Autumn Equinox 2012: Where Much Hangs in the Balance

The day and night are equal in length this year on September 22nd.  This commences the final quarter before the Winter Solstice of 2012.  The chart for this moment in time shows a mixture of ease, opportunities, challenges, and polarities as we enter what appears to be a highly charged and critical time as in the Northern Hemisphere we descend into the longer nights of winter, while in the Southern Hemisphere the opposite occurs.

During these next three months several key astrological events occur starting with the release of the second Uranus/Pluto square of the 19th, the strong and intense Full Moon of the 29th & 30th of September where this square is strongly emphasized by the Moon joining Uranus and the Sun opposite while both square Pluto, and Saturn’s ingress into Scorpio on October 5th where it will be in mutual reception with Pluto during it’s sojourn for the next 2.5 years.  Let’s not also neglect to mention Mercury’s station retrograde on the day of the Presidential election in America, and finally the much heralded ‘end of the Mayan Calendar’ on December 21st.

It does feel that much hangs in the balance as America prepares for the election of a next President while political and economic turbulence continues to swell here, there, and everywhere in various hot spots around the globe, and environmental issues are once again swept under the proverbial carpet, not to mention the spiritual health of the collective.  Is there any balance in all of this?  From most perspectives it appears not.

For those of you wishing a more mundane and politically oriented approach to the election ahead and especially the Inauguration Chart of January 2013, I encourage you to read Matthew Carnicelli’s well-written and very detailed article “Take Care of this House”, as well as Alex Miller’s articles on Election Day and the Presidential candidates themselves.  Both men work with fixed stars, the multitude of asteroids, black holes, quasars, etc.  Neither is too optimistic about the outcome of this very questionable election and the aftermath which may take months to resolve due to Mercury turning stationary retrograde on November 6th and in square to Neptune/Chiron. (Confusion and deceptions abounding).

To be a good mundane astrologer you really need a solid background in history.  Mr. Carnicelli qualifies in that department.  That is not my field of expertise quite frankly.
I prefer to read the symbols as straightforwardly as possible and move into the more psychological/spiritual realm which matters to me and hopefully to you as an individual working with these energies in your own life.  So here’s my assessment:

In this Equinox chart (calculated for Washingon DC at 10:50 AM EDT) the Sun in Libra widely conjoins Mercury in Libra symbolizing a need to weigh and balance everything from the heart since Venus in Leo rises first, then comes the Sun, and finally Mercury.  Values are keys to correct action right now, and the more vacillation of values, the less self-actualization.  Strong values are being espoused between right and left politically.  There will possibly be a great struggle in the next three months as mirrored by Mars rising in Scorpio squaring Venus in Leo.  Yet Venus also trines the Moon in Sagittarius implying that now is a good time for women to be heard, to speak out, and express their values from their hearts.  Women have won some hard-earned rights and those equal rights need to be further strengthened by more women joining forces and getting politically involved.  Marianne Williamson speaks eloquently of this need and there is a major movement afoot right now called Sister Giant whereby women can be strengthened to gain a greater voice in policy making from local to global.  Note how Venus is near the top of this Equinox chart, yet still on the 9th house side implying further education and preparation is yet needed.

Back to the Sun in Libra:  This Sun placement is opposite Uranus in Aires and squaring Pluto in Capricorn.  Libra traditionally tries to find the golden mean, the middle ground, the moderate stance.  This is probably not going to be an easy path ahead since nothing mitigates this intense challenge save Mercury’s trine to Jupiter, which the Sun does not share.  The great tide of the inter-net can not be stemmed and net-working is now a bee hive of activity as all the social networks buzz with opinions and news of every stripe.  The danger of this trine is exaggeration as one piece of news is picked up and spread like wild fire into the Mercury/Pluto/Uranus conflagration of often reactionary actions.  Thoughtfulness is certainly not a signature when Mercury follows the Sun.  Act first, think later is the name of this game which often isn’t very fun to play as witnessed by the recent wildfire rampage following the infamously disgusting film ‘Innocence of  Muslims’ spread across the inter-net.  This is a good example of what I’m referring to, and the next three months are likely to produce more such incidents of mob combustive reactions.

