Underwater Lakes in Neptune's Kingdom

At the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, on the sea bed, over half a mile down, there lies an underwater lake, with a lapping tide, a curving shoreline and a surface easily discernible from the surrounding sea water.

How can that be? It's underwater?

 

It turns out that the water in the 'lake' is a thick briny soup, much heavier than regular sea water and that its 'beach' is made up of a vast colony of mussels. This habitat has evolved a completely new ecosystem, full of previously undiscovered species of flora and fauna and so deep under the water that it functions without the life giving energies of the Sun. Instead it is fuelled by bacteria and methane.

 

So far we have explored just 1% of the ocean floor, so who knows what else is out there to be discovered. It feels like a metaphor for the unknowable parts of our subconscious. And mysterious impossible lakes beneath the sea? It feels like we are swimming in Neptune's kingdom.

 

When we're experiencing a Neptune transit, or dealing with challenging natal Neptune aspects activated by a transit from another planet, we can feel the drag and the weight of our own metaphorical underwater lake, the depths of our subconscious. It pulls us down towards own heavy, dark, alien, undiscovered places. Environments that we'd probably rather not explore.

 

Picture from http://maleneplouf.wordpress.com/

Do we dive right into the murky depths to find what's underneath?  Not that easy and maybe not even advisable for some of us, but we might decide after some hesitation that resistance is futile and let ourselves be dragged wherever our psyches lead us.  Or do we float on the surface of our lake, rest there a while and see where the tide takes us, trying not to go under. Maybe we hover around the shoreline, looking in but not touching? Perhaps we don't go there at all and stay near the surface of our regular ocean, our conscious emotions, where we can still see the Sun and breathe the air. Whatever choice we make, and maybe its not a conscious choice, we are driven by our instincts. Logic and reason can't help us.

 

That thick, heavy, swampy water in the underwater lake can be read as a metaphor for the deep ancient emotions that we have denied or forgotten, but ones we have carried with us nevertheless. If we stir that water, those emotions will become disturbed, eventually bubbling up to the surface, ultimately releasing and dissolving the toxins, but making us deal with the emotional pollution that is the by-product of the process.

 

Neptune demands that we put our faith in the unknown, but it is as likely to punish us for doing so (disappointment, disillusionment, delusion) as it is to reward us (spiritual awakening, cleansing of the spirit, belief, creative inspiration, the awakening of compassion).

 

But we still must take our chances, because we soon learn that to resist is to invite unnecessary suffering. Our Neptune transit (or transit to Neptune) reminds us that, like the underwater lake under the Gulf of Mexico, life is a mystery and that often we are even a mystery to ourselves.

 

And now for some Saturn news

 

It's a year to the day since Saturn moved into Scorpio and I would like extend to a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who has bought my e-book Saturn in Scorpio: Your Guide Through The Dark and for the positive feedback. I hope it's been an interesting and helpful read.

 

Saturn's still got more than a year and a half to go in Scorpio, so if you want to find out more about the book, follow this link: http://mandilockley.blogspot.co.uk/p/saturn-in-scorpio-your-guide-through.html

 

With love and thanks,

Mandi

Neptune in Pisces Miscellanea

Picture by George Cruikshank, 19th Century caricaturist

As I begin to write this, Neptune will move into Pisces in less than four hours time and I’m sure that by the time I finish and post it, Neptune will be settling nicely in the sign of the fish.

Because Pisces is ruled by Neptune, the big blue planet will feel ‘at home’ in the water sign of the fishes, so all the things that are symbolized by Neptune will have freer expression, will become more obvious in the collective.

Here's, an exploration of just a random few of Neptune in Pisces’ astrological themes…

Neptune dissolves boundaries. In Aquarius, Neptune dissolved the boundaries of physical distance through technology. Thanks to the rapid spread of the internet the world became a smaller place, an intricate web of constant connection to anyone, anywhere. This was of course equally due to Uranus in Pisces, which for years was in a supportive mutual reception with Neptune in Aquarius. The connections we made in this way were mostly cerebral, the sharing of ideas and information. In Pisces, Neptune will begin to dissolve the boundaries of feeling, opening us up to swim in the collective miasma of the emotional experience. How that will manifest I can’t say for sure, but when it comes to social sharing on the internet, perhaps we will begin to feel more aware of how what we communicate online can stir strong emotional feelings in others.  This could a wonderful thing, but feelings of hurt, sympathy, anger, empathy etc. etc. are also easily triggered even in ‘impersonal’ cyberspace and we will all have to be more sensitive to the effect that what we say online can have on someone thousands of miles away that we may never meet.

Watery technology: I had a look for advances in communications technology from the last time Neptune was in Pisces (1847-1842) and discovered something fascinating. This period saw the beginnings of submarine telegraphy, where telegraphs were sent via underwater cables. The first commercial line was laid across the English Channel, connecting England with France in 1850:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine_telegraphy  

What opportunities will the ocean bring now that Neptune’s in Pisces again?

