Paris, October 2, 2022, Mercury Direct.
As Mercury turns slowly forward in late Virgo, we are entering one of the most highly charged periods of the year. It can be felt in many recent events. Searing images of women in Iran burning their veils, cutting their hair, rising in protest at the death of a 22-year-old who was arrested for offending the morality police with a few stray strands of hair. Young people are willing to give their lives in protest, and so far, 89 have died. Once again the battle between oppressive control and personal freedom, symbolized by Saturn square Uranus, has come to a head. In Russia, young men have fled to the border in a desperate attempt to escape the draft. An enraged, absolutist Putin threatens nuclear destruction, and targets civilian structures, a reflection of his outsized individual will seizing hold of the structures of power.
The last New Moon in Libra on September 26 acted as a trigger. It was both amplified by an opposition with Jupiter in Aries, and challenged by a powerful double sesquiquadrate (135°) to Saturn and Uranus. Dane Rudhyar described the 135° aspect as a challenge brought by evolutionary needs or by societal pressure. The failure to meet this challenge can leave a sense of dejection, a struggle with the “ghosts of the past.” This complex astrological structure carries noticeable tension.
While Libra is deeply concerned with harmony, it is also profoundly moved by justice or the lack of it. Libra is offended by things that are visibly out of order, jagged, or unjust. The sense that the world is tilting wildly is seen in anxiety about inflation, natural catastrophe and climate change, as well as the war in Ukraine. The news has been full of images of homes smashed to nothing by Hurricane Ian, and reports of lives lost. In the Baltic Sea, intentional explosions breached the gas conduits that deliver energy from Russia to Europe. Once again, Uranus explodes the structures put in place by Saturn, a sign that the old connections have been irrevocably breached. We can react to this insecurity by moving towards Saturn, with conservatism and sometimes, isolation. Or we might react via Uranus, which represents the desire to shake things up, to innovate, or to break things apart. Both principles are healthy and necessary, unless taken to extremes. Insecurity has led people to choose authoritarian governments in recent European elections, but it has also spurred many in the United States to join unions and to walk out of unfulfilling employment. This battle between old and new is ongoing. It sets the stage for a new era as Pluto moves briefly into Aquarius next year.
As we barrel toward two eclipses, on October 25 and Nov 8 (the morning of the US midterms), the need to reestablish balance is more urgent than ever.
I am immensely grateful that I was able to step back into speaking and connecting with my astrological tribe in person, first at the vibrant Norwac conference in late May, then again, at the wonderful ISAR conference in Colorado in late August. There is such a spirit in our community, such joy in seeing old friends and meeting new ones, and exchanging with those of you who have been listening to me from a distance. I have loved this spark brought by Jupiter in the fiery sign of Aries. It called us to adventure after more than two years of lockdown, and continues until October 30, when it retrogrades back into Pisces for two months. At ISAR, I gave a talk on The Alchemy of Money and Psyche. It is now available through my website.
In this talk, I explore how money often reflects the complexity of our relationships to others. Whether we have it or not, our relationship with money is inseparable from other people, alive or dead. I looked at how the 8th house is a key to understanding the power dynamics in many relationships. This lecture complements a series of talks I gave on money and astrology a few years ago.
Just a week ago I was in Germany, as the guest of the DAV, the German astrological association, for their 75th anniversary conference Bad Kissingen. I was translated by the delightful Martin Sebastien Moritz, who also gave an excellent talk on Lilith. Martin is a couples therapist and astrologer in Hamburg. He is the author of a new book from Wessex Press: Pandora’s Box: The Mysterious 8th house. It’s an opportunity to delve more psychologically into the 8th house.
I was lucky to have help understanding the lectures, which were otherwise all in German, thanks to Christian König, another wonderful astrologer and speaker. Despite the language barrier, astrology connects us heart and soul.
Many of you have reached out to me for readings, and I will begin taking new clients again soon, so don’t hesitate to write again, if you haven’t heard from me in the past.
Warmly,
Lynn