With the final aspect to the Sun in Libra being an inconjunct to Neptune there is little likelihood for any sort of calm, thoughtful evaluation where the broader collective is concerned.  Neptune rules the visual forms of media and images can send subliminal messages that invoke irrational responses.  History bears witness to this.

From my perspective, the one well-integrated pattern in this chart that speaks of some sanity is Saturn, about to leave Libra in the 12th, sextile a questing Moon in Sagittarius in the 2nd, and trining Neptune.  The Moon is midpoint the Saturn/Neptune trine.  This strikes me as a highly spiritual and meditative configuration in the midst of much angst and turmoil.  These next three months can be well spent doing inner work, careful planning, as well as karmic completions.  Saturn in Libra is the one note that seems to state it is important to come into balance, first within oneself, and then by doing what one can to create a balanced and sane world outside oneself with all of ones relationships.

Saturn Entering Scorpio
Let’s look at what lies ahead a bit with Saturn entering Scorpio.  Given that the North Node is also now in Scorpio, I see this as a valid time to work with Scorpio as a means towards transformation at the deepest of levels.  Nothing about Scorpio is trite, superficial, or half-baked.  As most of you know, Scorpio is ‘all or nothing’.  Scorpio deals with the force of the emotional realm as it connects with the material realm of sexuality, money, and power.  These are great mysteries that we humans still haven’t mastered; certainly not on the collective level anyway.  Our relationship with all three is still enmeshed in the premise that sexuality must be controlled at all costs because it is at the core of our sinfulness as a species.  Most of the existing great religions on this planet espouse this position most forcefully and this in turn leads to all the twisted and convoluted ideas about money and power.  If the sharing of ones body with another in rapturous pleasure was truly treated as a sacred act because the emotional body was also encouraged to be in alignment with that act, and this sacred sacrament was celebrated as part of life from the first awakening of puberty would there be a need for controlling so many other aspects of life?  This is a good question to ponder.  We have no societies other than indigenous ones who adhere to such a philosophy.  Instead we have systems which have created bondage rather than freedom, wars rather than peace, and untold suffering rather than gentle healing.

I say this because when two people exchange bodily fluids in the sexual act this is also a rite where emotions and energies are exchanged as well.  If both participants aren’t in true and loving alignment there is a terrible imbalance set up that creates power issues where one is controlled and even in bondage to the other.  The same principle applies to money matters.  Think about it.  Does accepting money from another put you in further obligation to them?  Is there a fair and even exchange going on between you?  From here we move to power issues and we begin to see the vast inequalities playing themselves out now on the collective scale.  We see the burden of debt weighing down huge populations while a very few control the strings at the top.  We see that often those at the top gained their profits through deceitful and treacherous means where nothing remotely passed for fair exchange of energies or work. Looking at the privately owned Federal Reserve System: does printing money out of thin air and loaning it at interest  constitute fair exchange? Who collects all that interest?  Who profits?

I know this may sound terribly simplistic, but our world is now fraught with complexities that reek with the undercurrents of these great themes; sex, money, and power.   Until we truly examine the sexual rite which not only creates further life for us as a species, but also brings through Scorpio the great mystery of true bonding with another through this same rite, not for procreation but ideally for ecstasy through sacred union of body, mind, and soul; until we dig for these core truths of what it means to be human in this deeper sense, we really won’t be able to resolve our polarization themes of good and evil, left and right, male and female, and on and on.  Keep in mind that Scorpio follows Libra where the principles of equality and fairness are sought.  Scorpio is thus about fair energetic exchange which is designed to deepen the bond with another.  Being bonded is not about being in bondage!

Saturn soon to be in Scorpio in mutual reception with Pluto in Capricorn as the North Node also moves through Scorpio certainly gives us an opportunity to dive deeper into the great mysteries and find solutions for our human dilemmas.  This is not about being children waiting for the big Daddy in the sky to come down and save us.  This is very adult stuff and it requires a time of growing up and taking responsibility for our mind-sets and actions.  We have acted in such infantile ways for far too long, and we have allowed infantile leaders to keep us in bondage to paths which always lead to more suffering. We can certainly start with seeing our bodies as sacred, as temples.  We can teach our children those truths.  We can look at all our relationships and question the authenticity of those relationships.  Can we open ourselves to another knowing we will not be violated in any way by them?  What is the level of exchange where our sexuality is concerned?  Where our money is concerned?  Where our power is concerned?  How do all of these exchanges impact our emotional life?  Saturn in Scorpio requires a self-scrutiny that is totally honest emotionally, and then it requires some self-discipline to say no to that which would essentially compromise or violate what we hold as sacred in ourselves, as well as disciplined action towards others not to violate or place them in a compromised position.  If we treated ourselves and all life as sacred we would be in alignment with Saturn in Scorpio.