The Spread of the Skirt: Neptune is associated with fashion and glamour. The last time Neptune was in Pisces was between 1847 and 1862. It was such a different age of course, but it’s interesting to see what was à la mode back then. Fashion, like everything else, goes in cycles, so perhaps we will see some elements making a comeback. The most notable trend in the 1850’s was the ever increasing width of women’s skirts. The introduction of the steel cage crinoline in 1856 meant that skirts could become even wider, reaching their maximum width in the early 1860’s, as Neptune was preparing to leave Pisces. However, by the early 1860s a backlash against complicated and structured fashion styles began. Called the Artistic Dress Movement, it advocated a simple but romantic design, with a focus on beautiful fabrics which harked back to earlier medieval styles. While this style didn’t catch on until Neptune had moved into Aries, it’s easy to see how it grew out of Neptune in Pisces. These styles were beautifully captured on canvas by the Pre-Raphaelite painters. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artistic_Dress_movement

Anne settling into her new home

Compassion for suffering is a major theme for Neptune and none more so in Pisces. A news story that broke just as Neptune was about to leave Aquarius really seized the public imagination. Anne was the last circus elephant in the UK. At 59 years old, she’s a grand old dame. Animal rights campaigners had been petitioning for years for her to be taken away from her owners, but to no avail. However, when Animal Defenders International filmed secret footage of her being abused by her groom and released it to the media, it sparked a massive campaign. Anne’s sad story of over 50 years in servile captivity really touched a nerve with the public and genuinely moved people to tears and to action. The day before Neptune moved into Pisces, her owners finally agreed to give her up and by the time Neptune was in Pisces Anne was happily ensconced in her new home at Longleat Safari Park. A new ingress for Neptune and a new ingress for Anne. Early indications are that she’s doing very well and happily settling into her retirement. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1373415/A-day-Anne-elephant-forget-retirement-begins-Longleat.html

As the government spending cuts start to bite, charities and organizations that help the vulnerable and the needy are bound to take a hit. However, I strongly believe that philanthropy will become a major theme of Neptune in Pisces. Already the UK government is passing new legislation to make it easier for charities to claim tax breaks on donations. They’re also making it easier for businesses and individuals to give to charities. Additionally, the government is trying to promote its Big Society idea, the notion that we are all in it together and must work together and support each other to create the society we want.  I feel that, as a collective, we will become ever more aware of the suffering of others and will work to find better and more effective ways to help. This was certainly the case when Neptune was in Pisces last time, when there was a change in how society viewed the poor. To quote an article about Victorian philanthropy at skyminds.net:

"During the first half of the 19th century, it was often claimed that poverty was the result of an individual’s inability to cope with life, linked to some defect, like laziness or alcohol dependency. It was felt that the deserving poor should be encouraged to help themselves out of their predicament through hard work, abstemious behaviour, thrift and godliness. The role of Government was limited: doling out large sums of relief to the poor would only have the perverse effect of encouraging poverty, especially among the undeserving. The second half of the 19th century saw other ideas about poverty come to the surface. Henry Mayhew (London Labour and the London Poor, 1851) wrote newspaper articles describing the abject living conditions of some of the more colourful characters among the London poor. It appeared to him that those living on or below the breadline were not all guilty of some moral defect. Many were simply unable to find sufficiently well-paid employment." 

The Cooperative Movement also saw important developments the last time Neptune was in Pisces:

“The Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers was a group of 28 weavers and other artisans in  England, that was formed in 1844. As the mechanization of the Industrial Revolution was forcing more and more skilled workers into poverty, these tradesmen decided to band together to open their own store selling food items they could not otherwise afford. With lessons from prior failed attempts at co-operation in mind, they designed the now famous Rochdale Principles, and over a period of four months they struggled to pool together one pound sterling per person for a total of 28 pounds of capital. On December 21, 1844, they opened their store with a very meager selection of butter, sugar, flour, oatmeal and a few candles. Within three months, they expanded their selection to include tea and tobacco, and they were soon known for providing high quality, unadulterated goods.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_cooperative_movement

The Rochdale Pioneers methods formed the basis for the modern co-operative movement. The People’s Supermarket is a recent attempt to reinvigorate the idea in London, providing a customer owned business that also offers a good deal for local producers. Let’s hope it starts a new wave of similar projects elsewhere. 

Finally, here are a couple of great articles about Neptune in Pisces:

Neptune in Pisces by Adrian Ross Duncan: http://www.world-of-wisdom.com/blog/neptune-in-pisces/33/

Neptune and Collective Mythologies by Dharmaruci:

http://astrotabletalk.blogspot.com/2011/03/neptune-and-collective-mythologies.html

With love,

Mandi

www.mandilockley.com 

The Virgo SuperMoon ~ Changing Landscapes and a Million Small Stories

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The astrological community has been buzzing lately, as it always does when celestial alignments are reflected in dramatic events in the collective. (A brief explanation of the astrological picture is explained below, including the Virgo Full Moon of March 19^th, a SuperMoon; Uranus’ ingress into Aries and Neptune in the final degree of Aquarius.)

With recent events such as the mass uprisings in the Middle East and the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan, without a doubt the world’s political and physical landscape is changing. World developments of such magnitude change millions of people’s lives forever and therefore also alter the psychological and emotional landscape of everyone directly caught up in them. To a lesser extent these kinds of events also shift the perspective of those of us who watch events unfold from a distance.

