is more than enough reason to honour the feminine spirit, nod to the goddess, the moon and the mother energies within ourselves, our spirituality and our world. Give thanks to maidens, mothers, wise old crones. Invoke the spirit of Gaia, mother earth, the water goddesses such as Sedna, or any other goddess figure or mother figure you feel drawn to. Ask them to send positive healing energies in the right direction.

You could also do worse than to meditate on the beautiful images featured in this blog post, which represent Cancer, Capricorn and Gaia. They are all by artist Josephine Wall and you can see more of her stunning work at http://www.josephinewall.co.uk/

I’m sure I will return to these themes again soon, as there will be a total solar eclipse in Cancer in July, just a few days before the cardinal t-square of Saturn, Uranus and Pluto comes to its fullest exactness.

Working with the Planetary Energies

Working with the planetary energies simply means sitting up and taking note of the symbolism they represent by sign and by their connections (aspects) with other planets. While I do not believe that planets 'make' things happen, our experience of astrology tells us that their symbolism is definitely reflected here on earth in our collective and individual experience. Taking this view allows us the free will and opportunity to use the planetary energies positively.

This work will be more powerful if you work with transiting planets that are making connections with (aspects to) one or more of your natal planets or points. In the case of this Eclipse, the planets discussed below will currently be transiting your chart if you have planets or points in the first five degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn in your chart (you can get your chart at http://www.alabe.com/).

The following is more or less a repeat of what I said in the Solstice blog post, but with the addition of the Moon and Mercury:

Saturn in Virgo reminds us to take a reality check and helps us to remember that sometimes it’s the small, practical, carefully thought out things we do that make the difference, not the grand gestures. When Saturn goes back into Libra in July, it reminds us to find balance in our lives, to set healthy boundaries in our relationships, to act justly and to opt for fair compromise.

Uranus in Aries, here in conjunction with Jupiter in Aries, reminds us to have faith, to think big, to be creative, to experiment, to express our individuality and authenticity, to get excited, to grab opportunities and to jump right in and initiate change.

Pluto in Capricorn reminds us to own and use our personal power wisely and responsibly. We’ve collectively worked hard to get to this point and we are ready to learn that having and holding power doesn’t have to, and shouldn’t, mean taking the power away from someone else. Pluto (along with Saturn) can also help us to keep things in perspective, to act properly under pressure and not to let fear blind us from seeing things clearly. The Moon in Capricorn joins Pluto for this intense Eclipse, taking the emotional level up a few notches. This combination could bring some super deep emotions to the surface. Find some way to release them in a controlled, steady way!

The Sun in Cancer reminds us to care and to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe and nurtured, to honour the goddess, as I spoke of above. Mercury in Cancer brings emotional conversations and reminds us to think with our gut, our instinct, as well as with our logical right brain.

For some more astrological ideas on how to work with eclipses see Working with Eclipses

With love,
Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

Cancer by Cancerians

The Sun is now in the lovely watery sign of Cancer, so let's hear what a few well known Cancerians have to say for themselves:

The right diet directs sexual energy into the parts that matter.

Barbara Cartland, author of romantic novels

Sun in Cancer, Moon in Aries

The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.

Meryl Streep, actress

Sun in Cancer, Moon in Taurus

I'll tell you what I would do in a shot if I could. I would sing in the barbershop quartet in The Music Man.

Ned Beatty, actor

Sun in Cancer, Moon in Gemini

My great-grandmother was your great-great-grandfather's mistress, so how about it?

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, formerly Camilla Parker Bowles. Reportedly said to Prince Charles when she first met him in 1970

Sun in Cancer, Moon in Cancer

You'll never find peace of mind until you listen to your heart.

George Michael, singer-songwriter

Sun in Cancer, Moon in Leo

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.

Dalai Lama, exiled Tibetan spiritual leader

Sun in Cancer, Moon in Virgo

America is a Nation with a mission - and that mission comes from our most basic beliefs. We have no desire to dominate, no ambitions of empire. Our aim is a democratic peace - a peace founded upon the dignity and rights of every man and woman.

