Cosmic Calendar
Salina Rain
April and May continue the highly activated energy field indicated by the chart for the Aries solar ingress, or Equinox. This has the look and feel of a fast-moving season, with intensified passions and stressful situations that require our clearest and most compassionate thinking, both collectively and individually. Saturn closely trines Neptune in April for opportunities to build a more inclusive, spiritually based philosophical foundation in our major institutions. Prayer, mantra and other concentrated spiritual practices can be especially effective. Manifestation is much quicker of whatever we’re focused on, so be self-monitoring in your thoughts. Remember, form follows thought.
Jupiter and Chiron in close opposition challenge our ideas about democracy, family, home and homeland, safety and security, and force us to define these areas more precisely and, hopefully, ethically. We must draw definite boundaries but cannot afford to lose the essence of our ideals in doing so. These two bodies facing one another can help us awaken to a fuller picture of reality, from the day to day struggle for physical existence of a huge part of humanity, to the heights of human creativity, and beyond to a reconciliation of these seemingly vastly separated polarities. What are our responsibilities toward one another, after all? “Wisdom tells me I am nothing. Love tells me I am everything. Between the two my life flows.” (Nisargatta Maharj)
Pluto and the Moon’s South Node do a karmic dance over the next few months, hovering close to an exact conjunction, and foretelling a probable, radical transformation of mass consciousness. Decisions we’ve made in the past and the events unfolding from them will capture our attention over this time period, illustrating the laws of cause and effect in no uncertain—and pretty uncomfortable—terms. Where does this intensity play itself out in your chart? Endings of all kinds are emphasized along with powerful opportunities to begin anew from the wisdom of our experiences, so check out where you are personally challenged to let go. It’s good to separate paths with others with the least amount of drama when we’ve reached the end of our trail together.
May brings building tensions to a head as the Saturn-Pluto opposition from last year that set off extreme events comes into its culminating phase towards the end of the month. This is bound to center on matters of economic concerns, limitations and responsibility in news and publishing, education and travel, waste disposal and religious fanaticism on both sides of major conflicts. Government’s role now looks tricky, we need to remain vigilant and not believe all they tell us. (Does the “president” really have 80% approval?) The bottom line will be where we focus our beliefs. The shift in mass consciousness is happening over time, but it is happening and we can have an effect in the direction it goes by expressing our personal hopes for the future. The heliocentric Saturn-Pluto opposition on March 30th may have already brought another defining event in the current power struggles.
April 12th New Moon at 23 degrees Aries joins Mercury, sextiles Uranus, and trines Pluto-South Node and Juno in Leo. This is a courageous, risk-taking lunation with a strong push for the elimination of old power structures in personal, professional, and global relationships. We have more opportunities and inclination for joining resources in service of creative solutions, for gathering and checking information for its veracity. What we know, and how we use our knowledge, must serve the present and the future, not the rapidly crumbling past structure. There’s a warrior mentality with a growing awareness of the lessons history teaches us about war. Mars, Aries’ ruling planet, is square Uranus, pointing to the need for new ways of asserting ourselves, with ingenuity rather than raw aggression. Rudhyar’s interpretation of the Sabian symbol for 23 degrees Aries Sun and Moon is “A pregnant woman in light summer dress”—an image of self-fulfillment with a decidedly life affirming meaning. Don’t get stuck in past potentials as you make your intent for this new cycle.
Scorpio Full Moon on the 27th at 7 degrees emphasizes the tension between pressure to change and desire to dig in our heels and hold on at all costs. Neptune square to Sun and Moon form a fixed t-square with release and surrender as the pivotal point and alignment with the heart’s true desire as the “blind spot.” This pattern suggests the need for meditation and self-examination in order to avoid the draining effects of emotional mayhem. Sabian symbol from Rudhyar for 7 Scorpio is: “Deep sea divers. The will to explore the hidden depths of all experiences and to search for primordial causes.” Jupiter trine the Moon, Chiron trine the Sun, say dive in with gusto, enjoy the trip inward, and find wildly inventive uses for the mix of trash and treasure uncovered. How we use our resources as stewards of the Earth is an increasingly vivid concern.