While contemplating or worrying about what the Virgo SuperMoon* means, if anything, let’s not forget that Virgo is all about the small details. It’s about the ‘little’ people, about service and about the minutiae of personal experience. While we may be buzzing about the big picture and the affect that recent events are having on politics, world economics and physical geography, try to remember that the parts that make up the whole are a million or more ‘small’ human stories. Humbling stories of love, dignity, heroism and hope in the face of loss, grief and personal tragedy.

As the Moon in Virgo opposes the Sun in Pisces, many of us feel inspired to send our prayers and healing thoughts out to those in need (Pisces). This is a beautiful thing to do, but perhaps we should also consider that Virgo is about offering practical, tangible help and balance our response accordingly. 

Donate:
The British Red Cross  
The American Red Cross 

Here’s a brief summary of the current astrological picture:


Uranus (shocks, sudden change, revolutionary energy, nuclear uranium) left watery Pisces on 11/12 March 2011 and moved into zero degrees of fiery Aries, the ‘urgent’ astrological degree where it is said that a great rush of energy projects outwards into the world, seeking manifestation.


Read more: Energy Rush ~ Uranus in Aries at the Aries Point by Astroair Astrology


Uranus (the great awakener) in Aries (fire, spirit, urgency, action) is square to Pluto (the great transformer/destroyer, plutonium, plutocrats) in Capricorn (structure, authority, control, physical and material processes, business). While this aspect does not become exact until June 2012, it is already close enough to be reflected in world events. Combined, these planets symbolise turmoil, social change, upheavals, rebellions, shake-ups and break-ups. 

Everything you need to know about Uranus-Pluto alignments from a big picture world perspective can be read in Cosmos and Psyche by Richard Tarnas and his follow up article here 

Also: Uranium and Plutonium = Uranus and Pluto by Lynn Hayes

Neptune (disillusion, dissolution, the dissolving of barriers and boundaries, meltdowns, collective emotional undercurrents) in the final degree of Aquarius (community, brotherhood, humanitarianism, detachment, rebellion) is about to move into Pisces (compassion, imagination, the spiritual, the victim-saviour-martyr complex) on April 4^th 2011.

Read More: Neptune in Pisces by Adrian Ross Duncan 

*The Virgo Full Moon on March 19 2011. This Full Moon is what is known as a SuperMoon or MegaMoon because the Moon will be closer to the Earth than it’s been for 18 years. Richard Nolle has associated SuperMoons with increased geophysical activity, including storms, high tides, seismic disturbances and volcanic eruptions.

Read More: The Super Moon by Richard Nolle and Mega Moon 2011 by Kathryn Cassidy 

On March 28, Jupiter makes the last of its current series of oppositions to Saturn, the peak of its current cycle. This cycle is associated with economic cycles, with the second half of the cycle, the phase we are just entering, associated with retraction, caution and withdrawal. Alignments of this cycle have also been associated with weather events.

Read More: The Jupiter-Saturn Cycle by Astroair Astrology

Finally, from Donna Cunningham Why I Don’t Believe Scary Predictions  

With love,

Mandi

www.mandilockley.com  

Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron, The Story So Far

As Neptune Stations Direct* this week (the last of the three planets in the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron conjunction to emerge out of a Retrograde period and start moving forwards again) it’s a good opportunity to review some of the recent events that have fallen under the astrological symbolism of this rare celestial alignment.

To recap from one of my previous blogs, hope and idealism are fine keywords for both Jupiter and Neptune and healing is a reliable keyword for Chiron. But we must also remember that with Neptune we are also in the world of scandals and deception, a nebulous place where nothing is ever quite what it seems. At worst, Jupiter exaggerates and spreads the negative effects of Neptune and Chiron, but at best, Jupiter will also boost their most positive expressions. This is the space where Chiron brings healing, Neptune brings compassion, Jupiter brings faith and optimism and where great deeds are possible. As the conjunction is in Aquarius, we must also bring in the themes of equality, community, freedom, humanitarianism, and charity.

Here are a few of the big stories that have been in the news during the conjunction so far which reflect some of the above themes:

The Health Care Reform Debate in the USA (and the UK National Health Service)
President Obama’s announcement of his new health care plan divided the nation and raised big (Aquarian) questions, including the moral question of whether everyone has a fundamental right to healthcare regardless of their fiscal circumstances. Critics were angry about the cost of the scheme to American tax payers, fearing it would raise inflation and lead to the financial ruin of a country already over-spending.

At the time the plan was announced, Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron were all Retrograde. In Obama’s chart they were transiting his first house, heading backwards towards his Aquarius Ascendant, the Ascendant of course being one of the signifiers for health in the horoscope. It will be interesting to see what happens next, for the debate is sure to fire up again, especially as Jupiter, which has retrograded back to Obama’s 12th house crosses his Ascendant again on the very day Neptune goes Direct!

The last time Jupiter, Neptune and Chiron joined in a triple conjunction was in 1945 in Libra, which like Aquarius is a rational, fair-minded air sign. In an article for the Astrological Association Journal, astrologer Phoebe Wyss pointed out that in ’45 a new left wing (Labour) government took power in the UK and established the National Health Service, a service which was and still is, free for everyone, irrespective of income or circumstance. The parallels with what is happening in the US now are obvious.

