2020: THE YEAR OF THEREUS, THE HUNTER-STALKER (TIME TO FACE THE FEAR)

Thereus (The Hunter-Stalker) is one of the most important astrological bodies making key aspects in the skies during 2020. It is featured in nearly half of the New Moons, Full Moons of the year – was inconjunct the major Capricorn conjunction in January – and will inconjunct the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction in Aquarius in December 2020. It accompanies us for much of this deeply transformative time! Overlooking the energy of this body will provide an incomplete picture of the skies – especially in this year. It’s catalogue number is 32532 and it is classed as a Centaur / Small Solar System Body.

In mythology, Thereus was a centaur who stalked and hunted bears, pouncing on them in their caves and dragging them out kicking and screaming. I’ve done as much research as I can to find anything redeeming about this centaur except to find politely worded descriptors of covert predation, narcissism and extreme psychopathy.

To me, the symbol of the bear represents the natural world and the indigenous communities who fight for their right to survival, existence and their relationship with nature. The picture this paints is not a pretty one – and is certainly reinforced by the Canadian government’s decision to forcibly remove W’etsuwet’en protestors from their land or Bolsanaro’s decision to allow mining on indigenous land in the Amazon – and many other examples.

It should be no real surprise to anyone at all that Thereus is very present during a majority of the New and Full Moons of this year. Either it makes a direct aspect to the Moon itself, or it has some significant aspect to bodies like Jupiter, Mars, Venus and so on. Also, upon investigation, Thereus has a major role to play in the major conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn at 0 Aquarius in December 2020.

At the time of writing, we are two days away from a major Full Moon in Leo conjunct Thereus on February 9th (Universal Time).

It is this continuous Thereus-aspected pattern that made me cuss at my laptop so badly on New Year’s Day that it conked.

I’ve compiled a list of these alignments:

ALIGNMENTS TO FULL MOONS

Jan 10: Thereus Rx 21 Leo semisextiles the Full Moon at 20 Cancer on Jan 10 + inconjunct to Ceres and Sun

Feb 9: Thereus Rx 19 Leo conjuncts the Full Moon at 20 Leo on Feb 9

Mar 9: Thereus Rx 17 Leo semisextiles the Full Moon at 19 Virgo on Mar 9 + inconjunct Neptune, Sun & Pallas making YoD

Apr 8: Thereus Rx 16 Leo sextiles the Full Moon at 18 Libra on Apr 8 + trines Sun and Psyche in Aries

May 7: Thereus 16 Leo squares Full Moon at 17 Scorpio on May 7 + squares Sun and trines Eros

Jun 5: Thereus 17 Leo trines Full Moon at 15 Sagittarius on June 5 sextiling Sun and inconjunct Mars in Pisces

ALIGNMENTS TO NEW MOONS

Aug 19: Thereus 23 Leo trines the New Moon at 26 Leo on August 19

Sep 17: Thereus 26 Leo semisextile New Moon at 25 Virgo on September 17

Oct 16: Thereus 29 Leo sextile New Moon at 23 Libra on October 16

CO-ALIGNMENTS (SIGNIFICANT ASPECTS DURING LUNATIONS)

Feb 23: Thereus 17 Leo trines Venus 18 Aries and inconjuncts Jupiter 18 Capricorn during the New Moon at 4 Pisces on Feb 23

Apr 23: Thereus stations direct at 16 Leo and opposes Mars, sextiles Venus 16 Gemini on the day of the New Moon at 3 Taurus on April 23

Jul 21: Thereus 21 Leo inconjunct Jupiter 21 Capricorn during New Moon at 28 Cancer on July 21

Oct 1: Thereus 27 Leo conjunct Venus during Full Moon at 9 Aries on Oct 1

Oct 31: Thereus enters Virgo (momentarily) during Full Moon at 8 Taurus on October 31. It will move back and forth across the Leo-Virgo threshold till August 2021!

In 2020, Thereus makes direct alignments to half the Full Moons of 2020 – through the first six months of the year. It makes direct alignments to a quarter of the New Moons of 2020. It has significant alignments happening for a second quarter of the New Moons.

So when we add it all up, roughly half of the power of the Full and New Moons of 2020 are linked to the vibration of energy emanating from Thereus. In fact – it was inconjunct the Major Capricorn Conjunction in January 2020!

On top of everything else, I know that people are waiting on the major shift of Jupiter and Saturn (together) into in Aquarius at the same time at the end of December.

I looked into it and saw that Thereus has a major role to play there, yet again.

Between December 21-23, Thereus Rx at 0 Virgo will trine Mercury at 0 Capricorn, the Sun at 0 Capricorn (Solstice) and inconjunct both Jupiter and Saturn at 0 Aquarius.

I’ll talk about that later in the year.

As far as I know, Thereus has not yet been hilighted to this extent in any other astrological or spiritual report – so I hope this information will be a powerful stepping stone in making the collective aware of just what the challenge at stake is.

It’s a hard report to write (and I’ve been sitting on this for four eyars now) because of its implications. But if I have learnt and had any anything reinforced to me in January 2020, it is the need to recognize and face what we fear.

Thereus is currently in Leo, where it is about to be conjuncted by the Full Moon in Leo on Feb 9th. Given that Leo is linked to vulnerability, authenticity, creativity, play, sensuality, joy, marriage, politics, artists, drama, leaders, children, romantic partners and so on – we see these areas of our lives lit up. Leo ideally brings that spark of joy that makes life worth living and enjoying. At its best, it becomes that inspirational figure, manager, leader able to champion people towards worthy causes.

The shadow side of Leo is childish behavior that is driven by its own ego and emotional highs and lows, often playing to the crowds or seeking approval. Leo when challenged can be very destructive, especially if it has access to power over others.

Thereus in Leo shows us how parasitic and predatory forces creep into or stalk these very vulnerable areas of our lives and consciousness. There is a clear need to protect the vulnerable, albeit in ways that do not erase their own agency.

We’re going to be looking at these dynamics of power and violence play out at the political level, in the global discourse surrounding child trafficking, the abortion debate, transgender rights, minority rights, artistic expressions and their intersection with the political and so on.

Sensitives (and those with sensitive children) need to have psychic safeguards at play. Those who are timid about asserting their boundaries may wish to invest in carnelian or tiger’s eye. Try and find a supplier who works ethically with those who harvest gemstones from the Earth (and may they do so with respect).

Parents may also want to teach their kids a little more about safety, especially on the Internet.

I’ve looked at what remedies or counter-measures can be taken against this energy – which feeds off fear and has no understanding of consent. Thereus was invited to the wedding of his half-brother where he (and others) got drunk, raped the female guests and tried to carry off the bride. They centaurs were finally killed by the hero-half-god Theseus.

Half-god-Heroes aren’t in common supply these days. So prevention appears to be our best bet.

Thereus can only really attack a bear, or his future sister-in-law by proximity to them. Therefore, what is needed are safer spaces for those that Thereus (and those who channel his energy directly) seeks to target.

With children, it would be having serious discussions on safety, not talking to dodgy strangers, on-line / Internet safety, being able to discuss inappropriate behaviors (even by relatives / known adults), and so on. Knowing what to do in a situation like that empowers a child to react quickly, rather than get caught up in shame, guilt, confusion or instant fear.

Whilst in no way am I blaming people who get sexually assaulted, this is really not the year for anyone to be taking undue physical risks, especially when you’re out and about. If you’re headed to a bar, make it an outing with friends – and minimize the chances where you’re alone and drunk / high / etc,. You don’t need to get paranoid about it, but try not to overdo things – especially if you have strong alignments to Thereus this year. Don’t give benefit of the doubt to people who have a laid back idea of what consent looks like. Rape is never okay, and it’s never a joke.

