2012 in the Astrolabe
A Novel by Cate Badham
Copyright 2011 Cate Badham
Smashwords edition
What determines our behavior is not what happens to us,
but how we interpret what happens to us.
Hello everybody. On behalf of the Planetarium I’d like to say, welcome to the Astrolabe. I can see that you have all found your places so as you settle into your chairs, make yourself comfortable and I’ll run through what’s where, our immediate surroundings.
I’m here in front of you, you’re in your chairs over there; the walls are either side of us. You can scan what’s in your line of vision, turning your head left and right, up and down. That’s right. Move a little if need be. Take a couple of deep breaths and stretch.
The amount of detail that you take in, the amount of time you take to do this is a little different from anyone else around you. Take all the time that you need. Which lights are on or off? What color are the walls? How much light is there in the room? How do you perceive the pattern of the starlit dome above? All these details and more we flesh out for ourselves, according to our individual needs.
If I can have your attention now, actually that is not what’s happening at all. I have no idea what’s really here. What I do know is happening, is that my mind has created a complete picture, a complete scene of what possibly might be here and then it has tricked me into believing that what I see is real.
My mind has persuaded me that, instead of the image being inside my mind, inside my head, it has projected the image externally. My perceived reality is that I’m in the center and the image is outside of me, all around me. We can blink, look again and it’s still there.
The same thing is happening to you as well. What you’re seeing is an image inside your head, but your brain has tricked you into thinking that you’re in the center and the picture is all around you. To top it off for all of us, for everyone here, no two pictures are the same. Your picture is as unique to you, as mine is to me.
“Jenny, is she for real?”
“Ssh. Listen. She’s setting boundaries.”
Today we will travel together into a subjective world incorporating hard and soft sciences just as they were in ancient times, but with modern technology to assist us. Our arena is the zodiac, the sphere of action where the planets orbit, interacting with mythological figures, an alchemical meld of astronomy and astrology. We have the homunculi as our technical assistants and the technology of the hologram at our fingertips.
Our experience of-the-world and in-the-world is more subjective than you would think.
Our ancestors looked up in wonder at the movement of the planets and lived within nature, honoring the gods and goddesses of the universe. In western culture it was the Greco/Roman pantheon and that’s our playing field as well, while we are together here in the Astrolabe.
Orbiting between the Sun and us, Mercury and Venus are our closest neighbors. Beyond the Earth is the very personal planet of Mars and one step further out from the Sun are the trendsetters, Jupiter and Saturn. With the invention of the telescope, the planets Uranus and Neptune revealed their presence and finally in the twentieth century, the most distant planet in our solar system was discovered and named Pluto.
The ancients in all cultures observed the movement of the planets across the sky and how they highlighted different patterns of stars. Sky Dreaming is a common human experience, each culture having its own mythologies.
Within the Greco/Roman culture, these patterns became known as constellations, represented by totem animals and out-of-this-world characters from the mythological realm. This added richness to their lives and became part of their belief system, along with the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus. It is their story, the story of our ancestors, which carries through to us today.
Historically astronomy and astrology were one science, however cyclic changes within the Platonic-year led to a parting of the ways eventually. Astrology chose to stay with the fixed reference point of the zodiac and continues to operate from that perspective in modern times.
Meanwhile the science of astronomy followed the physical journey of the constellations. The playing field of astrology and astronomy shifted. We can see this as a separation of the matriarchal left-handed path and the patriarchal path of science.
Let’s step back to when the motion of the heavenly bodies determined the passage of time, to the Ages, as in the Piscean Age and the Aquarian Age. The Earth was flat and the heavens revolved around us rather than the Sun. We were the center of the universe.
The Great Cycle was measured and determined to be when all the planets and all the constellations returned to the same place in the sky, a full revolution of the heavenly bodies. This cycle became known as a Platonic year.
The Platonic-year cycle was and still is said to be 25,920 Earth years. Divided by the twelve zodiac signs, we have a 2,000+ Earth-years’ event for each zodiac sign; the Piscean Age 2,000 odd years ago and the Age of Aquarius.
This length of time is a mere blink in universal time, but is far beyond our comprehension when we try to find our place within such a long time period. With this in mind, we can get an idea of why the ancients created a mythological world as a metaphor for human experience.
Returning to our era, with the pattern of the twelve signs of the zodiac, the twelve constellations that make up our annual journey of Earth-years reproduced within the dome, stay with me in this cradle of outer and inner space. Together we will visit the mythological world in the company of mountain goats with Pluto’s orbit in the realm of Capricorn; of the oceanic planet of intangibles, Neptune experiencing an Aquarian vibe.
The Ocean God is not in league with the water bearer Aquarius by nature, for the Aquarian zodiac is an Air element, not a watery sign as it sounds.