It is therefore very interesting that the detractors of Obama’s plan cited the failures of the UK’s NHS system (high costs, long waiting lists, the rationing of care) as a good reason not to implement Obama’s plan. This criticism prompted a huge outcry in the UK, with ordinary people on blogs and social networking sites collectively launching an unofficial viral We Love the NHS campaign. How very, very Aquarian!

It would seem clear to me then, that health and health care issues are a major concern of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron conjunctions, which brings me to swine flu.

The Swine Flu Virus was first identified in April 2009, just as the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron conjunction was coming into orb. You can read the blog I wrote about it at the time here.

However, to recap very briefly, I discussed how Neptune rules viruses and how I felt that the whole thing, reported as if it was some kind of apocalyptic event, was being blown out of proportion, a clear case of Jupiter blowing up the Neptune effect (with all respect of course due to all those individuals and their families who have suffered).

The way the news story spread also seemed viral and so did all the conspiracy theories that quickly emerged. Google Swine Flu Conspiracy and you will get over a million and a half results, with various ideas about the virus being deliberately developed for some darker purpose, about the vaccine being purposely formulated to kill more than it cures etc. etc. Wow, we really are in Neptune’s murky realms here, if so many people really do believe that the whole swine flu phenomenon is something other than it seems.

Interestingly, a 'new wave' of swine flu was announced in the news just as Jupiter went Direct and Chiron was about to go Direct. I wonder what will happen with swine flu when Neptune also goes direct. Perhaps it will make a big comeback, but let’s hope not.

With Neptune we are in also the realm of scandals. Of course there are scandals involving our celebrity idols in the news every day, but a political scandal is something else entirely.

The Parliamentary Expenses Scandal in the UK
A change in UK law means that details of expenses claimed by elected Members of Parliament have to be made public, with the exception of some ‘sensitive’ information that could be withheld. However, in May, The Daily Telegraph newspaper got hold of a leaked full copy of the expenses records and published those parts which implicated MPs who they felt had grossly misused the expenses system for their own personal gain. The media had a field day and the public were outraged. Many MPs resigned, were sacked or were deselected and many more were asked to pay back the expenses they had erroneously received. A reform of the expenses system is in hand and the whole affair has led to calls for wider political reform (Aquarius).

As mentioned, scandals are Neptune’s territory, Jupiter here perhaps represents the big bubble of wealth opportunity which burst for MPs when the scandal broke and Chiron perhaps symbolises the wounded system which can only be healed by itself from the inside. In the UK 1801 chart the triple conjunction opposes the UK’s Saturn in Leo, signifying the new fiscal controls and limits on expenses that are being drawn up, adding up to new limitations on greed and a fairer system that MPs will be forced to accept. After all, it is the common British taxpayer that ultimately has to foot the bill for its so-called public servants.

While the review into the scandal was taking place the media fell quiet, but on the day Jupiter went Direct the story hit the headlines again, so again, it will be interesting to see what happens when Neptune goes direct.

There are of course many more stories, ones which embody the higher symbolism of the conjunction. Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize, for example, awarded as Jupiter was on his natal Ascendant, for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples”, wonderful Aquarian values.

Then there was Bill Clinton’s diplomatic mission to rescue (Neptune) the journalists from North Korea, just as the triple conjunction opposed his natal Sun.

It is also worth mentioning Help for Heroes, a charity which has quickly become one of the most high profile charities in the UK, set up to help heal and rehabilitate wounded service men and women. In October this year, Phil Packer, who was paralysed in Iraq, won an award for raising £1.2million for the charity. This was despite severe spinal injuries and fears that he would never walk again. Well, walk he did, finishing the 26 mile London Marathon in 14 days. He also climbed a 3000ft mountain and rowed the English Channel! I don’t have birth data for him, but surely here is an example of Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron at its very best and also at its most literal.

As Neptune goes Direct this week, we might find that some of these stories and others stories which have reflected the Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron themes will hit the news again in the next couple of months. Whether we will get more clarity and resolution on these issues or simply more Neptunian confusion, remains to be seen.

*A Simple Explanation of Station and Retrograde

We all accept that the planets revolve around the Sun in continuous forward motion. However, astrology views the planets from our place here on planet Earth. From this perspective, it appears as if the planets sometimes slow down and stop, which is known as Station Retrograde. Then, the planet appears to move backwards for a while, known as Retrograde, through some of the zodiac degrees it has already moved through. Then, after a while of doing this, the backwards planet slows down and stops again, Stations Direct, after which it moves forwards again, Direct, and gains momentum.