Those who are in dangerous or abusive relationships, I’m not kidding when I say shit can and will hit the fan at some point if it hasn’t already. Plenty of times people are shamed or gaslit into believing that they’re at fault and therefore they have to put up with violence. Get professional help and a safe space to be.

My interpretation of Thereus is that it weakens a person’s ability to assert their own agency through fear. I remember watching ‘ Enough’ , a film with Jennifer Lopez where she was shown as a Latina woman who was smaller, weaker, and easily bullied by her Caucasian partner who had wealth and influence. He would domestically abuse her and she went into hiding with her child. She learns martial arts and despite her smaller size, manages to defend herself and kill him. But it takes her a lot of un-learning and de-conditioning to believe that she’s able to stand up to him and fight for her life in the first place. It’s an extreme example, but one that stuck in my mind over the years. The hunter becomes the hunted.

I’m grateful to remember it now as I’ve been sitting on this piece for 4 years now. I just didn’t feel good about talking about something with the potential to instill so much fear into the collective without any real solution offered. And at the very start of this year, I realized it had to be done.

When I look at the astrology of ‘ Enough ‘ , it was released on May 21, 2002 in the USA. The chart of that date is quite remarkable as Thereus (19 Pisces) conjuncts Hercules (18 Pisces), whilst squaring Hades (20 Gemini), Pluto (20 Sagittarius), the North Node (17-18 Gemini) and the South Node (17-18 Sagittarius). This makes aspects to the date where I was domestically assaulted (and actually had learned martial arts).

Sometimes movies teach you in ways you don’t expect.

Whilst I don’t recommend beating up your enemy or would-be stalker, it got me thinking.

Maybe it’s enough to focus on a show of strength. Of being willing to stand up for and protect the vulnerable. Stalkers can’t quite hide in the shadows when they are faced by multiple people standing next to their intended target.

But that will only happen when we believe that shit has gotten this real and that we are able to offer help in the first place.

Martial arts is a good way for you to get that strength back in your body if you’ve forgotten it, or never realized you had it in the first place. I studied Wing Chun for this purpose – it is a Chinese boxing style invited by a nun and is designed to be able to defend and defeat a larger attacker.

I remember my instructor commenting that outside of class, I was the person who used it the most – probably because I was a non-white female . . . I remember one time where my hands flew up in defense position without realizing it as I stared into the eyes of a someone trying to hit on my friends (and they were not interested). He took one look and ran.

And it’s better if you do this with support, rather than trying to go gung-ho, one-on-one in combat. Because you might not know other factors that are hidden.

In summary, given how pervasive Thereus’ influence is throughout 2020 and its New Moons, Full Moons, and Eclipses – it’s wise to heed the message.

Fear of threat is a more potent nullifier of agency than an actual threat.

So be prepared.

In closing,

Looking at 2020 as a whole, this is the best (and most condensed) prescription I can offer: STRENGTH
There will be many things, people and events that seek to elicit a fear-based response or feelings of victimization and powerlessness this year.

And the only thing we can afford to do in response is to acknowledge this and meet it with compassion and strength.
Build your inner reserves. Work on your physical, mental and emotional fortitude. Do not give room to those who would seek to belittle you and enslave you.

(This is not the same as you feeling insecure about others you see as more powerful)

It is a year where we need to step up to protect the vulnerable, be it in ourselves or others. Not for ego-comfort, but to preserve that which is authentic, innocent and joy embodied.

We must watch out for each other as best we can.

Especially if you have the privilege of not fearing for your life, autonomy, dignity and basic safety on a daily basis. The world fears those who break social norms.

Let’s also work towards developing a more respectful relationship with nature, this biosphere and the indigenous communities fighting for their land and way of life.

Let us also create safe spaces for the expression of art, creativity, play and child-like joy.

And you cannot do that without strength and compassion in good measure.

There’s work to be done.

Dr. Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
The Sky Priestess

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* * *

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MERCURY CONJUNCTS JUPITER (6 LIBRA) … BUILDING A BRIDGE TO HEALING OR STAYING IN THE SAME KARMIC CYCLE, YOU CHOOSE (+ Mars opposes Persephone and sextiles Neptune, Venus-Juno-Nemesis trine Chiron)

Silence. That´s the vibration of what I feel now. Nothingness. The Void. Just Silence. It´s been building for days and appears to be at its climax. Perfectly timed for Mercury´s conjunction with Jupiter at 6 Libra (9:45 am UTC, 11 October 2016). It is the energy of what might be, of nascent potential waiting for a choice, a decision made one way or another – so that it may take form.

As you know, I interpret Libra as the choice or ability to make a decision through the use of detached logic. It may be graceful, it may be harmonious or beautiful – or its absolute opposite. It can be a powerful bridge that spans across differing views and perceptions of reality. It can also be the sword that breaks the bridge in two. Libra´s energy strongly relates with the value systems and choices we make when we enter partnerships and collaborations, be they personal and/or professional. It is also linked with legal matters, contracts and the arts.

Mercury helps us navigate our choices, to perceive, organize, analyse and express information to build a picture that feeds into our system of perception. Jupiter grants us the promise of expansion or amplification in whatever direction we consciously and sub-consciously choose to explore. (That is not always a positive thing)

As the two the come together, we are asked to look at the people, partnerships, and choices which we choose to invest ourselves-and-our-energies into creating or destroying at this time. It´s a very good time for the examination of one´s concept of self, one´s relationship values and ideals, and so on.

From a more spiritual perspective, it is an excellent time to re-think, re-configure and elucidate our ever-constant, ever-evolving co-creative partnership with The Divine, in all of its Forms (Masculine, Feminine, Androgynous, Hemaphroditic, etc.) and Formless States.

The choices we make and the words we utter carry greater energetic weight at this time. So take a moment to pause, breathe and then commit to / away from whatever it is that you must address at this time.

The Masculine-Feminine theme is particularly strong at this time for various reasons:

Mars (9 Capricorn) opposes Persephone (10 Cancer): We are asked to revisit the Persephone-Pluto myth, to question old narratives of just who had agency? For some, it is the straightforward tale of a daughter´s rape and her abduction (from her mother), and for others, it is a narrative of carefully calculated feminine seduction and a daughter escaping an overly controlling mother. Either way, the question comes down to who we believe is truly ´in control´, who has the final, authoritative say on which way the story – i.e. parts of _your_ story – get told. Atropos, the eldest of the Three Sisters of Fate sits at 8 Cancer to tell us that some parts of this story must end as it is their time. (Interestingly, Hades himself weighs in at 6 Cancer, squaring Mercury/Jupiter – it´s the same theme, repeated in a slightly different way)

Mars (9 Capricorn) sextiles Neptune (9 Pisces): An excellent time to set the seeds for the healing of the Masculine and the integration of yang energy within the feminine and masculine / individual / collective psyche. It is wise to avoid games of projection as one simply does not know the full length and breadth of all this species has done to over another, over vast cycles of time. Those with placements near 9 Gemini will experience this as a profound Yod, or finger of fate bringing these energies to an intense, karmic climax. Before the next one begins.

Persephone (10 Cancer) trines Neptune (9 Pisces) and the South Node (10 Pisces): The invitation to look at the cycles of blame-shame-guilt, parent-child bonds, the victim-abuser dynamic and so on. Some of that baggage will be yours, others more so with the collective unconscious. Be willing to see the story in a different way to find new paths of healing, release and transcendence (whatever that means to you). Persephone also sextiles the mean Node (10 Virgo). This is an excellent time to set the seeds for change, for drawing better boundaries and realizing that one does not need to be caught up in the same cycle of drama, to experience the same pain and suffering, repeated ad infinitium (especially with the South Node involved). Those with placements near 10 Aquarius will find this a very interesting Yod to work with.

