SUN CONJUNCTS MERCURY AND EROS IN LEO; PALLAS TRINES VESTA ; NEPTUNE OPPOSES JUNO AND VENUS PREPARES FOR HER RETROGRADE

My friends, we’re at the brink of The Sun-Mercury-Eros conjunction at 0 Leo. This is a potent alignment which brings both our conscious awareness to, and the ability to give/receive messages about matters that link with our hearts, wombs, romantic, passionate, creative, co-creative, pro-creative/sensual lives. (Applies for men, and other genders in different ways – but bear in mind we all have a powerful link to the archetype and energy of the Womb.) Leo also links to the archetype of the Inner Child and the vulnerable, authentic self that resides within that tender, layer of self. Eros’ role in this conjunction brings it back to that intrinsic, unspeakably intimate connection we share with the Source of Life itself. It is that quality that excites us about the fact of our existence, and allows us to revel, sparkle and delight in that realization.

We’re looking to our lives, and opening ourselves to messages/ideas/information that will expand our awareness of ourselves in this vital aspect of life. The Royal Sign of Leo fills our worlds with a fearless approach to life, and love. It’s a beautiful energy, and one which can show us the way forward, especially when we may feel stuck in our abilities to express our innermost, authentic selves.

Ceres and Hermes oppose the Sun/Mercury conjunction at 2 Aquarius, energizing current energies. We are likely to be able to provide nurture through or be nurtured by our friends, charitable networks, associations for humanitarian causes – or simple – from the Ether of the Cosmos itself. Aquarian energies seek to bring the Gifts of the Self to the Collective, that they may then be honed to facilitate manifestation of the Mind’s directive. Such forms of nurture can come through social media, other forms of electronic communication and related networks (FB, Skype, Twitter, etc. ). Hermes’ much like Mercury, emphasizes the roles of communication – of giving/receiving messages of use and interest at this time. Stay open to and in tune with your sense of intuition, as it were.

Those of you with placements near to 23-9 Libra-Scorpio / Aries-Taurus will experience this as a Fixed T-Square, or Fixed Grand Cross – with the points of greatest intensity nearest 0-2 Scorpio/Taurus.

The Sun/Mercury trines, whilst Ceres sextiles Saturn Retrograde (28 Scorpio). This indicates that the messages we receive now (with respect to our authenticity / passion / vulnerability / lovelife / kids / creativity / etc.) and the nurture we give/receive in ways that connect the Higher/Deeper Mind, The Cosmos, and the Collective – leave larger ripples in their wave than anticipated. Saturn observes and tests us all methodically through its final retrograde in Scorpio (for another 30 yeas at least). This trine-sextile (i.e. Wedge) alignment provides us harmonious opportunities to work with these elements and find authentic, compassionate ways in which we can address the challenges that taskmaster-Saturn presents us with at present.

There are other supportive aspects present (depending on how you choose to work with their energies/opportunities):

Pallas Athena Retrograde (11 Sagittarius) trined Vesta (11 Aries) – The Goddess of Strategy, Wisdom and Assertion asks us to look inwards, revisiting our understanding of belief systems, ideologies, philosophies, attitudes to travel, ability to teach/preach and so on. Vesta, The Priestess, continues her counsel … She asks us to continue to burn the remnants of the Ego in the Fires of the Self, as she reveals to us our Innate Divinity. Those with placements at between 4-18 Leo will experience this as a phenomenal Grand Fire Trine (as the Sun/Mercury will, over the next few days). It’s already in the works 😉

Neptune Retrograde (9 Pisces) opposed Juno (8 Virgo) – We are asked to look at the ways in which we experience and understand the Formless aspects of Divinity. The illusions of ‘being spiritual’ and what that must ‘look/feel/be like’ are presented to us now, and we are challenged to allow what is no longer required to be washed away into the Compassionate Waters of Spirit and Mystery. Juno, the energy of the Soulmate, opens us to the Divine Feminine at the same time. We are likely to experience encounters – with Priestesses / Facilitators / Service Providers of some kind who challenge our ideas of an otherworldly idea of Spirit. Those of you with placements at/near 1-16 Sagittarius/Gemini will experience this as a Mutable T-Square, or Mutable Grand Cross.

Osiris (9 Virgo) and Niobe (10 Virgo) are nearby, exerting their influence. Osiris asks us to discover a grounded, practical understanding of Service that seeks to heal the Wounded Masculine, whilst Niobe warns us of becoming too attached to the physical trappings to any path of Service – titles, adulation, movements, followings, and so on – these can be useful and needed depending on what you’re meant to be doing, the catch is not attaching the whims of the ego-self to it.

It’s important to also note that Venus (0 Virgo), in proximity to Jupiter (26 Leo), prepares for Her Retrograde, in a little over 24 hours’ time (July 24). The Lady herself questions her material form, her value system, the ways she relates to things, people, and different aspects of her self. We’re going to feel this, at first, intensely focused upon our understanding of what constitutes a Practical Path of Service – then she shifts backward into Leo, circa July 31st. Her lessons then focus upon Leo-related concerns as delineated above (circa July 31). I feel the messages we receive from Sun/Mercury now will also help us understand and prepare for the Venus Retrograde Transit.