So this is going to be sobering and serious stuff ahead given the Uranus/Pluto clash of the titans heating up, and Neptune/Chiron’s potential for chaotic wounding.  On the other side there is both the potential for universal healing via Neptune/Chiron as well as break-throughs as Uranus leads Plutonian transformation of old structures and institutions now obsolete.

Tying in with all of the above transpersonal changes there are undoubtedly going to be major break-throughs and discoveries which may yet right the terrible imbalance now teeter-tottering us ever closer to self-annihilation.  One intriguing scientist is Mehran Tavakoli Keshe of The Keshe Foundation.  I first learned of his work through fellow-astrologer, Dr. Ingrid Naiman’s newsletter.  I spent a great deal of time on his web site and will ‘watch and see’ how he develops concretely his amazing theories which state that gravity and magnetic fields can be produced at the same time revolutionizing how we create energy from space travel to ways of healing the body, where he treats the body as a galaxy in itself.  I suggest you take a look for yourselves!  I am, however, going to quote one statement from his Category “A New Horizon”,
“Let us remember:
Planets do not have wings, but they have been flying round in their orbits for millions of years.
Planets do not have engine rooms or jet engines fixed to them, but they create energy and are in motion in several dimensions at the same time.
Planets do not have exhaust pipes, but they burn fuel and create heat, some internally and some externally like stars.
Planets do not have any defense headquarters, but they protect their inhabitants with a magnetic shield called the atmosphere.
Planets do not have valves and gaskets in their cores, but they bring together the material they need to maintain their existence through natural laws.
Planets do not need to hold on to their matter and their inhabitants by attaching them or keeping them underground, but they create gravitational forces that are weak enough for them to be free to move, yet at the same time strong enough to hold on to them.
Planets and stars, using the natural laws of physics and materials, do all of these things, all at once and together, without separate machinery and control rooms and fuels.  They do this as one fully integrated system.
Thus for the first time in the world of technology and research, we have designed and tested a new system that functions according to the fundamental principles of nature, and demonstrates how all these effects can be very simply attained, all at the same time, and in a natural universal manner in one system.”

Well actually, Viktor Schauberger’s brilliant work and discoveries on energy, biomagnetism and the true function of even trees could have revolutionized our world back in the 1930s through the 1950s, but sadly one department of the US government sabotaged his work and prevented him from making it more publicly known at a time when nuclear power was more coveted than other forms of energy that would have proven more benign and cheaper.  Mr. Keshe seems to be more aware of the pitfalls of trusting the wrong people with his information.

On a more local and personal level I always love to promote people I know who are trying to make a positive difference in the world around them.  These people actualize the meaning of Uranus in Aries which infers doing something new and different, even ‘out of the collective box’ that improves life rather than further destroys it.  They are the trail blazers using their innovative ideas in bright and fresh new ways.  One example is Robert Bengtson, a Bay Area fine arts photographer, who has created with the help of his friends and colleagues Inspiration Campaign (People-Powered Media for a Positive Planet).  By placing inspirational messages on city billboards and even buses a startling and fresh thought and feeling is planted in people’s minds and hearts that see them.  Since most are used to seeing a catchy slogan advertising something to buy, these billboards remind the viewer that an inspiring message is value enough.  Such a concept!  See for yourself here:

And by all means check out their web site for more fresh ideas and tools that even you can use.

In closing I refer you to previous posts covering the Uranus-Pluto square, Neptune in Pisces, and Chiron in Pisces on this blog:  Neptune into Pisces: Enchantment or Sorcery? (1-25-12); ……The Uranus-Pluto Cycle (7-13-11); Chiron in Pisces and Neptune/Chiron both in Pisces (5-28-11); Living Through Momentous Times (3-21-11); Pluto Journeys Retrograde in Capricorn (4-10-10).  In all of these articles I discuss these passages which are still with us and impacting us now even more so.

May you walk in balance, holding yourself and all life sacred, in the months to come.