Venus, Juno and Nemesis are all conjunct one another at 21 Scorpio. Venus refers to the process of material embodiment, the qualities and form of the feminine and to the pleasure we sustain by simply being. It also relates to finances and just about anything tangible that involves the generation of beauty, pleasure and abundance. It is certainly one archetype of the Feminine. Juno, as I understand her, is the Goddess of Thresholds – and She finds ways to keep moving us towards the next one through soul-mates (not necessarily of a pleasant, romantic, marital kind – but potentially the very opposite). Nemesis refers to an ancient winged Greek goddess of Justice who comes to clear and re-balance the scales of karma.

All three sitting in Scorpio, that´s … a whopper!

We are asked to face the Scales of Karma in the psychic Underworld. Do we honor the Dark Feminine? All aspects of Goddess (however defined)? Or do we limit our conception that which is familiar, comfortable and/or idealized? And who – in our lives – brings us the push, the need to get deeper, to recognize what we have neglected, denied, suppressed or ignored?

Scorpio´s role indicates one with whom we merge our energies – be it ´in the boardroom or the bedroom´. It can easily refer to a Shadow-worker or shaman/ka or simply one who makes us meet the Shadow within.

Venus, Juno and Nemesis all trine Chiron at 21 Pisces. Again, this exploration goes into the deep waters of Spirit, emerging from channels whose origins we have (mostly) forgotten. It is a certainly a time to explore these trickier questions of sexuality, femininity, power and and its balanced expression – through the deep waters of Karma. It´s… gonna very be very interesting for those of you with placements near 21 Cancer – as that will then be a powerful Grand Water Trine. Deep waters, indeed. Cyllarus is at 21 Cancer for us all – and let´s just say this is an impulsive energy, one that does not think before it leaps and reaps the consequences of rash judgement. Take the time to breathe before you emotionally react to something, it will help.

Some fear the Feminine´s rise to power and others see it the dis-empowerment of the Masculine as its prerequisite. I wouldn´t consider either a balanced view as God-Goddess, energetic archetypes, The Divine knows no form or gender. They cut through all of the above. And if we are to heal as a species … we´ve got to start with the schisms within, and with one another (as appropriate).

So – taking it all together – it´s a powerful time to make choices. Ones that can reinforce karmic cycles of wounding and rejection – or to walk away from them. Don´t be afraid to draw boundaries, especially when you feel coerced or guilt-tripped into giving more than you should. It doesn´t matter who´s asking.

Our choices – especially now – have the power to build Rainbow-Shadow bridges of healing that will create new pathways for change within and without. With Libra, it starts in the mind as a choice that is made. Your reality will then begin to form surrounding that choice.

So my friends, what do you choose today?

What reality do you choose to inhabit?

Blessings and Love,

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
The Sky Priestess

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved.
Image: An illustration of a hermaphrodite from the Aurora consurgens, 15th century, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Terms of Use and Sharing: Feel free to use the Share button on FB or Reblog on WordPress for personal, noncommercial or educational use with all links intact. If you are an organization, institution or individual seeking to use this material for promotional purposes, please ask first. If wanting to include this information and/or the ideas explored therein into your workshop materials, teachings or written work, please cite this article and author accordingly. All information provided, be it through sessions conducted or this post is non-liable and is not intended to replace professional legal, medical, psychological, psychiatric and/or financial counsel

The Virgo New Moon/Solar Eclipse (1 September 2016): Looking To The Future We are About to Create with Saturn, Pluto and Vesta (The Priestess)

We begin this article by looking at the future that we are about to create.

At 9.03 am UTC, 1st September 2016 – the Moon conjuncted the Sun in a Solar Eclipse (New Moon) at 9 degrees Virgo.

Solar Eclipses / New Moons are potent times for the setting of seeds, or intentions which we reap – or see culminate – at moments predicted by the mathematics and energy of astrology. The seeds you set now you will most certainly see during the next Virgo Full Moon (March 12, 2017).

That´ll be interesting as the Sun will conjunct Pallas Athena and Chiron in Pisces whilst squaring Saturn and the Galactic Center in Sagittarius – and of course opposing the Moon at 22 Virgo.

Let´s just say that´s going be … a very telling time.

Many questions shall arise, such as: Are we on the road to Healing, or simply Self-Deception? Are we on a path of Service, or simply Self-Aggrandizement? (and so on and so forth)

Less than a month later (April 6, 2017), Saturn will retrograde at that exact degree – 27 Sagittarius (The Galactic Center), forcing us to re-visit these questions. Saturn will re-enter, and then finally leave Sagittarius from the last week of November till the first week of December 2017.

So really … the seeds we´re setting now, at the very least (putting aside the fact this is an Eclipse for a moment), will find structure, consolidation and form in fifteen months from now!!!!

I also note two curious features shared by the current Virgo New Moon (September 1, 2016) and next year´s Virgo Full Moon (March 12, 2017):

(1) The Sun and Moon square Saturn in Sagittarius
(2) Pluto in Capricorn opposes Vesta in Cancer (owing to Vesta´s long retrograde from the start of Leo and back into Cancer).

So let´s break that down.

The focus on Saturn tells us that – ALL – of this comes back to the question of what Path we ultimately take towards healing, learning, expression, service – or simply the paradigms we use to navigate our lives and find a sense of place in the world.

There´s going to be a lot of physical and/or intellectual movement as we expand our horizons. Be it by travel, migration, higher education, training, speaking – or finding sources of knowledge you see as authoritative in other forms.

Without surprise, this will equally translate into consolidation and/or conflict across the lines of political, spiritual and religious ideology.

As an astrologer, I also see this as a powerful time for the creation (and necessary destruction) of different approaches to this field of human-and-celestial understanding. The same message comes through strongly through the various other hats I wear: as academic, public speaker, global traveller – my own Saturn is in Sagittarius anyway 🙂 .

But long story short …

December 2017 is going to be a definitive time for the planet. And the seeds and energetic path-working we bring to our lives right now – is going to fuel whatever direction emerges then.

So … find the road you want to take and commit to it. You might change it over the next fifteen months – and that is fine. Just pick something, and get to it.

You might want to hold off signing paperwork till early October, just to allow Mercury to finish retrograding – unless of course, it´s just following through with something you previously committed to.

And it´s probably a good idea to let the Pisces Lunar Eclipse on September 16, 2016 pass first. The Moon (24 Pisces) will be conjunct Chiron, the Wounded Healer (22 Pisces), both trining Vesta (20 Cancer).

Amazingly, Vesta will be at the same degree (20 Cancer) during the Pisces Lunar Eclipse (September 16, 2016) and the Virgo Full Moon (March 12, 2017) – and when the Vesta Retrograde ends on March 7, 2017!

Interesting times … .. and such a focus on Vesta, The Priestess – to whom we now turn.

The second shared feature between the Virgo New Moon and Virgo Full Moon is the Pluto-Vesta opposition in Capricorn-Cancer.

This tells me that what we choose now is vital in helping us understand our Path of Service, Facilitation, Priest/essing – and its relationship with familial, ancestral, shadow-based karma, alchemy, manifestation and the deepest levels of energy-working.

That´s putting a very long story in a nutshell.

Vesta, the Priestess is going to want to sacrifice herself for her family, belief system, culture, custom, tradition – or simply to feel that she belongs someplace, that she has a Home.

Pluto will challenge Her by bringing her back into the Shadow-Domains, perhaps through the pursuit of power, perhaps through pain, perhaps both. I see The Priestess needs to understand the truth of what she seeks, what she is willing to sacrifice for it, and why – without giving into Pluto´s seductive wares and/or bullying ways. Remember – this is the planet that rules violence and breakdown, just as it does intimacy and rebirth.

Navigating this alignment alone will require an level of incredible transparency, groundedness and a willingness to ´cut through the karmic BS´ (as a loved one put it). You might prefer the language of transmutation, release and/or acceptance – it comes down to the paradigm of your choice.

