astrology 18 may 2015 – Dr. Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD: The Sky Priestess

Blessings to All. The Sun and Moon conjuncted one another at 26’55 Taurus at 12:12 PM, May 18th 2015 (GMT + 8). New Moons are potent windows for seeding intentions that are then culminated in some form during the Full Moon of the same sign – in this case the Taurus Full Moon of October 27, 2015. Here we have the opportunity to set the seeds of abundance that will allow us to feel more supported and nurtured at the material, sensual level. We have the chance to examine our material value systems and decide what it is that matters to us, and what not.

The Sun and Moon conjunct Astraea, the Star Maiden – she brings our focus back onto the cycles of balance, justice, karma and renewing our relationship with the Earth-Bull-Abundant Mother Archetype. Time to start a new cycle, as the last Goddess to leave humanity, Returns. And she calls for a more just engagement and relationship with the Material World / Mother Nature, our Earth-Home. A far vaster energy than any one of us as individuals may be able to fully appreciate. But yes, my friends, the Goddess of the Stars, the Virgin that cast aside the Scales of Libra – now calls to us once more!

Owing to the sheer intensity of all the other alignments (Juno conjunct Jupiter, trine Great Attractor, trine Uranus, inconjunct Pluto + an unusually intense Mercury Retrograde), some people are feeling this energy in overdrive. In cases like that, I’d suggest going to some kind of natural space and grounding out. A crystal like smoky quartz can help, as can simply earthing (placing your bare feet on the ground). My preference is sitting under a tree I like (who hopefully likes me too) and simply grounding out that way.

Whilst the Bull (Taurus) can be playful and sensual, it comes with a great solidity of force that can charge (rightly or wrongly) through things. This New Moon energy seems to be a potent mixture of these various energetic tropes.

In addition to the Sun-Moon conjunction, we see a powerful YOD Alignment involving Varuna, Pallas Athena-conjunct-the Galactic Center-conjunct-Quaoar. Yods in themselves, are powerful ‘Fingers of Fate’ that lead us to key karmic crossroads of choice in our lives. We can truly get more attached to, or, completely detach from certain cycles or lessons that karma sees fit to impart to us. The lesson is is upon the attachment-detachment cycle, the question of how we can exist in this sensual, material, world without being overwhelmed by its dictates and seeming necessities.

The Sun/Moon conjunction sextiles Varuna at 26 Cancer. Lord Varuna is the pre-Vedic, Dravidian deity of the waters, associated with the movement of serpents and the coming of the rains. Prior to the influence of Vedic Hinduism, he was more of a primordial creator deity who existed more in the aether. Astrologically, his role in Cancer stimulates the movement of emotional, intuitive and subconscious energies in a fluid form, fixated upon the realm of the Mother and the Home. He is one of my favourite deities and plays a significant role in my chart and personal evolution.

The Sun/Moon – Varuna sextile both make inconjuncts to Pallas Athena (27 Sagittarius) and the Galactic Center (27 Sagittarius), as the apex of the Finger of Fate. Here, we see the energy of strategy, assertiveness, the mind and the power of Pallas directed within. She seeks out the Teacher, and through that inward journey, allows us to connect with external sources of guidance – be it gurus, saints, mentors – sources of wisdom that exist in the Universe, guiding us all the while. As we go within, we discover the world beyond ourselves.

I have saved the best bit for last. Pallas Athena and the Galactic Center are also conjunct a body known as Quaoar. Quaoar teaches us to harmonize opposites, reconcile dualities and heal the divisions created by false binaries. He is activated through ritual song and dance. A powerful way to wield the energies of the Cosmos and arrive at a truly profound, transcendent understanding of All-That-Is.

What a Day. Truly, What a Day. There’s still 3 days left in which we can sow the seeds of powerful intentions that will culminate in late October of this year.

Enjoy this powerful, profound energy, my friends!

Vanakam, Namaste, and Blessings to All,

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
Astrology with Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
bairaveebalasubramaniam.com ; fb.com/theskypriestess

Image: Lord Varuna from Thanjavur Periya Kovil, 2015 by Bairavee Balasubramaniam ; Echinopsis Atacamensis and the Milky Way (wallpaper).jpg – By ESO/S. Guisard (http://www.eso.org/public/images/milky-way-cactus/) [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Blessings to All. Today we see the powerful culmination of energy between The Bringer of Abundance (Jupiter) and the Soulmate Asteroid (Juno). These two have been dancing in close proximity for days now, and today we feel their most intense point of merger, or conjunction – in the sign of Leo.

Let’s start with Leo – here is the sign that rules matters of the heart – romance, joy, vitality – that feeling you get when you’re just happy to be alive and filled with joie de vivre! It is associated with the archetypes of the dramatic performer, the child along with processes of creation, co-creation, reproduction, sensuality and the flow of sexual energy. I associate it with both the Heart and Sacral Chakra.

Whilst Leo is associated with that sun-shiney quality of being able to charm, persuade and enthrall, it is equally associated with the possibility of performing in inauthentic ways, i.e. wearing masks or roles to elicit a certain response from others. The gift of Leo’s ability to perform, prance about on the global stage as a playful lion, is that is can also reveal the power of vulnerability, authenticity and the wisdom of the inner child. The setback is when such performances block the very flow of authenticity in order to either mask the vulnerability and truth of self (from the self, or others), or to engineer particular responses.

