April/May 2006
Empty
Envelopes for Empty Promises
Steve Bhaerman
Restoring
the Public Trust
Bill Moyers
Nonviolence:
The Link Between Spiritual Development and Social Change
David Kupfer
One
Roof at a Time
Bill McKibben
If
Not Now, When?
Jody Woodruff
Recent
Research Shows Organic Foods Safer for Children
Stephen Leahy
Shop
Smart and Save the Planet
Annie Hoy
What's
in Your Pantry
Mary Shaw
Playing
the Quantum Field
Brenda Anderson
Autobiography
of a Blue-Eyed Yogi
Reviewed by Rachel Bendat
Living
With the Himalayan Masters
Reviewed by Rachel Bendat
The
Oneness Movement
Cate Montana
Book
Reviews
John Darling
Cosmic
Calendar
Salina Rain
Cosmic Calendar
By Salina Rain
Sun-Uranus, Venus-Pluto, and Saturn-North Node are all interacting har-moniously as April arrives with a grand mix of impetuousness, opening hearts and minds to new depths of love and authentic values, and balancing it all with the cool restraint of Saturnian method and determination. In other words we’re chomping at the bit for action, immersed in a passionate quest for transformation in everything from our personal circumstances to the larger consensus reality.
The need for patience and mindfulness is paramount as Mercury’s still a bit fuzzy on the details before re-crossing it’s retrograde degree on the Full Moon of the 13th. The recent phase of the Jupiter-Neptune square has necessitated more self-trust and surrender to inner guidance as the truth unfolds in its own sweet time—keep those intentions and dreams close to your heart and residing in the Third Eye, always right before you. We’re called upon to blend the arts of feeling our way through the fog and disciplining ourselves to dance within our current limitations with especially focused resolve. The eclipses of March have set off huge shifts for how we go about our work and health routines, how we orient ourselves spiritually, and how we assert ourselves in the world, which will continue unfolding over the coming year. Less effort with more effectiveness is part of the track many are on as we renegotiate how our reality actually works.
Culture changes are in the works over the coming months with Jupiter and Pluto both retrograde as well as in mutual reception while working particularly powerfully together. Religious fundamentalism, the justice system, travel industries, and investigative agencies will be under the microscope for flaws, inequities, and brutal consequences. Rebellion is in the energy patterns for this year and growing numbers of us, all around the world, want to implement changes without violence and mayhem. Our work is cut out for us to cultivate internal peace throughout the storm in order to best facilitate this transition time with more ease, comfort and joy.
Saturn turns direct at the first Quarter Moon on the 5th of April, significantly affecting us with its weightiness as it pivots days before and after this event. As the Keeper of Time, and recorder of how we use it, moves forward in fiery Leo—a particularly uncomfortable sign for austere Saturn—we feel the necessity to become more committed to our long term projects. The benefits of this passage can include heightened capacity to actualize creative projects, a more serious focus on the cultural structures that most affect our children, and the need to schedule play time with as much commitment as we do our work. Saturn also brings up fears and doubts when its influence is stronger—be prepared for the possibility of sabotaging behavior.
The Full Moon on the 13th at 24 degrees Libra resonates with the lunar eclipse of Oct. 17 last year. That lunation moved us toward a more cooperative ideal, with emphasis on negotiations, group work and compromise, while this one emphasizes taking a strong stand for our individual ideals and goals. Mercury, Pluto and Mars form a tight and tension filled Mutable T-square with a challenge to be extra mindful of how we express our truth—being ever watchful that we don’t try to push our views on others. Sun’s trine to Pluto (still at the Galactic Center, point of creation and destruction) can help or hurt these attempts at communicating by pumping up the aggression level or enabling us to understand the larger picture by seeing beyond our personal concerns. Rudyhar’s Sabian interpretation for this Moon’s degree is: “A butterfly with a third wing on its left side. The ability to develop, for inner strengthening, new modes of response to basic life situations.” Through early May Venus, which entered Pisces over a week ago, will promote the cause of unconditional love, forgiveness and basing our lives on higher values.