Whatever you choose now, let it be a choice born of love, rather the fear of abandonment, betrayal, persecution or the desire to find brute power over another. It can be easy to give into those parts of the self when one believes they have no other way out. But that too is a belief, and one that can be shifted should you choose.

This bodes to be a very very transformative time for energy-workers and facilitators, particularly those who are not averse to exploring the relationship with the Shadow in its various forms. Those of you who do ancestral work will probably already be focusing on inherited (or mimicked) energetic vulnerabilities that have passed through family lineages.

I have found that working with the Golden Ray at the Solar Plexus Chakra in particular to be very, very effective at this time. Gemstones such as citrine or golden topaz will be of great use. Watch as well the messages that (literally) come from your gut, humanity´s ´second brain´, bringing with it the information of 100 million neurons. Probiotics and Vitamin C are also things I would encourage exploring to complement energetic work at this time.

But back to the astrology ….

I have also noted another curious emphasis on Vesta in a different Eclipse – the one coming right up on September 16, 2016. At that time, Vesta will be at 20 Cancer. She will be at that exact degree (as well) on the day the Vesta Retrograde ends (March 7, 2017) and the Virgo Full Moon (March 12, 2017) – when Vesta will oppose Pluto (just as she is doing now, albeit at 15 Cancer-Capricorn).

I would suggest looking into this particular degree (20 Cancer) in your natal and/or progressed charts to see what transformations arise. Vesta finally moves past this degree in the final week of March 2017 – which is when I would expect to see further movement in the way we navigate the Vesta/Cancer-Pluto/Capricorn opposition. The final Vesta-Pluto opposition in Cancer-Capricorn will take place in late July 2020, at 23 degrees. Then we get into the Leo-Aquarius oppositions, which is an entirely different kettle of fish.

To me, what this says is that we´re going to be challenged to move past, transform and/or embrace the role of Vesta-as-familial-caregiver-custodian, sacrificing her power and freedom and limiting herself into the home or domestic sphere. For some, this is ideal – for others, it is a prison. But there are too many ways that particular dynamic can play out – this is just one example. The possibility of resolution here comes in the Shadow (Pluto), in being willing to face what remains unseen in the deepest energetic chambers of the ancestral line. Certainly an interesting time for Priest/esses and Facilitators in general.

As a Priestess – I have to say that this has been one of the most … incredibly intense times of my life.

(I figure that will resonate with many others in a similar vocation).

To sum up what we´ve said so far … what you do during this Eclipse – counts – big time. The ripples you make in the pools of your sub-conscious will transform into ocean tides that move and shape (and dissolve and re-create) us all.

And last but not least – remember – this is an Eclipse. And eclipses come as part of families of eclipses, most popularly classified in terms of Saros cycles. To quote NASA:

“The periodicity and recurrence of eclipses is governed by the Saros cycle, a period of approximately 6,585.3 days (18 years 11 days 8 hours). It was known to the Chaldeans as a period when lunar eclipses seem to repeat themselves, but the cycle is applicable to solar eclipses as well. “ ~eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEsaros/SEsaros.html

The current Solar Eclipse / New Moon in Virgo is No. 39 of 71 in Saros cycle 135. It began on July 5 1331 and will end on August 17, 2593. Eclipse No. 38 was on August 22, 1998, with No. 40 on September 12, 2034.

Look back to August 1998 to see how the events of then connect with the present (that´s been true to a ridiculously specific degree for me – AND – Vesta was at 20 Cancer on that date as well… you just can´t make this stuff up ). And, if you remember, look back on today if you´re still about in September 2034 😀 There will be considerable energetic linkages between all these dates (which you can find on Wikipedia).

And that is where I would like to leave this article. Rather than going into Saturn-Neptune-Nodes and their relationship with the Sun/Moon/Eclipse – I wanted to take this in a different direction – as we´ve all spent the past months moving through these exact challenges (in the mutable signs).

I felt it was time to take a step forwards and look to the future we wish to create in the time that we have NOW.

Blessings and Thanks,

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
The Sky Priestess

Post & Image ´Virgo New Moon Solar Eclipse September 1 2016´ © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved. Please do not use or reproduce without permission.

Terms of Use and Sharing: Feel free to use the Share button on FB or Reblog on WordPress for personal, noncommercial or educational use with all links intact. If you are an organization, institution or individual seeking to use this material for promotional purposes, please ask first. If wanting to include this information into your workshop materials or written work, please cite accordingly. All information provided, be it through sessions conducted or this post is non-liable and is not intended to replace professional legal, medical, psychological, psychiatric and/or financial counsel.

SATURN RETROGRADE ENDS … A CALL FOR STRENGTH AND SENSITIVITY ( 12-13 AUGUST 2016 )

At 9.49 am 13-8-2016 UTC time (that´s the 12th for you in the Americas), Saturn will end its retrograde motion and station direct at 9´ 46 Sagittarius. Thank Heavens!

For the past few months, we have experienced such intensity with the Dance of the Mutable Signs (Sagittarius, Gemini, Virgo Pisces) and a Grand Mutable Cross that lasted for all of June, followed by a Yod (Finger of Fate) that lasted for all of July, and a two-week-long Great Goddess Grand Sextile that will fully form on August 14 (and then end).

Oh yes, and Mars and the Moon are close by to the Lord/Lady of Time and Karma as S/he stops moving in reverse (from the earth-view that is).

Argh. Ai. Yai. Yai. Cosmos, it´s been rough.

Some of us have made tremendously powerful, bold strides in the world, and others have caved in under the pressure and crawled to safety. Usually a mixture of both.

That distinctly unstable, volatile, vacillating, alternating, serpent-sinewing dynamic has not yet ended.

It shall continue. But in a different form.

Saturn´s end of retrograde signals a time where the lessons, pressures and trials that Saturn bring becomes more externalized, and equally, more amenable to be acted upon. The pressure builds less within and the channels for its release move outwards – into the big, wide world and Cosmos.

You can think of it as the time where the seed has pushed out of its protective shell and is shyly poking through the top of the soil layer with a tip. More work, growth and consolidation comes, but a different layer, or level of consciousness. Things get pushed to the surface and cease to simmer (as much) in the psyche.

This can be a great thing, for those of you using this energy to build a stable Path for yourselves and others – or a really disastrous thing – if you use the Sagittarian platform to breed a new dogma of authoritarianism, rigidity and/or inertia.

So yes, things are about to heat up even more. As we get a lot more vocal, assertive and externalized in the ways and paths we use to navigate our world and discover a sense of Truth. Don´t forget – Eclipse Season is coming up, as is Saturn´s conjunction with Mars (3rd week of August), Saturn-square-Neptune (2nd week of September), Saturn-square-the-Nodes- (last week of September) – and so on.

We are nowhere near done with this intensity, but we will begin to engage with it differently once the Saturn retrograde ends.

At the time Saturn stations direct, we see as part of a Grand Mutable Cross – along with Venus / Urania (9-10 Virgo), Circe / Amor (9-10 Gemini) and Neptune (11 Pisces).

Venus and Urania in Virgo ask us to discern appropriate boundaries within personal and professional relationships – and – in our faith in the skies / heavens. Look to see where your energetic vessel needs further boundary-strengthening, or where the walls have been placed too high. Is your faith in your business/partnership/cosmic connection leading you to the experiences that bring you to Spirit – or are they pulling you away from them?

Circe and Amor ask us to look at the power of the written word, relationships with one´s early home & siblings, ideas and communication. Here we are shown how we are part of a collective narrative that projects its baggage unto the figure of the powerful, sexual, enchantress (Circe) – and how that gets reproduced as part of a child´s upbringing. Amor reminds us that words can be a powerful balm in healing those past wounds. But they don´t need to be pretty, just truthful.