When a planet is Retrograde, it is said that the energies and urges the planet represents go inwards, slow down, come up for review, that old ground has to be re-covered and that unnecessary action should be delayed until the Retrograde period is over. The best known Retrograde is that of Mercury, but all the other planets, with the exception of the Sun and Moon, also have Retrograde periods.

http://www.mandilockley.com/

Faith, Electricity & Neptune Illusions

I hope you all enjoyed the energies of the Aries Full Moon on the 4th October. I was in Egypt, getting some sun and taking some time out to do some thinking about my life and my relationship. If I relocate my chart to Sharm El-Sheikh, I have Neptune on my Descendant (the relationship angle), surely making it an ideal place to retreat and escape to, a literal oasis, a mirage in the desert. I really felt that the Moon, hanging low and bright over the Red Sea every evening was speaking to me, or maybe that was just part of the beautiful Neptune illusion. Either way, on one level, the Moon and Neptune felt like the overseers of some sort of gentle healing process.
Being out of action for a couple of weeks, I can now see September in more perspective. Wow! What a month it was! Am I the only one who felt as if they were plugged into some sort of high voltage electrical energy circuit? Wired and energized, spinning out of control unless I made a conscious effort to stay grounded? Uranus is the planet of electricity of course and he has been squaring my Jupiter in Gemini in the first house, which is by nature a nervous, edgy Jupiter, uncomfortable in the sign of the twins. Uranus square Jupiter is a hot, exciting transit, but of course Uranus came with Saturn opposing it (therefore also square to my Jupiter) which on the one hand dragged me down rather depressingly, but on the other also helped me to earth all the energies and provided a little voice of caution during the times when all I wanted to do was chuck away everything in my life, including my marriage. I am happy to report that I feel calmer now and have things more in perspective.

Why all this? Well, I honestly don’t know. I can see it all in the skies and in my personal transits and in the transits of those around me, but as for the purpose, that eludes me so far. The process is still unfolding and I am too close for it, it’s too early to tell, especially as Uranus has one more hit on Jupiter early next year, although by then Saturn will have moved on to dip his toe into Libra.

However, to take a guess, my gut feels as if I have received all this extra energy to prepare me for the further challenges to come and challenging times they are going to be. After a difficult couple of years (involving health problems, job loss, financial worries, family and relationship tensions, the whole shebang) two weeks ago my husband found out that he is soon going to lose the job that has been his passion for the last few years. He is angry and disappointed and we are both afraid, but we must carry on and hold things in perspective. I must put my own fears aside and try my best to return the support he gave me when I was in the same position a year ago.

In short, I have experienced a lot of loss and disappointment over the last two years. As yet, I can’t get any sort of grip on what is rising to the take the place of what's been taken away. No surprises that this whole period in my life started with a Neptune Solar Arc to my 8th house Sun. Maybe when Pluto conjoins my Sun (a year long transit starting early next year), I will feel more empowered to act and will be allowed some completion, even some fulfilment.

For now though, I must assume that everything will be OK so long as I have faith. Perhaps that is Jupiter’s message to me now, as he receives his bolts of disruption and excitement from Uranus. Perhaps Jupiter turning direct today in Aquarius, Uranus' own sign, is helping me to feel a little more optimistic. Maybe, in the end, like the light of the Full Moon rippling on the surface of the Red Sea, this is all just part of the beautiful illusion of life. Where my ship is headed I just do not know, so maybe I should let the winds of fate take the strain, at least for a little while. All I know is that the relief crew will be captained by Pluto and he is sure to put me to work, but, as they say, a change is as good as a rest!

Namaste

Mandi

Idealism, Hope and Healing: Sun in Leo opposes Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron

Astrology: 13th to 18th August 2009

Still hot off the back of the Aquarius Lunar Eclipse, the Sun in Leo meets the Aquarius energies again when he opposes the current and rare Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron triple conjunction. Hope and idealism are fine keywords for both Jupiter and Neptune and healing is a reliable keyword for Chiron. But we must also remember that with Neptune we are also in the world of scandals and deception, a nebulous place where nothing is ever quite what it seems and our physical and emotional boundaries can easily crumble. This is also the space where Chiron brings his healing through pain and suffering. At worst, Jupiter exaggerates and spreads the negative effects of Neptune and Chiron, but at best, Jupiter will also boost their most positive expressions.

During this triple conjunction, we have already seen the swift spread of the Swine Flu outbreak and the media and government reaction in the UK, which has been vastly overblown and disproportionate in many people’s opinion (which is not to belittle the suffering of those affected of course). The MPs expenses scandal in the UK is another example of the effects of this conjunction, especially when viewed in the wider context of the ongoing Saturn-Uranus oppositions.

As for examples of the conjunction’s positive expressions, astrologer Hiroki Niizato nails it when he describes how the recent release of the two American journalists from North Korea by former President Bill Clinton reflects the conjunction's themes of hope, faith and humanitarianism. Read his blog here: holisticastrologerblog.

On a personal level, while we may feel invigorated by the energies of the Sun in Leo, and relieved to have let go of some of our old ‘stuff’ during the Lunar Eclipse, we may still be licking our wounds and mourning what we have lost, for even in negative emotions, relationships and situations, we feel the comfort of habit and inevitably miss them when they are gone. Such is the human condition.

Jupiter, Saturn and Chiron are currently all Retrograde (in apparent backward movement). In fact, any planet that opposes the Sun will always be Retrograde (except the Moon, which is not strictly a planet of course). This means that whenever the Sun opposes a planet, it provides us with a counterpoint, an opportunity to view things from a different perspective.

So, during mid-August it might be wise to review the last few months and make adjustments as necessary. Are your old hopes and dreams still appropriate, or even possible? From this fresh perspective, are your recent disappointments really as bad as they once seemed? Has the healing process reached the point where you can finally let go of past hurts? Mars in Gemini’s helpful Trine aspect to Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron over the same period should provide the mental dexterity needed to negotiate these difficult questions and Mars’ square to Uranus on the 19th August, will provide the energy boost needed to make the necessary changes following your review*.