Jupiter’s role in Leo is to show us the Path forward – the ways in which we can expand our sense of ourselves within the larger Universe. Be it through a mentor, a teacher, a priest or priestess, a guide, a philosophy, a belief system, an astrologer, or anyone/anything that helps you widen your horizons – Jupiter is paving the way forward for your growth and exploration of self. It is the Great Amplifier, which can work both ways. It expands upon all that it touches – both pleasurable, and painful experiences (and both might be valid/necessary for soul growth).

Juno’s role, as I have been guided to intuit her, expands us in a different way. It opens doors for the soul’s evolution, through which we walk and explore ourselves in a wholly new direction. Here, the agent of initiation is not Jupiter, seeking to lay the path for us to walk upon – it is the Alchemy of Soul Transformation – which occurs through the energy of the SoulMate (Juno). Very often we believe that Soulmates are necessarily romantic or sexual partners, but this truly need not be the case. They can just as well be children, siblings, parents – and – as I’ve seen in some clients’ charts – even those who appear in our lives as ‘abusers’.

You might ask why someone who would hurt you would be a ‘soulmate’ – use the word ‘soul awakener’ if you prefer. For that is what Juno represents, an awakening of the Soul at a profound level in ways that leave you completely transformed. At time such transformations are pleasant, and at other times they are the absolute opposite.

Jupiter being able to swing either way essentially amplifies the intensity of the Soul-Contract being activated today, in ways that awaken us to the Paths our Souls seek.

Bear in mind that Juno is the spouse of Jupiter in mythology – their coming together in this form represents the merging of various sacred archetypes (and the projections upon them). Juno (as Hera) – the vindictive/jealous wife, Jupiter (as Zeus) the philandering patriarch. The more positive associations see Juno as the goddess of liminality (as I understand her), giving rise to new states of being through the life cycle (birth, marriage, and so on). Jupiter provides the guidance, elemental power, and the sheer presence of authority. For starters …

In Leo, the Jupiter/Juno conjunction may manifest as a wide range of circumstances and/or people – lovers, children, teachers, mentors, astrologers, guides, gurus – or simply people with whom you have already made a Soul Contract prior to incarnation in order to facilitate your awakening process at this time.

Either way, it is an extremely intense alignment. When we consider other bodies in astrology, we see further aspects which provide a more detailed understanding of what this conjunction brings to us at the energetic level:

Jupiter/Juno (14 Leo) :

– inconjunct PLUTO RETROGRADE (15 Capricorn) – This is the biggest alignment that Jupiter/Juno make in terms of the concerns of traditional astrology. Pluto rules over the great transformations in our lives, and in Capricorn, concerns itself with the question of authority, status, and the legacy that one leaves behind. Inconjuncts are uncomfortable aspects, and they raise issues in critical ways that appear to be in need of resolution. Pluto’s involvement can signify a potential abuse (real or perceived) of power and/or the invasion of privacy and other boundaries. In Capricorn, it is likely to involve a heavy-handed authority at the workplace, or someone else perceived to be in a senior capacity. Those with placements near 12-18 Gemini (see below) will experience this as an extremely intense Yod.

– trine GREAT ATTRACTOR (14 Sagittarius) – The Great Attractor, as I’ve written about before, is essentially a point in the chart that will draw, or repel attention to your path/ideas/belief systems/teachings in the public eye. People may be drawn to you, particularly if you are a wisdom speaker of some kind, whilst others may simply be repelled for no apparent reason. Jupiter/Juno’s lessons are drawn towards the Great Attractor, powerfully pulling us towards our paths and paradigms.

– square DEUCALION (14 Scorpio) – Deucalion reminds us that we have a choice in the way we deal with forces of destiny that seem too large to handle. One of our best approaches in managing the energy of Jupiter/Juno is to consider the roots or energy that arises – finding its truth and how it relates to one/another person’s need for control and power. Once you find your answer, you’ll know whether to walk, surrender, or stay put.

– sextile PANDORA (14 Gemini) – a supportive alignment that asks us to bear in mind the information that we share, discover or reveal about potentially sensitive situations today. Truth is wonderful, but there is a means, a time and a place where it is best revealed. This is part of a Yod (Finger of Fate) with its apex at Pluto Retrograde (15 Capricorn). Bear in mind that Mercury is about to go Retrograde close to Pandora – the role of communications is highlighted even more strongly!

– conjunct NIOBE (14 Leo) – Niobe is a warning. She cautions us against becoming too attached to our children, seeing them as proxies to find one own’s sense of ‘glory’, ‘worth’, or ‘achievement’. In a broader sense, she calls us to remain humble about our creative works, and to realize the hand of serendipity, the Mystery and the Cosmic in the co-creative process.

– trine HYBRIS (15 Sagittarius) – Like Niobe, Hybris is a similar kind of warning. Do your level best to avoid bragging with the ego (cutting a long story short) or giving into a sense of false pride. Irrespective of talent or status, it is worth bearing in mind that there is always a greater or larger force beyond ourselves that works through all that we do.

– trine PHOTOGRAPHICA (15 Sagittarius) – Quite a potent emphasis upon the visual image and the role in interpreting the image. It might be a great day to express whatever ideas or thoughts that arise through the visual/graphic form.

Bearing these influences in mind, what we see is an intense energetic alignment that awakens us to the deeper truths of the Self. And certain aspects of the energy will support this process, whilst others will test us in key ways.

Vanakam.

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD

Astrology with Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD

bairaveebalasubramaniam.com ; fb.com/theskypriestess