Neptune sits in Pisces, watching over us all and asking us whether our relationship with an perception of Spirit is truly what we think it to be. The Pressures that Saturn places on our Faith-Spirit-Connection right now can crush spiritual ideals that put us out of alignment, detach us from Truth, render us overly vulnerable or susceptible and so on. It can equally consolidate your Faith, put you even more firmly onto a road to Truth and teach you how to balance Strength, Sensitivity, Openness and Discernment.

Remember that hypersensitivity is not the same as being hyperspiritual. Boundaries (Virgo) and Strength (Saturn) are called for at this time. Just as Openness, Compassion and Faith are.

Many have asked me what remedies I can bring to the situation and the Truth is the only thing I can think of is Faith. Act on what you Have to, Stand your Ground, and Have your Faith. Not necessarily a faith that something specifically good or bad will happen, but a Faith that exceeds human perception and expectation of a situation.

Some ask me why their God or Goddess isn´t saving them from pain – and here I might differ with many – and I ask them instead to look back at their paradigm (Sagittarius) and its take on Suffering (Neptune). So many people in the world pray or do rituals because they expect the Gods or Goddesses to do something for them. Because there is the expectation that prayer, rituals, being altruistic, going to a temple will yield some specific benefits.

What I have found in my work as a Priestess is – that´s just not how they roll – at least not with me. What I am called to do, I have to do without considering the outcome. There are no guarantees.

And it is in that moment where Faith kicks in, or you mourn its Absence.

That´s another thing we´ll be seeing with the Saturn-Neptune alignment. A whole lot of Disillusionment and Suffering for some – and a whole lot of Consolidation and Clarity for others. It all comes down to whether the Path we take truly aligns with Spirit.

That does not mean that I do not suffer or do not feel pain. It just means that I do not believe that my relationship with Spirit is meant to insulate me from unpleasant experiences. To, navigate them better, perhaps.

What I would suggest, at this time, is to look at what you can do to alleviate suffering. Sometimes it´s a prayer, sometimes it´s something physical, sometimes it´s just being there. Not because it´ll get you good karma, but just because. You don´t need a because.

Whatever you feel you can do to help another (who needs it and it isn´t just starting a horrible karmic cycle of dependency), go go go.

I also see so many who feel vulnerable. Pushed the point of breaking down and I would like to remind them / you / me that we are far stronger than we believe.

Even if the Gods and Goddesses don´t appeal, Have Faith in the Self. You´ve survived through so much, and you will continue to survive.

The fact you can still feel as much you can feel is proof of that. You haven´t shut down your Heart. Keep Going. Just know when to tune out and recharge for a bit.

And of course there are the – I´m too holy for engaging with this petty real-world stuff – types. Well, Good Luck to Ya 😉 The Cosmos has more in store for us all.

Trying to deny the existence or experience of certain energetic forms as a means to stop one´s perception of it (in my experience) has never really worked.

You are going to feed energy to anything that comes your way. No matter how deeply you try to burrow it into the back of your mind. So you might as well feed it with the kind of energy that forces it to transmute. I remind you here of the powerful lessons of Kung Fu Panda 3. (Excellent Film)

After all, at the end of the day – don´t we consider Acceptance-of-All at the deepest level one of the keystones of Spiritual Experience?

If you do need to withdraw from something, do so consciously and ask yourself Why?

What other options are there?

Are there fruitful avenues for engagement?

Are there ways you can support or hold space from afar?

What needs to change or be created for you to transmute whatever is out of balance? (Remember – energy is neither created nor destroyed … it just moves around in different forms)

What are you not seeing or not wanting to see?

And Why?

With Neptune´s involvement – things are … very rarely what they appear to be at first glance. Use that Virgo energy and peel away the layers.

Keep the questions coming … Let your Mind and your Spirit and Heart and all parts of you engage with whatever you´re facing, or are helping another to face.

In any case – Dancing with these themes will be at the core of the Grand Mutable Cross Saturn is a part of as She stations direct. There´s a lot more going on, don´t doubt that for a moment. But I suspect these will be the ´Big´ themes for most of us. Themes which we will continue to revisit over the next few months.

Blessings and Love,

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD
The Sky Priestess

Terms of Use and Sharing: Feel free to use the Share button on FB or Reblog on WordPress for personal, non-commercial or educational use with all links intact. If you are an organization, institution or individual seeking to use this material for promotional purposes, please ask first. If wanting to include this information into your workshop materials or written work, please cite accordingly. All information provided, be it through sessions conducted or this post is non-liable and is not intended to replace professional legal, medical, psychological, psychiatric and/or financial counsel.

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved. Please do not use or reproduce without permission. See Terms of Use and Sharing above.

Image: Love in a Time of Poverty by E. K. Buckley, used with the Artist´s Permission). For more of her work, please go to www.ekbuckley.com

ASTROLOGY, HEALING AND MAPPING THE PSYCHODYNAMICS OF THE ENERGY-BODY

Astrological analysis can help you identify the psychological, spiritual, metaphysical and other factors that lead to the manifestation of certain states of mind and related physical conditions. Whilst not to be used as a replacement for medical/alternative therapies, it gives you a framework through which you can assess the state of the physical body and its link to the energy-body.

For instance, I often work with individuals who exhibit the features of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (a complex phenomenon which is built up of many conflating factors). When I study the chart, I am able to pinpoint specific experiences, individuals and types of trauma linked with the onset of fatigue. And it differs for each individual.

For some, fatigue is – just what it is. Exhaustion. Tiredness. Weariness. Medically linked with hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue (with the related Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome). If you work yourself to death, at some point that body is just going to shut down and say: Buddy I´m done. Let me rest.

In others, what I see is the over-investment of their vital energy into the re-living of a certain traumatic experience and/or holding themselves in a ´brace´ position for fear that it may happen again. So rather than a lack of energy – it´s a case of redirecting it.

Another dynamic that sometimes comes up in my case studies is when a person needs to learn how to ground better into the earth and to draw up energy back into the body.

There will certainly be other dynamics as well. But this is what I´ve seen so far with my case studies.

Various energy medicine systems do this through their different traditions – the Indian subcontinent understands it through the flow of prana through the nadis – China calls it chi and the meridians. And I´m sure South America, Africa and Australia (and other cultures/civilizations) have their own ancient understandings of the same.

These are things I would like to learn and incorporate further in my own practice.

What I do with astrology is to trace or map out the psychodynamic pathways that are created between specific events, individuals, lifetimes that leads to a particular state of imbalance.

I let the chart, rather than the individual I am working with to help me identify this pathway and its own timeline of progression. To confirm what I´m seeing, I might ask specific questions like:

Did you have this experience with so-and-so in this way, at this time of your life?

Does such-and-such situation trigger such-and-such symptoms?

It is located in this such-and-such organ with such-and-such sensation or feeling?

And so on.

It really does get that specific.

And then I identify the chakra/s involved and provide practical tools to address some of the kinds of energetic imbalances identified.

My healing toolkit works more so with essential oils, gemstones, mantras and guided visualizations. For me (at present), the 7 chakra system is an excellent framework to interpret the energybody.

There are of course other conceptualizations that work just as well. But it´s a good place to start.

And for some – it´s not just the tools provided that help them – but the awareness that arises when they – logically and intuitively – see the way the dots connect up. And then the AHA! moment hits.

For some, that it is enough to trigger the release of pent of trauma, or the attachment to a certain experience of wounding that has gone on for years, and years – perhaps even lifetimes.

The face takes on a glow and you can see the instant, deep release and shifting. The work then becomes one of maintaining this state of receptivity and release.

For others, the experience is less dramatic, but still substantial. It is a baby step, but one which can become a powerful foundation towards developing a healther mind-body-spirit connection. Neither response is better or worse, as we each take different paths and timelines to healing.

It helps to know that there are alternative understandings out there as it puts your own choices in context.

And of course there will be certain charts in which karma, timing and the more hidden mysterious of incarnation simply refuse to reveal the process. In which case I work more so with symptom management.