George W. Bush, former American President

Sun in Cancer, Moon in Libra

Good actors can sort of see into people and immediately you have a chemistry with them or not. It's like an affair with no mess.

John Cusack, actor

Sun in Cancer, Moon in Scorpio

I don't react to a tragic happening any more. I took so many bad things as a kid and some people think I don't care about anything. It's just too hard for me to get emotional. I can't cry no more.

Mike Tyson, boxer

Sun in Cancer, Moon in Sagittarius

Forget your personal tragedy. We are all bitched from the start and you especially have to be hurt like hell before you can write seriously. But when you get the damned hurt, use it-don't cheat with it.

Ernest Hemingway, author

Sun in Cancer, Moon in Capricorn

Anywhere I see suffering, that is where I want to be, doing what I can.

Diana, Princess of Wales

Sun in Cancer, Moon in Aquarius

I like my wine like my women - ready to pass out.

Robin Williams, actor-comedian

Sun in Cancer, Moon in Pisces

The Solstice and the Grand Cross

The Sun’s ingress into the sign of Cancer is always a very important power point in the solar calendar, marking the June Solstice*. This year’s Solstice chart is a very powerful one indeed because it picks right up on all the main action!

Cancer, as many of you will know, is one of the cardinal signs, the others being Aries, Libra and Capricorn. Since 2008 most of the outer planets, which represent collective moods, feeling and developments, have been moving into the cardinal signs. First Pluto moved into Capricorn in 2008, next Saturn went into Libra in 2009, and finally in March ’10, Uranus moved Aries.

The chart for the Solstice picks up all these outer planets very strongly. You can see this very clearly, marked out in red lines in the chart below. The Sun, to the left of the chart, connects with Saturn at the bottom (currently in Virgo after a retrograde period, but back in Libra by July 21); Pluto in Capricorn on the right and Jupiter and Uranus in Aries at the top. These connections form what is known as a grand cross.

Before considering what this grand cross means, think about how things have been for you the last three months or so. How are you feeling now? For me, the last few months have been pretty hard-going. Flux, overwhelm, emotional and mental fatigue and the constant need to adjust to new energies. On top of all that, a sense of losing momentum and the urge to withdraw, retreat and lie low for a while. Frankly, it’s been exhausting.

Your experience might be similar, or completely different, but consider your own experience as you read on, because we all start from the place that we’re at, if you know what I mean. For sure, we’ve all been living through some challenging planetary aspects these last couple of years, particularly those of us with natal planets or angles in the late mutable signs and/or early cardinal signs (you can get your chart for free at www.alabe.com if you want to know if you’re affected). Many of us have had to deal with big changes over which we’ve had little control and many more of us are having to work hard to set healthy boundaries as we try to balance conflicting commitments and maintain our poise as we juggle what we must do with what we want to do.

So, what’s next? Well, the Solstice chart can be used to make a general prediction for the coming three months, so let’s take a look at it. First of all, the grand cross stands out. A grand cross symbolises conflicting energies, opposition, tension, competing priorities. There is the danger of stalemate, working yourself into a corner, or the feeling of being buffered about from pillar to post, but not really getting anywhere fast as you try to balance everything and everyone in your life. Primarily in cardinal signs it urges us to do something, to take action. The time for procrastination is over. However, as I have said on this blog before, we have to take correct action, with clear and positive intention. Before stepping on a path, we should ask ourselves if we are taking positive, empowered steps forward or are we merely reacting to circumstances. The gift that a grand cross brings is tremendous energy and the opportunity to find stability and balance. The trap that a grand cross brings is inflexibility, re-action rather than action and a whole heap of tension.

So what can we do, to ensure that we are able to use energies of this grand cross for the highest good, for the best possible outcome? Well there are a number of ways and here are just a few ideas and I’m sure you’ll have some ideas of your own.

Using the energies of the planets involved wisely and to the highest good is a sensible place to start. Remember though, that when we are communing with the planets, tapping into their energies, it's a bit like communing with the gods, because the planets were named after the old, great gods. We should hold that thought and respect it.