Leos with birthdays between 13th and 18thAugust will particularly resonate with the Sun opposition Jupiter-Saturn-Chiron themes and they will carry these energies with them during the coming year, in their Solar Return charts**. The opposition will also affect Aquarians born between 9th and 15th February; Taureans born between 11th and 17th May and Scorpios born between 12th and 18th November, as well as anyone with planets or points at 19-26 degrees of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius).

If you do not know your chart and want to see if the Sun opposite Jupiter-Saturn-Chiron is in close contact with your chart, you can quickly and easily download a free birth chart from http://www.alabe.com/ which also includes a basic interpretation or email me at mandi@mandilockley.com if you would like a personal consultation.

*For more on Mars’ aspects this month, see Astrogrrl’s excellent blog at: As Above, So Below

**A solar return chart is cast for your birthday, when the Sun is at the exact same degree as when you were born. The chart is said to reflect the themes of the coming year.

More articles by Mandi Lockley and details of personal consultations at: http://www.mandilockley.com/

August Astrology: The People's King

THE POWER OF THE DARK GODDESS

Over the last couple of months I’ve been writing a lot about the need for us as individuals and for the world, to acknowledge the power of the feminine, Ying energies and bring them into balance with the masculine, Yang energies. It feels like its time for women to seize their power and for both sexes to respect and embody those qualities associated with the feminine, such as compassion, gentleness, yielding, giving to others and nurturing. The world sorely needs this.

I sense that these issues came to a head, in a very personal way for many of us, during the July 22nd Total Solar Eclipse. A Solar Eclipse is a very special New Moon, a dark Moon phase which plunges the Sun into darkness with it. The Moon’s special mission, in her incarnation as the dark Goddess, was to guide the Sun through the dark minutes of the longest Eclipse of the 21st Century. That the Sun and the Moon were at the very last degree of the sensitive, receptive, feminine sign of Cancer, underlines the urgency of the mission.

How many of you felt relief the day after the Solar Eclipse? I for one felt a sense that, after all the stress in the build up, the path was re-set and all was as it should be.


OUT OF DARKNESS, COMETH LIGHT

This relief, I’m sure, was partly because the day after the Eclipse the Sun emerged out of the darkness and into the majestic sign of Leo. In Leo, the sign of its rulership, the Sun is in a place of splendour and dignity, like the great Sun God Ra sailing across the heavens in his sky boat, powerful and glorious.

With the Sun in Leo, our hearts are warmed and we feel hopeful and optimistic, magnanimous and generous. But following his journey through the underworld, the Sun King carries with him a renewed understanding of the power of the Goddess. He must understand that his Leonine generosity should truly help others and not merely be used to boost his popularity, that as King his power should be used responsibly to serve and benefit his people. He must learn that he is his people’s servant, not the other way around. This is also the lesson that Aquarius brings to Leo and it becomes a major theme for August. It is a lesson that we as individuals, as well as the politicians, leaders and bosses who represent us, would do well to absorb.

That the Leo-Aquarius axis is very prominent in the horoscope of Barack Obama is no coincidence. Obama has Aquarius rising and Jupiter in Aquarius, with Sun, Mercury and Uranus in Leo in the public-seeking Western hemisphere of his chart. The karmic, lesson-giving nodal axis also falls across Leo-Aquarius in Obama’s chart. (4th August 1961, 7.24pm, Honalulu, Hawaii).

“Yes We Can” - what a wonderfully positive Leo-Aquarius refrain!

ECLIPSED AGAIN

As early as 6th August, we are reminded that our hero the Sun will never be done with Lady Luna, when they meet again during the Eclipsed Aquarius Full Moon. The Moon has completed the exact half way point of her monthly circuit around the Zodiac and is in an opposition with the Sun, the position of the Full Moon. The Full Moon is usually the brightest and fullest of times, when the Goddess is in her incarnation of the fertile mother. However, this month, as the Sun and Moon face each other off, the Moon passes behind the Earth, where she can’t receive the energizing rays of the Sun. At her ripest time she is Eclipsed.

The Lunar Eclipse, therefore, is a time of deadlines and endings, a time to let go of stubborn ideas and worn out attachments, a time to play out the themes of the Leo-Aquarius opposition.
The Leo-Aquarius axis symbolizes the need to balance the individual need for personal gain and acclaim with the collective responsibility to abide by rules set to benefit all of society (and if you think that following rules is not very Aquarian, pause to remember that Aquarius’ ancient ruler is none other than stern father Saturn).

Aquarius will never deny Leo’s right to be king, but will absolutely insist that the king serves his people with integrity and honesty. Teamwork and delegation of authority is everything to Aquarius and selfish greed is just not acceptable. Aquarius teaches that ultimately it is through serving the group, the community, the team, our friends, that we gain the honour and significance that is so crucial to Leo.

Conversely, Leo teaches Aquarius that sometimes you have to take the lead if the cause is important enough. Somebody has to stand up for the masses, rebel against the status quo and shake the system up, if there is to be any chance of a lasting change for the better and what better than Aquarian energy to do this!