Specifics, context and an understanding of process can be a deeply healing thing to have, especially when working through states of health described in vague or over-generalized terms.

Irritable bowel syndrome is another one … It covers so many things that you wonder what it actually is. And when you don´t understand it, and are just given things to mask or alleviate your symptoms – you´re not healing.

In my early 20s, whilst doing my PhD, I was diagnosed with Adrenal Fatigue (similar, but not exactly the same as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Terribly draining (and time consuming). Besides medical letters that said I was tired and drained, I didn´t really get any remedies from the medical system (was in the UK). So I had to turn to alternative sources, and did find relief.

The experience helped me understand how the act of mapping, and getting specific with the energy dynamics that underpin physical health and imbalance – in itself – provides a sense of liberation. And it gives you tools, perspective and a greater sense of confidence.

 

You realize, hey – I got this.

I can do SOMETHING rather than just feeling like a victim in my own body.

 

But to be fair, Western science and medicine continues to map out the unknown through its own paradigm. As its tools of understanding become more sophisticated, what Western science ends up saying (and empirically proving) is increasingly beginning to match up with what older traditions have been saying for thousands of years.

(Yay!)

I look forwards to deepening my own knowledge of these various paradigms and combining them with the work that I do as an astrologer and a priestess. It is interesting that this is coming up for me now as my mum, dad and my brother are all doing the same kind of work through their respective inclinations.

And I´m sure many others are as well 🙂 Go Virgo North Node, Scorpio Full Moon!

Much Love,

Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD

The Sky Priestess

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016.

Image: Indic Manuscript 347, side a Wellcome L0024647.jpg [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Terms of Use and Sharing: Feel free to use the Share button on FB or Reblog on WordPress for personal, noncommercial or educational use with all links intact. If you are an organization, insitution or individual seeking to use this material for promotional purposes, please ask first. If wanting to include this information into your workshop materials or written work, please cite accordingly. All information provided, be it through sessions conducted or this post is non-liable and is not intended to replace professional legal, medical, psychological, psychiatric and/or financial counsel.

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NESSUS , HYLONOME & PHAETHON´S LESSONS DURING THE VIRGO FULL MOON (22-2-2016)

 

The Virgo Full Moon was a weird one. Its energy signature differed strongly from what one would normally expect. True, the role of the Facilitator, and its logical-pragmatic-analytical focus on detail and the daily grind was present – but so was something else. It wasn´t quite like a ´normal´Virgo´ signature (whatever that means anymore). Whilst Uranus-Pluto was cited as a likely cuplrit (so to speak), and that can well be the case, I would like to offer an alternative explanation. **trigger warning**

During the Full Moon, the Sun was conjunct Nessus (2 Pisces). Nessus is one of those asteroids which I involuntarily wince at when I see it strongly aspecting a personal planet during my readings. In mythology, Nessus reflects the energy of the abuser, one who violates the space of another, often through sexual means. In mythology, Nessus seeks to abduct and rape Deianeira, the wife of Hercules. Hercules manages to kill Nessus, but not before Nessus convinces Deianeira that his blood will ensure her husband´s loyalty to her. Long story short, Deianeira falls for the con and ensures that Hercules comes into contact with Nessus´ blood, leading to the great hero´s death.

At a symbolic level, the overt predation of Nessus is visible in the myth, as is the more energetically insidious effects of the poison, hidden in his blood. There is great irony in the fact that woman whom he intended to violate should then offer her trust to one so undeserving, ultimately leading to the tragedy of her husband´s death. So there´s a lot more going on here than the simple ´Nessus is a jerk´ narrative.

Whilst I don´t subscribe to victim-shaming in any form, Nessus teaches us that – whilst the actions of others who seek to cause harm to us are not our fault – there are certain vulnerabilities (gullability, naievete, etc.) within ourselves that we can first address.

The experience of Nessus on a personal planet can quite literally feel like a sense of violation, or, even numbness, i.e. a perceived energetic disconnection. I like Christine Sarah´s take on Nessus as the indicator of where Eros (our sense of intimacy) is most wounded. She makes the argument that this is where we feel most disconnected, and equally, where some of the greatest healing can take place.

Nessus in Pisces conjunct the Sun (3 Pisces) intensifies the emphasis on the abuser-victim and dynamics of obsfucation or manipulation, veiled in Piscean Shadow. A different alternative, as I see it, would have been a greater awareness of the kinds of ways in which we allow / have allowed ourselves to enter situations of great vulnerability, coupled with potential abuse. Some may see the roots of their own ability to play the role of the abuser in an intimate sense as well.

The Virgo Moon (3 Virgo) itself was under heavy strain, as part of a Grand Earth Trine with Phaethon (4 Taurus) and Hylonome (4 Capricorn). Phaethon´s energy resonates with that of the self-destructive teenager, recklessly and impulsively acting out his/her (perceived) distrust of the father figure. He did not know that his father was The Sun God, finding out the truth years later. Hylonome refers to the woman who impales herself upon the spear that her husband, Cyllarus, was killed by. Cyllarus himself rushed into some situation beyond his ability to handle, again, upon pure impulse. Both placements speak to a lack of restraint, and a deep sense of distrust. Phaethon distrusts his father and Hylonome simply does not believe that she can live without her husband. Phaethon recklessly drives the Sun Chariot and is killed by Zeus lest the former destroy humanity, Hylonome and Cyllarus both die because they act upon pure, unmeasured, impulse.

Virgo´s ethos is to heal, serve, preserve and find pragmatic ways to keep the routine of material life manageable. But even she has her fuse, and one that is likely to have exploded with the kinds of insights Sun conjunct Nessus brought to the fore from Pisces. Some may have found truly balanced responses to the deep, and profound spiritual recognition that would have come about – and others may have reverted to Virgo´s shadow – that of the hyper-critical, nit-picky neurotic. Perhaps a combination of both. The lessons of the Moon were further intensified by Phaethon and Hylonome´s respective positions.

Now is the time to seek out deep medicine for wounds surrounding the Father / Patriarch, the deep lack of faith or distrust of Spirit (particularly if one has suffered profound wounds), the idea that one is ´alone´ in the Cosmos (linked to the former) and generally, with issues surrounding the victim-abuser dynamic.

That alone tells me it was a whopper of Full Moon for many. Bear in mind that some will be unusually sensitive to these dynamics, whereas others, on different journeys, will have a different experience of the same. It´s hard to pinpoint what the experience will be like at the individual level, particuarly with detail-blurring Pisces involved 😉

Blessings to All. This energy remains in the skies for the next three days (at least).

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

 

Post & Image ¨Mist in Monserrat, 2016¨  © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved.

Terms and Conditions of Use: Feel free to share this post on FB or reblog it on WordPress using the appropriate buttons for personal and noncommercial use. If you represent an organization, institution and/or seek to use this work for any purpose, please contact me in advance. If using this material for your own written work, please cite as appropriate. Thank you.

A Virgoan Interpretation of the Virgo Full Moon (February 22, 2016)

I have to admit I´m pretty surprised by the general thrust of the articles I´ve been reading about the upcoming Virgo Full Moon. There´s the ´don´t critique yourself too much´ , the ´you are perfect as you are´ , the ´surrender into acceptance ´ narrative and so on – things which I associate more so with Pisces. True, Neptune opposes the Virgo Moon at a 6 degree orb – but the opposition is more a call to balance the Virgo-Pisces axis, rather than to move into Pisces completely.

Virgo is of course the Priestess or Earthly Facilitator. Her role is that of a sacred vessel that channels the energies of spirit whilst being able to discern what´s what with full use of her mental and logical faculties. That role of the micro-managing organizer who puts every detail into place isn´t something to be overlooked or glossed over, it is in fact, her strength. What makes her able to serve in this material reality. Her critical faculties remain sharp in the face of the beautiful illusions and harsh truths that Piscean waters beckon her to channel and intuit.