There’s more happening in the skies (there’s always more, e.g. Mars squaring Uranus), but I think this should be enough to give you a sense of what’s up with the skies right now 😉

Blessings to All,

Bairavee Balasubramaniam

The Sky Priestess

For those of you seeking readings, please contact me via ( http://wp.me/p4OUNS-zB ). I might be travelling after the 26th, and so I’m leaving my calendar wide open. Not sure when it will be as free after that. Blessings.

Text © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2015. All rights reserved.
Image – 1873 Pierre Auguste Cot – Spring.jpg

JUNO CONJUNCTS JUPITER, TRINES THE GREAT ATTRACTOR: 14 Leo ’49 (8:45 pm, May 17 2015, GMT + 8)

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

Image: James Barry [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.
Text © Bairavee Balasubramaniam, 2015. All rights reserved.

CELESTIAL DYNAMICS: THE ENERGIES OF THE SKY (26/3/2015)

Blessings everyone. At this time the strongest celestial influences are:

(1) A powerful GRAND FIRE TRINE involving Sun (5 Aries), Saturn Retrograde (4 Sagittarius), Juno (3 Leo). We’re still feeling the intensity of the Sun Saturn Rx exact trine yesterday, making this a highly charged alignment.

This is the kind of alignment that basically inspires you to take your passion and follow it. Find what moves you, brings you joy and do it. Saturn’s presence in the trine indicates that the work or challenge you find yourself drawn to now is something that has a hand in the long-term development and shoring up of a sense of self-identity. In other times, a truly powerful time for self-work.

Juno’s role in the trine basically opens the doorway to the Divine Feminine, and facilitates experiences that lead to a more complete understanding and experience of one’s Soul.

The Sun in Aries facilitates the energy of the trine, allowing ourselves to put our best foot forward in the the challenges and the gifts that it brings. A powerful time for Knowing, Developing, Asserting and getting more Focused about our Paths of Self Development.

The following bodies are also activated during this transit. Rhiphonos (4 Leo) , Isis (2 Leo), Niobe (6 Leo), Nemesis (4 Leo), Child (6 Sagittarius), Rhiphonos tells us to honor the sacred, sexual boundaries that we are all entitled to have and cherish. Isis connects with the energies and mysteries of the Goddess Isis, her archetype both as a Mother, Protector, and an an Alchemist capable of resurrecting Osiris in the Underworld. Niobe warns us to avoid becoming overly attached towards, or developing an unhealthy sense of pride over our creative, sensual, sexual products and experiences (which, in a direct way, also includes our children). Child can either refer to your child, or a significant younger person in your life, even your own Inner Child within (strongly supported by Leo’s participation in the trine).

And finally we have Nemesis – Nemesis refers to an abstract principle of justice or karmic re-balancing. She ensures that we reap that which we sow, no more and no less.

She adds a powerful sense of gravitas to celestial proceedings at this time (along with Saturn), making this Grand Fire Trine feel distinctly less ‘peppy’ as it normally would – as there is much work to be done with it, as we move towards the Lunar Eclipse on April 4th.

(2) The Uranus/Pluto square – that alignment continues to make its presence felt in the skies, and will continue to do so for the next few weeks (it takes a long time for Uranus and Pluto to move into, or out of, alignments

(3) Vesta (28 Aquarius) sextiled Pallas Athena (28 Sagittarius). This is a phomenonal aspect for spiritual facilitators to work with, particularly if they are Female / resonate with the Priestess Archetype or are focused upon The Divine Feminine. Those with placements close to 28 Cancer will experience this as a powerful Yod, or Finger of Fate. This is a powerful time in which we can blend our intuitive wisdom, along with more structured paths of knowing and belief.

(4) North Node (10 Libra) inconjunct Venus (10 Taurus). Uncomfortable, potentially challenging situations raised in the areas of your Soul’s Growth (fixated in the realm of partnerships) and the way in which you relate to material value systems, your place / and partnership with this Earth, your ideas of sensuality, femininity and attachment. This is a time in which Balance is the mantra of the Time, and we are encouraged by the North Node to find more detached ways of viewing our role within partnership dynamics both within and with other people. Those with placements near 10 Pisces / Sagittarius will experience this as a Potent Yod, bringing you to a crisis or decision point. Such choices can either entrench you in a particular karmic cycle of learning or help you transcend it, and then begin new chapters.

(5) The buildup to the Lunar Eclipse (4/4/15). It’s unusual to see the energetic buildup of an eclipse begn two weeks before it is due. Looking at the specifics of the Eclipse .. I can safely say that it is going to be MAJOR. I discuss this alignment in depth in the upcoming episode of Astrology with Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD  on WGTR – that will be airing (with analysis on the Eclipse and the Week’s Forecast + more) on Thursday (26/3), 9 am Central (US) Time – wgtrlive.com/listen-live.html

There is just SO much going on in the skies right now, with energetic shifts anchoring, or paving, the way towards the Lunar Eclipse. Take it a day at a time, and let’s all get good work done together in the meantime.

Blessings to All,

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