Saturn in Virgo reminds us to take a reality check and helps us to remember that sometimes it’s the small, practical, carefully thought out things we do that make the difference, not the grand gestures. When Saturn goes back into Libra, it reminds us to find balance in our lives, to set healthy boundaries in our relationships, to act justly and to opt for fair compromise.

Uranus in Aries, here in conjunction with Jupiter in Aries, reminds us to have faith, to think big, to be creative, to experiment, to express our individuality and authenticity, to get excited, to grab opportunities and to jump right in and initiate change.

Pluto in Capricorn reminds us to own and use our personal power wisely and responsibly. We’ve collectively worked hard to get to this point and we are ready to learn that having and holding power doesn’t have to, and shouldn’t, mean taking the power away from someone else. Pluto (along with Saturn) can also help us to keep things in perspective, to act properly under pressure and not to let fear blind us from seeing things clearly.

Finally, the Sun in Cancer reminds us to care and to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe and nurtured. It asks us to remember our roots and to listen to our instincts. Look again at the chart above. See the blue triangle that starts from the Sun in Cancer and picks up the Moon, Neptune and Chiron? This formation, a grand trine, provides us with an opportunity to find some gentle release from the tension of  the grand cross and sprinkles a little bit of magic-dust idealism over our outlook. It reminds us that sometimes we need to just simply go with the flow. Falling in air and water signs, the grand trine speaks of the need to find the head-heart balance as we go about our lives.

And finally, here are a few other suggestions of things to do to nurture ourselves during these testing times:

Learn to follow your feelings and your instincts
Ask where you are meant to be and listen for the answer
Act from the heart, for the highest good
Practice being in the moment
Spend time in nature
Stay grounded
Follow your creative urges
Sing, dance, play, celebrate, make some noise

Just a few days after the Solstice, on June 26 there is a Lunar Eclipse, with the Moon joining the grand cross dance. More on this, plus how to use the Eclipse energies to do some releasement work in a few days time.

The grand cross described here is a temporary alignment, but Saturn, Uranus and Pluto have been making a t-square together for some time gone and some time to come. To find out more and to access some amazing coping and healing techniques, see the Cardinal T Square Blog-A-Thon

With love,
Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

*Solstice/Equinox 101:
There are two Solstices and the two Equinoxes each year. These important power points occur as the Sun enters one of the cardinal signs of the zodiac - Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn and astrologers use the charts for these events to make predictions for the following three months ahead.
The first Equinox of the year occurs when the Sun moves into Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, around March 21, marking the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. At an Equinox, day and night are of equal length.
The first Solstice occurs when the Sun moves into Cancer around June 21. In the Northern Hemisphere the Solstice marks midsummer, the longest day of the year and in the Southern Hemisphere it marks midwinter, the shortest day of the year.
The second Equinox, around September 21, when the Sun moves into Libra, marks the start of autumn in the N. Hemisphere and the start of spring in the S. Hemisphere.
Finally, the second Solstice of the year occurs around December 21 when the Sun moves into Capricorn, marking the shortest day (midwinter) in the N. Hemisphere and longest day (midsummer) in the S. Hemisphere. The further away from the Equator you are located the more pronounced the Equinoxes will be. For example, very Northern locations will experience twenty-four hour darkness at the winter Solstice and twenty-four hour sunlight at the summer Solstice. If you are located very near to the Equator, day and night are more or less of equal length all year round.
The Solstices and Equinoxes have been important and much celebrated festival days for many thousands of years and are today still celebrated by modern Wiccans, Pagans and Druids.

Stonehenge image from: http://www.stonehengetours.com/html/summer-solstice-tour.htm The ancient stone circle of Stonehenge near Salisbury, England is a major focal point for celebrating the summer Solstice, with thousands gathering each year to watch the Solstice sunrise align with the stones.

The chart pictured is set for the moment the Sun enters Cancer on 21st June 2010 and uses Solar Sign houses.