And that is what i´m missing from the discourse right now – and generally speaking, from the larger ethos of ´New Age´ spirituality. The role of the critical, analytical mind is often downplayed for fear that it limits our abilities to accept, surrender and ´Be One´. The latter sounds more like a recipe for brainwashing, rather than spiritual awakening. If Oneness requires the lack of intellect, perspective and critical agency … it sounds like a strange place to be. (Which is why I think this is more a fear-based human narrative, rather than any Universal requirement)

In short –

• Stay grounded, do the little things that support your work, and keep your mental faculties honed.
• Pay attention to the voice of the Inner Critic as she just might have something valuable to tell you.
• Yes, you´re bringing in the Divine Waters of Spirit into your Sacred Being, but not everything that looks or claims or pretends to be Divine necessarily is. 
• Use discernment, even if others project upon it as being ´condemning´ or ´judgemental´.

That´s their issue, not yours.

I will be doing a longer post on this closer to the exact moment of the Full Moon.

Blessings,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

Image: Priestess of Bacchus by John Collier (public domain image via Wikimedia Commons)

Post © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2016. All rights reserved.

Terms and Conditions of Use: Feel free to share this post on FB or reblog it on WordPress using the appropriate buttons for personal and noncommercial use. If you represent an organization, institution and/or seek to use this work for any purpose, please contact me in advance. If using this material for your own written work, please cite as appropriate. Thank you.

CURRENT ASTRO-HIGHLIGHTS (Energy of the Week Ahead: Feb 18-24, 2016)

Feb 8 – 24 : Major Yod (Finger of Fate) involving Vesta, Eris, Uranus, Mars, Juno, The Moon, North Node, South Node, Chiron, Jupiter Retrograde and Black Moon Lilith. Long story short – we are asked to explore new paths of Service, at times releasing paradigms, paths, teachers who no longer resonate with the same. As we do so, we are called to explore the various archetypal energies that reside deep within the sub-conscious. Some may be drawn to deeper shamanic work and/or energetic awareness that takes the influence of ancestry into account. The role of the Dark Goddess is heightened as part of this alignment, as She asks us to seek a form of Balance and Justice that honors the Self – as a new Path, or Embodiment, of Service. Many will be developing a new relationship with their perception of the wounds they have borne, and in a general sense, with the wounded healer archetype. I have written elsewhere on how this awareness is part of the larger wave of awareness that the Age of Aquarius seeks to instill within us, as we move away from Pisces´ legacy (with its gifts and its burdens).

Feb 13 – 15: Grand Sextile / Star of David Alignment involving North Node, Jupiter, Mars, Pluto, Chiron, South Node and The Moon. In terms of more commonly known bodies, this is a Near-Perfect Grand Sextile, with the ´missing´point between 16-23 degrees Cancer. The asteroids Thereus (relationship with victimhood-abuser dynamics, perceived entrapment, fears, etc.) and Urania (connection with astrology and astronomy through the Goddess) are at 16 Cancer, completing the Grand Sextile. The Grand Sextile or Star of David alignment is a six pointed star. It appears as a smoothly connected series of six sextiles, housing an upward and downward facing pair of equilateral trianges. Essentially, the Grand Sextile alignment hands you a blank cheque from the Cosmos that says: Manifest what you will. This can work both ways, depending on how well you work with the energies of the alignment, and how they relate to your personal natal, or progressed, chart.

Feb 18 – 19: Grand Sextile / Star of David Alignment involving the same bodies above, minus Mars, but with Juno instead. The Moon is now in Cancer, making the ´missing point´ between 16-23 Taurus. The asteroids Eurydice (agency, codependency, relationship with darkness and descent) and Hera (projections unto the feminine, the forgotten goddess, the controlling mother archetype) are at 19 and 20 Taurus respectively, completing the sextile. Sedna is at 24 Taurus, quite notably – her energy asks us to consider the wounds of abandonment, betrayal by masculine energy, and the process of rebirth that accompanies the surrender of descent.

Feb 18: Sun enters Pisces. For the next month, our attention is more strongly pulled towards matters of spirituality, surrender, sacrifice, past life karma, the mystic´s path, the role of the wound (particularly those that are difficult to recognize), and so on. A powerful time to be inspired by the formless, ever-shifting energy of the Cosmos and its Mysteries.

Feb 22: Full Moon in Virgo. Look back to the previous Virgo New Moon (13 September 2015, Solar Eclipse) to see what seeds you set into motion that you will now harvest. Matters of health, service, chastity, ideas and ideals of purity, organization and the daily routines of life will come into greater focus. A powerful Moon for those who serve as Priestesses or other types of Sacred Facilitators.

All in all, it´s going to be a very energetically intense week!

Bear in mind that Vesta is now conjunct Eris, and the Uranus-Pluto-Black Moon Lilith T- square is still exerting a powerful influence in the skies.

Also – for those of you who are interested – I have begun a new type of session called Eris Awakens. Do get in touch if this piques your interest.

Ciao!

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Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

Confession: I’m an astrologer and I hate making predictions. (a.k.a. Meta-Musings on Astrology)

Astrology is a powerful tool that tells us how to navigate the flow of energy within our lives, and as they connect with the wider Cosmos.

Where you go in that flow is up to you,
What choices you make is up to you,
What life you lead, again, is up to you.

It’s a roadmap, it doesn’t tell you whether you’ll get there. It shows you the best route you can take. You still need to go on the journey though.

When I get the following questions –

Will I get married?
Will I get that job?
Will I find my soulmate and live happily ever?
and so on…

I just say I’m not that kind of astrologer…

What I can tell you when there’s a stronger chance of that happening and what you need to do to bring that flow of energy into your life/chart/being.

But I can’t tell you for sure. Well, I certainly won’t pretend to.

For the more I look I into the discipline, the more variables I see. And many of them tell me that there’s just so much we cannot predict. General themes yes, but there’s always that wildcard.

And, with the rate of current spiritual evolution/acceleration, those wildcards keep popping up!

From a philosophical perspective, I see that:

Human life, in its infinitely rich tapestry of forms, experiences, joys and losses – needs – to some extent, to remain Unknown; for it to have the meaning, power and significance that it does.

For …

If astrology could tell us every single thing about the shape our lives will take – if it was all already known in advance (to the human self/mind/consciousness) – what would be the point of doing it?

If all was already known, what then (illusion or reality of) Purpose can we reasonably assume to have? Or even of Free Will?

These are things too precious to lose for the sake of finding certainty.

At least, that’s my take on it. Other astrologers will have different views on the matter, and that is cool too.

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

#metareflection #astrologicalmusing

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NEW MOON AT 19 CAPRICORN – Grand Cardinal Cross with Uranus, Pluto, Black Moon Lilith, Thereus and Cyllarus (Jan 9/10, 2016)

Blessings to All. It’s the first New Moon of 2016 – and it’s a Wowzer! New Moons are potent windows for the setting of intentions that culminate during the corresponding Full Moon of the same sign. We are now in the seed-setting cycle of the Capricorn New Moon. Its energies urge us to think about the material, physical, energetic and other forms of legacies we bequeath for later generations to inherit.

Capricorn’s energy also relates to our image or role in the public eye, be it through the successes and accomplishments we work hard to achieve, or the career or profession that gives us the scope to do so. At the societal level, it is the energy of the Supra-Conscious, the voice or level of consciousness that tells us what is socially desirable, acceptable and legitimate. Tied into this is a discussion of power, authority and the institutions that govern us as their (formal and informal) subjects, i.e. governments and banks.

Energetically, I associate Capricorn with the archetype of the Earth-Crone or Grandmother who watches over the land with a soft, care-worn expression in her face. She is custodian and protector of the land, as the legacy her grand-children will ultimately inherit (and inhabit).