On a personal level, look for help from the significant groups to which you belong (your community, your team, your friendship circle etc) during this Lunar Eclipse for clues about what might need to be released in your life right now, then seize your power, remembering to act in a way that will benefit the group, whilst still honouring your own unique, highly individual needs.
Mercury, who moves into discriminating, rational Virgo on 2nd August, will be there to assist in this process and a helpful aspects to Pluto on the 3rd will make it easier to think deeply, weigh up the pros and cons and make level headed decisions. Additionally, on the 10th, a hard working square between Mars and Saturn will give you the energy and resolve to follow through.

This Eclipse, at 13 degrees and 43 minute of Aquarius will affect Aquarians born between 31st January and 4th of February and Leos born between 3rd and 7th August, as well as as well as people who have other planets or angles between 11 and 16 degrees of Leo or Aquarius. Additionally, any planet or point at 11 through 16 degrees of Leo or Aquarius will be activated by the August 6th Lunar Eclipse.

If you do not know your chart and want to see if the Eclipse is in close contact with your chart, you can quickly and easily download a free birth chart from http://www.alabe.com/ which also includes a basic interpretation.

If you want to go deeper, please also see my article Working with Eclipses, for information on how to work with Eclipses which closely aspect your natal horoscope. http://www.mandilockley.com/working_with_eclipses.html


IDEALISM, HOPE AND HEALING

Between 13th and 18th August the Sun in Leo meets the Aquarius energies head on again, this time when he opposes the current and rare Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron triple conjunction.
Hope and idealism are fine keywords for both Jupiter and Neptune and healing is a reliable keyword for Chiron. But we must also remember that with Neptune we are also in the world of scandals and deception, a nebulous place where nothing is ever quite what it seems and our physical and emotional boundaries can easily crumble. This is also the space where Chiron brings his healing through pain and suffering. At worst, Jupiter exaggerates and spreads the negative affects of Neptune and Chiron, but at best, Jupiter will also boost their most positive expressions.
During this triple conjunction, we have already seen the swift spread of the Swine Flu outbreak and the media and government reaction in the UK, which has been vastly overblown and disproportionate in many people’s opinion (which is not to belittle the suffering of those affected of course). The MPs expenses scandal in the UK is another example of the effects of this conjunction, especially when viewed in the wider context of the ongoing Saturn-Uranus oppositions.

On a personal level, while we may feel invigorated by the energies of the Sun in Leo, and relieved to have let go of some of our old ‘stuff’ during the Lunar Eclipse, we may still be licking our wounds and mourning what we have lost, for even in negative emotions, relationships and situations, we feel the comfort of habit and inevitably miss them when they are gone. Such is the human condition.

Jupiter, Saturn and Chiron are currently all Retrograde (in apparent backward movement). In fact, any planet that opposes the Sun will always be Retrograde (except the Moon, which is not strictly a planet of course). This means that whenever the Sun opposes a planet, it provides us with a counterpoint, an opportunity to view things from a different perspective. So, during mid-August it might be wise to review the last few months and make adjustments as necessary. Are your old hopes and dreams still appropriate, or even possible? From this fresh perspective, are your recent disappointments really as bad as they once seemed? Has the healing process reached the point where you can finally let go of past hurts? Mars’ square to Uranus on the 19th August, will provide the energy boost needed to make the necessary changes following your review.

The Sun opposite Jupiter-Saturn-Chiron will particularly affect Leos born between 13th and 18th August; Aquarians born between 9th and 15th February; Taureans born between 11th and 17th May and Scorpios born between 12th and 18th November.


PLANTING IN THE DARK

On 20th August, fresh off the back of the Sun’s opposition with Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron, the Moon joins the Sun once again for a new Moon, carrying the themes which came up in the preceding week and taking them inwards for assimilation. You may be unclear on what is next for you, in the dark about what lies ahead on your path. However, the seeds planted now, must germinate in the dark, we cannot yet know the outcome. But, in the spirit of Leo, be sure to plant your seeds with pride and creativity, confident that one day, like the great God Ra, they will find the Sun.

On 22nd August, the Sun moves into exacting, discriminating Virgo, where, by mid September he will add his energy to the third exact hit of the long-running Saturn-Uranus oppositions on September 15th.

More on that and on all the other major aspects during the Sun’s passage through Virgo in my next article/blog. In the meantime, enjoy the Sun’s passage through bright Leo and don’t forget to wear your shades if things get too bright.

I offer personal consultations, based on your time, place and date of birth. If you are interested, email me at mandi@mandilockley.com or see my website at http://www.mandilockley.com/

July: Eclipsed, Bewildered and Bewitched

Hello, I'm an astrologer, my name is Mandi


I have just this minute set up this new blog!


I have lots of cool content on my website at http://www.mandilockley.com/ & will from now on post all my astro-rambles on here as well.


Here's my piece about astrology for July - an eclipse month - enjoy!


July is Eclipse season, bringing with it some powerful energies. This blog is my astrological and personal take on what these energies symbolise and how they might be worked with at this special time. I hope you enjoy it.