On May 12th New Moon at 22 degrees Taurus arrives to encourage reevaluation of our priorities since the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction of May 2000. What commitments did we make then and how do we feel about them now? Is your economic base supporting you or do you need major renovations there? Sun and Moon make a t-square to Uranus-Pallas and Juno for dynamic, new and creative input that effects our personal and collective finances and brings shifts in relationships that can be highly productive or shocking. The “blind spot “of this t-square is in the Pisces decanate of Scorpio, telling us to liquidate the past, have faith, and be ready for eminent rebirth. Pallas, Juno, Vesta, Venus and Ceres, along with Jupiter in Cancer opposing Chiron in Capricorn, all play a part in bringing forth the feminine perspective in sharp contrast to the decomposing, heavy-handed old paradigm. Less is more, redistributing the vast wealth and bounty of the Earth, more sustainable uses of resources, feeding and sheltering all the children of the Earth, and honoring the right of all species to flourish are so-called feminine ideals that we can bring down now from the realm of ideals into reality with the small choices we make every day.
The world economy is on the hot seat with this lunation. Do we need more billionaires or do we need a new spin on our shared values? Do we want to make the changes before the changes make us? Saturn in Gemini trine Neptune, along with five other points in the sign of the twins helps us share information, discuss options, and make long term plans inclusive of everybody’s needs. The media is over-stimulated, so watch out for the flying bull. Humor, flexibility and serious intent combine to support us if we’re open to the moment.
The Lunar Eclipse of May 26th, 2002 is bound to be a pivotal point in world events as well as major personal crises. Saturn and Pluto are in their final face off even as the eclipse brings to light whatever may have been hidden from us as the world began to change last fall. The Sun at 6 degrees Gemini, interpreted by Rudhyar, represents: “Workmen drilling for oil. The avidity for that knowledge which ensures wealth and power.” Aside from the very obvious and timely relevance of this image, with our very own “oil driller” in power and the reference to “modern man’s insatiable drive for wealth and power,” there exists a deeper layer of meaning that refers to the profound shift in mass consciousness we are undergoing. This spooky reference to the Sun’s degree, with the Sun representing leadership, may point to something especially interesting about our leader at this time. Mercury is retrograde and conjunct the Sun adding to the importance of double-checking information sources, not believing everything you hear, and being extra vigilant about what you are presenting as fact. The Moon’s Sabian symbol at 6 degrees Sagittarius reads: “A game of cricket. Group solidarity … The value of making individual-will or ego-will subservient to collective cultural patterns is emphasized.” Time to evolve to the next stage of collective consciousness, where the individual within the group plays a unique, yet cooperative, role.
Jupiter, Venus and Vesta in Cancer remind us to focus in on who is in our immediate environment, and lavish care and nurturing here as we navigate the sometimes treacherous waters of change. Clear intentions are powerful, especially now. Hold your center and your intention and don’t be swayed by the despair or disillusionment of others. There will be a new day for all of us.
Salina offers a more detailed forecast at www.salinarain.com. A professional consulting Astrologer, Salina can be reached at (707) 668-5408 or at astro@salinarain.com. She also offers classes in Reiki-Jin-Kei-Do, an eastern lineage of Tibetan energy healing practices, and is an herbalist with an evolving focus on medical astrology.
April/May 2002
Terrorists
and Saints:The Wisdom of Ubuntu
Eric Sirotkin
US
House and Senate Legislation Banning Space-Based Weapons
Should
America Put Aside Guarantees of Constitutional Justice?
Representative Dennis J. Kucinich
Nurturing
Activism
Kelpie Wilson
Challenging
Corporate Power Enacting Campaign Finance Reform
Why
We're So Short on Democracy and Renewable Energy
Mike Ferner
Who
Will Stand for America? Citizen Groups Learning to Lobby Elected Officials
Bonnie Lock
Making
the Choice to Run for Public Office
Peter Buckley
Why
a Loser Gets To Run The Country: The Case For Instant Runoff Voting
Rob Richie
Military
Spending Grows, But Are We Really More Secure?
John Darling
Book
Review: The Best Democracy Money Can Buy
Ben Sekora
The
Globalizer Who Came In From The Cold
Greg Palast
Pipelineistan
Pepe Escobar
To
the Victors Go the Markets
Jordan Green
When
the Army Owns the Weather
Bob Fitrakis
Water
Water Everywhere, But Which One Should I Drink?
Awnee
A
Homeopathic Perspective on Strengthening the Immune System
Doug Falkner
Rogue
Valley Dharma Groups Present "Change Your Mind Day"
Julie Norman
A
Call to Rediscover the Intelligence in Nature
Rosi Goldsmith
Deep
Scars Can Be Healed
Peter Moore, MFCC, CGP
Cosmic
Calendar
Salina Rain