As we set intentions for a new cycle of manifestation, bear in mind that this New Moon (Sun/Moon conjunction) is woven into and forms a part of an unusually potent Grand Cardinal Cross, involving Uranus and Pluto. We experienced a similar alignment with these two transpersonal bodies during April-May 2014. Though we may respond to that level of intensity differently now, you’re likely to see some echoes.

Pluto –  the planet of crisis, change, transformation, the hero/ine’s journey, birth-death-rebirth, issues with intimacy, sexuality, boundaries, power, health, regeneration, alchemy and resurrection – conjuncts the Sun-Moon at 15 Capricorn. The New Moon draws us into the depths of the Plutonian Underworld in order for us to explore the shadow and the gifts hidden within.

In Other Words,

Once More … Into the Abyss.

(But that’s really not a bad thing…)

The Underworld, just as the concept of The Shadow, is of course, one that has been heavily projected upon as being ‘evil’ or ‘negative’. That was a later cultural construct that gained currency with the rise of monotheism (and I would also argue, with the rise of patriarchy).  For instance, Greek mythology saw the the Underworld as more than a place for souls to go to upon death. It was the space in which heroes were born – as they faced their Shadow – and equally, where heroes returned to upon their death, i.e. in the Elysian fields (their equivalent of Paradise). Compare that to our contemporary (mainstream) idea of the Underworld – as a space of torture, confinement, and suffering – and you can see the deep cultural shift I’m talking about. And let’s not even get into the topic of how the Earth-Mother was displaced from her Dark Womb in later mythologies and religious conceptions. Darkness is a far more nuanced, multifaceted construct.

So, as Pluto draws you in, be it through a willing Descent into the Darkness of the self, or through the modality of crisis – bear in mind that this a journey into Shadow. Here is where the seeds lie in their nascent state beneath the soil, where the fetus gestates in the waters of the womb, the vacuum in which all existence burst forth from Nothingness. Here is the space of new beginnings, a realm of great healing, nurture, sanctuary and re-connection. And equally, here is where you hide your strengths, fears, truths and deep illusions.

Intimate partners (Pluto) and/or older, authority figures (Capricorn) may be the ones to draw you into this shadow space, more likely through the modality of conflict, rather than not. You may find yourself in games of emotional manipulation, projection and power-plays without realizing it.

Pluto, The Sun and The Moon square Uranus at 16 Aries. This is familiar terrain, what with the life-and-generation-transforming sequence of seven exact Uranus-Pluto squares we all experienced between 2012-2015. Uranus, The Great Awakener, strikes us with an erratic, unpredictable bolt of Consciousness. Where it comes from, why, and through whom, is something no one can reasonably give you an answer on – except by checking which house it occupies in your chart. In Aries, be it by initiation or as a response to something else, Uranus awakens us to the Truth of the Self.

Aries energy expresses itself easily within the lower chakras, so pay heed to those gut-level impulses and responses. You may be surprised by the Self that is revealed, particularly when its sovereignty and power is challenged by another (Pluto).

All of this energy makes an aspect to Black Moon Lilith (15 Libra), the more matured (Crone) aspect of the Dark Feminine. She seeks to find Balance in the relationships that surround her and to ensure fair play between all parties, though she is likely to be negatively projected upon for doing so (and for reacting to that projection). The fact that Zeus (the ultra-patriarch)  is nearby at 18 Libra tells me that much of this re-balancing is going to have to look at the ways in which patriarchy has limited the scope for women’s agency, identity, power and spiritual presence over the past few millenia.

She may go the route of (what looks like) the bully, trying to carve out a (probably legitimate) space that has been traditionally denied to her. She may also go the route of (what looks like) the doormat, allowing herself to be take the back seat for the sake of a relationship, partnership or collaboration. However, that type of compromise isn’t likely to last long as Black Moon Lilith pushes us to challenge imbalance, especially as she fails to tolerate it 😉 . In general, this is not the best time to seek out objective-decision making (a Libran concern) in the domain of relationships, partnerships and collaborations, owing to Lilith’s reactivity and Uranus’ unpredictability. In other words, avoid making major life-changing decisions and commitments right now and let circumstances unfold as they will. Observe first, before reacting – to whatever extent possible.

Finally, we see Cyllarus (17 Cancer) and Thereus (18 Cancer) directly opposing the Sun/Moon/Pluto combination and squaring Uranus and Black Moon Lilith – this completes the Grand Cardinal Cross. Cyllarus warns us of the costs of acting in haste, lashing out or lunging forward without forethought. Cyllarus feels particularly threatened when the group identities that he feels at home in (tribe, culture, football team, etc.) are somehow challenged. In mythology, Cyllarus goes charging headlong into something without thinking and ends up dead with a spear through his chest.

Thereus, on the other hand, asks us to be mindful of victim-abuser dynamics, especially when one feels emotionally trapped by another. In mythology, Thereus was a hunter who stalked bears, entered their caves, hit them on their head and dragged them out afterwards. He’s not big on the idea of consent or honoring the personal integrity of another. In charts, Thereus often refers to the area in one’s life where they do realize the fact they are trapped or subject to predation by another, until it is fully revealed to them. Some prefer to ascribe something positive to the entrapment (a blissful state of denial) or to get defensive and reject it outright.

So, Thereus challenges us to become mindful of hidden control tactics or energetic/emotional predation; Cyllarus cautions us against simply not jumping the gun and charging in arms akimbo when we feel things that we are strongly attached to, challenged in some way. Both are present in the sign of Cancer, representing the domestic sphere – family, home, tradition, racial/ethnic identity, relationship with the mother or maternal archetype, and so on. Whether it be the source of triggering, or the context in which we seek the dynamics of triggering play out – familial/tribal dynamics pose powerful challenges during this New Moon.

In other words, even if someone from home challenges us, or someone challenges our sense of home – think twice before responding or falling into the victim-abuser polarity. This is going to be triggering some massive shadow-work and the need to acknowledge how we – and our families – at times, hold one another in rigid, dysfunctional emotional patterns. As we make healthier choices for ourselves as individuals, and as members of a partnership, we may find resistance from family and the traditional values they uphold – or even from authorities or institutions that we allow to exercise power over us.

Thank the God/esses for Uranus and Black Moon Lilith! They give us the impetus to walk away from inherited wisdom and ancestral truths that continue (rightly or wrongly) to tell so many of us just how and why we are wounded or trapped and why that is our fault or why we can’t change that ‘reality’. Whilst there are wonderful things we can inherit from our pasts, there’s a lot of baggage that gets lumped in as well. Be mindful that your individual actions can rock the boat for others around you, but as always – Follow your Truth.

Taking these together, we see an extremely intense, shadow-oriented, unpredictable flow of energy between the signs of the Self (Aries), Partner (Libra), Family/Home (Cancer) and Career/Legacy (Capricorn). Many of you will begin exploring new directions, perhaps even with a new map (i.e. a sense of what is possible). This New Moon will be a defining time for many, strongly echoing similar dynamics we collectively experienced during the Grand Cardinal Cross of April-May 2014.

Look to July’s Full Moon in Capricorn to begin reaping the seeds sown at this time (27 Capricorn, July 19). June’s Full Moon at 29 Sagittarius will have some precursors to what we see in July. The Moon moves into Capricorn not long after it opposes the Sun at 29 Gemini (June 20).

So, taking this all together – it’s a powerful, energetically intense time that asks us to consider how we (ultimately) think about the different aspects of who we are, who we choose to connect with, where we’re from, and – where we’re going. The legacy we leave behind in the world weaves together the elements from each Cardinal sign and the challenges and strengths that they bring.

Choose your legacy wisely, and as far as you can, remember that we are all facing this dynamic – together. How strongly these placements influence you depends upon your natal chart and your own spiritual path / process of evolution.

Blessings to All,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam
The Sky Priestess

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