July sees two Eclipses, a Lunar Eclipse on 7th July and a Solar Eclipse on 22nd July. An Eclipse is a special kind of New Moon or Full Moon, occurring when the Earth, Sun and Moon align. During a Lunar Eclipse, the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, temporarily blocking the reflected light of the Moon and during a Solar Eclipse, the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, blocking out the light of the Sun. Eclipses are most dramatic events to observe, as those lucky enough to have witnessed a Total Eclipse of the Sun or watched on a clear night as the Moon disappeared behind the shadow of the Earth will verify. However, you do not 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 very 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, times when the light goes out and something is taken away, creating a space for something new to germinate safely in the temporary darkness.

Looking at the two eclipses for July, rather than try to make predictions about what they might mean for a particular birth sign, I will focus more generally on what energies are passing out and ending, what each eclipse brings in terms of its energies and how we might positively and consciously work with them.


The first Eclipse of the season is a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse on 7th July. The Moon, at 15 degrees of Capricorn opposes the Sun in Cancer. During a regular Full Moon, the Moon is at her brightest and under her light we can’t hide, truths are exposed, but during a lunar eclipse her light is blocked by our very own ‘mother-ship’, the Earth, so lady Luna is cast into shadow. But what can this mean?

In my blog of 31st May, June Astrology: Scandals, Healing & The Power of the Feminine http://www.mandilockley.com/monthly%20astrologya.html I discussed the energies symbolised by the Summer Solstice, the need to find a powerful, fresh perspective and respect for feminine values and described how so many of us have lately felt the need to take a break from our path to rest, recuperate and heal. Now, however, during this Eclipse, the masculine, yang energies, symbolised by the practical, down to earth Capricorn Moon are coming in, pushing us back into the world of ambition, progress and action.What should we do? Leave our cosy, comfortable places and jump back in there? Well, yes and no.



Yes, because we must now leave our protective nests and no, because as we venture out once again we must hold within us the energies of the soft, yielding, receptive, nurturing spaces we have created during our retreat. This is important, because we will surely face the shadow sides of both Cancer and Capricorn and must approach them with compassion.

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 and taking responsibility for our actions go 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’.


During this time, we should seek to express the higher expressions of both signs and thus find a space where we feel truly safe because we have already been through the dark and we are no longer afraid. It is a space where we can nurture ourselves and others, where the healing waters of our emotions run crystal clear and where we are willing to serve with integrity and discipline and administrate progress through responsible action and the right use of our emotional and material resources. In essence, Cancer and Capricorn really are two expressions of the same energies, constantly flowing towards and away from balance, an eternal dance of opposition and harmony.

By holding and grounding these energies in balance, we can each, in our way, create a vessel to positively carry forward the current planetary energies, energies which seem to be prompting us ever more urgently to move towards a world of equality, fairness, responsible individual freedom, cooperation and community.


The second eclipse of July is a New Moon Solar Eclipse. This Eclipse is set to be a powerful one for a couple of reasons. The first is that it is the second of two Cancer New Moons this year, an unusual event, the first being the Cancer New Moon of 22nd June, at the Solstice.The second reason is that this Eclipse takes place in the very last degree of the sign of Cancer. The last degree of any sign is known as the critical degree and any astrological alignment at one of these degrees feels urgent and incredibly intense.


In Cancer, the intensity of this eclipse will revolve around the urgent addressing of imbalances between the masculine and the feminine energies, between home and family life and work and material concerns and between our own very personal inner work and our busy outer lives. It is in following the energy of these themes that we will continue the work we began at the Solstice in June and grounded at the Lunar Eclipse of 7th July.


This Solar Eclipse, then, will mark a time to move forward with those energies and themes and begin to manifest a balance of polarities out in the conscious world. If you plant such seeds at this Solar Eclipse, fearlessly, in the darkness, they will most surely grow into the light, flower and bear fruit. As ever, follow your own truth and trust your intuition to guide your next move.


In Predictive Astrology, The Eagle and the Lark, Bernadette Brady describes how each Solar Eclipse belongs to a particular family of Eclipses, known as a Saros Series, which produce an eclipse once every 18 years. The themes of the Saros Series to which the 22nd July 2009 Eclipse belongs are described by Brady as follows: “This family of eclipses is concerned with the need to make sudden reforms. Old ideas or methods will fail and new systems are required”.


This is very telling when considered against the current world economic and social climate, especially when we remind ourselves that while the series of Saturn-Uranus oppositions which began in 2008 are in abatement, they are by no means over, with the third of five exact oppositions coming in September.


Saturn opposite Uranus is a wake-up call measurement, powerfully symbolising the need to end the old ways of doing things, inevitably disrupting the status quo to make way for new, fair, inclusive values by which to run our individual lives and structure our world, values which will take us boldly into the Age of Aquarius. Remembering that the first Saturn-Uranus conjunction of this series coincided exactly with the election of Barack Obama provides some clue to the energies of this measurement.Until September though, there remains, as reflected by the ongoing Jupiter-Neptune-Chiron conjunction, a wonderful opportunity for all gentle souls, poets, spiritual seekers, visionaries and teachers to re-group and heal and in so doing to process, hold, ground, balance and express the intense energies of this July’s Eclipses.


May your dance be a merry one.

http://www.mandilockley.com/