April 27th Taurus New Moon perfects with Sun and Moon joined at 7 degrees, opposing beneficent Jupiter, and square Chiron and Saturn forming a Fixed Grand Cross which is bent on pushing us to release old patterns and dysfunctional habits. Pay attention to where these four planets play out in your chart—they can help you face up to old fears and personal demons in order to get them into perspective, enabling you to release their hold. The Sabian Symbol from Rudhyar for Sun and Moon at this beginning of a new cycle, “A sleigh on land uncovered by snow,” is about being ready to “use past knowledge and skill to meet the demands of a stage yet to come.” Include with your New Moon prayers and intentions the willingness to release what’s no longer relevant along with a dedication to your deepest desires.
May’s overall placid, serene demeanor gets a radical shake up early on as Jupiter and Uranus form a trine that’s at the same time outlandish, unpredictable and extraordinarily uplifting, expanding on water themes and great possibilities for emotionalism and displays of weirdness. Broad cultural rebellion, in one form or another, is one of the scenarios probable while these two planets bring up business to be continued in August when they come back for more. Some of the action is latent, however, since each time they connect one or the other is in retrograde motion, but be assured big changes are brewing that will shift the way we perceive reality and how we function as a collective. Sun is the only planet grounding us in the earth element until the 5th, when the moving and shaking are most intense, and Mercury shifts into Taurus, while Moon thankfully enters Virgo on the 6th for a bit of stability.
Scorpio Full Moon on the 12th perfects at 22 degrees with Mercury-Jupiter also opposing across the Taurus-Scorpio axis for even greater awareness of whether or not we’ve been aligned with our true priorities and values. Check the placement in your chart for where this is affecting you most. Neptune squares the lunation prolonging the mystic planet’s work on us this year to attune to essence, releasing the delusions of alienation, competition for resources, and embracing the oneness of all beings. The universal language of music plays an important role here, including the kind of music we expose ourselves and our loved ones to. Intuition continues to serve us best as a major source of information and guidance.
On the 26th Sun and Moon join at 6 degrees Gemini for the New Moon. Gemini’s ruler, Mercury, is also in the mutable air sign, with all three trine Chiron in Aquarius, intensifying the messages hitting the airwaves. With Mercury square Uranus a disruption of the normal flow of information is probable. The winds of change are blowing away the worn out mental attitudes that have kept us in the dark for so long. Pluto-Mars are in a difficult, grasping relationship to each other so we’ll need to bypass our insecurities in order to avoid defensive behavior. It’s all comes down to our thought process—to what our perceptual limitations and possibilities are. We’re pressured here to open up to new perspectives, more inclusive thinking, to make conscious choices in how we think. Rudhyar’s symbol interpretation for 6 degrees Gemini is “Workmen drilling for oil. The avidity for that knowledge which ensures wealth and power.” The wealth and power referred to here are symbolized by this metaphor for reaching deeply into the layers of the collective unconscious to “reawaken the powers of the archaic psyche which once flourished.”
Multi-dimensionality is here to stay, we cannot crawl back into our hole of narrow perceptions and murky, chopped up views of life without extraordinary effort. It’s time, if we haven’t already, to accept, and revel, in our role as instruments of the divine.
Salina Rain is a professional Astrologer with a major focus on life purpose and navigating transitions gracefully. She is also at Master level of Reiki Jin-Kei-Do, an eastern lineage of energy healing, transmitted through the ancient Tibetan Buddhist line. Salina is available for astrological readings and classes, and Reiki Jin-Kei-Do trainings (see the calendar on page 24). Salina may be reached at (707) 668-5408, PO Box 1081, Blue Lake, CA, 95525, astro@salinarain.com. Visit www.salinarain.com for more detailed forecasts.