Aquarius is the realm of the mind rather than the emotions. You might get a bucket of water thrown over you, but not a dunking when you’re in the sign of Aquarius. Water is Pisces’ realm, home territory for Neptune.
We can’t take anything for granted in the mythological world. There are more twists and turns than any of us could imagine, so how then will Neptune, God of the Ocean experience his journey through Aquarius? Will his watery power evaporate, be drawn up into the clouds? We can say with some certainty that he will be out of his element, just as he would be if he were in an Earth sign like Taurus or a Fire sign like Leo.
Never fear though, our Sea God’s cycle is about to change right before our eyes in the early stages of 2012. Neptune will enter into more familiar waters, his natural element of the ocean and Pisces. What is of consequence to us is which method of re-entry into the atmosphere he will use.
Will our Oceanic Lord return to the blue planet as a downpour, an ice storm or as a gentle mist? However the Ocean God chooses to appear to us in times ahead, you can be certain that it will be an illusory, and highly likely an intangible experience, as far as our minds are concerned.
How about Uranus in Aries? Uranus is the Sky God and part of the creation myth along with his wife, the Earth Goddess Gaia. He is currently keeping company with Aries’ totem animal the Ram, a mythological beast.
How will Uranus’ journey unfold within the zodiac realm of Aries? Will he ram the gates, or call upon the winds that he controls as the Sky God? Maybe he will ruffle our hair and come across 'all sheepish'.
These stories and more are all unfolding right now in the heavens. So settle into your personal comfort zone, into your unique place in this fantastical world, while the homunculus calculates your birth details into real-time, right now.
Just as the astronomy’s girdle of constellations expands in the night sky around the Earth, so we can experience our personal terrestrial girdle of planetary interaction. As above, so below.
“Wow. It’s so pretty. Look at all the colors, Jen. The girdle’s like sugar candy with twinkling lights.”
“Hmm. You’ll be right at home then, Nat. Spun sugar’s your idea of a good time.”
“Hey it’s right around me. Like she said, ‘a girdle’. Turn around and see. Hey this hologram idea is cool.”
The time frame is different for us today as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is the international time standard in the modern world. By using the microwave signal emitted by electrons, the atomic clocks regulate GMT. With this method of calculation, every few years we lose a second. I wonder where those seconds go?
Let your eyes turn heavenwards now, to the inner dome of our planetarium and you will see the first of the planetary positions of our journey as they appear at 11:11am GMT on November 11, 2011. For those who are appreciative of synchronicities this event is known as the 11:11 phenomenon.
In astrological terms the 360 degree girdle, a circle, is made up of twelve constellations of thirty degrees for each sign of the zodiac, so as the example shows us, the Sun is positioned at 18 degrees Scorpio 42 minutes; the Moon is 25 degrees Taurus 31 minutes etc.
Reading across the planetary positions within the zodiac, you will notice that there doesn’t appear to be any dramatic position of these planets in the heavens that shout ‘synchronicity’ apart from Mercury and Venus, which are both at 11 degrees Sagittarius, but then we wouldn’t expect it to be so obvious now would we?
The gods move in their time not ours. They follow the cycles of the universe. We use our watches and clocks based on the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. In order to give meaning to our lives, to find significance in the world of the gods just as our ancestors did, we turn to the heavens for answers. We enter into a subjective interaction between ourselves and the planets and the stars, the heavenly bodies and all they represent.
The three outer planets of our solar system Pluto, Neptune and Uranus are generally known as the generational planets and as the word ‘generation’ suggests, the trio take considerable time to orbit our Sun, remaining in each sign of the zodiac for many years.
In fact the only planet of this group that will change its zodiac sign during its 2012 solar journey will be Neptune, traveling just two degrees to the threshold of Pisces. Pluto remains in Capricorn, while Neptune traverses the latter degrees of Aquarius. The Sky God, Uranus is on the cusp of entering the realm of Aries.
“That’s a bit of a relief, Jen. I didn’t know how I was going to keep all that information in my head.”
“It was a bit of a jumble here too, kiddo. I reckon she’s doing that boundary thing again, setting up different parameters.”
Despite the fact that Pluto has been downgraded to a ‘dwarf planet’ the power influence remains. Are we going to have to change the name of plutonium and a myriad of other power metaphors just because astronomers have downgraded Pluto? I don’t think so. “The astronomers power must be under threat, eh. I wonder who’s behind it, Jen?”
“Probably the quantum physicists, I reckon. Hang on a sec, Nat. Let me get this straight in my mind.
So the separation of generations as we know them, are determined by whether Pluto is in one astrological sign or another? And the movement of planets through the zodiac influence big decisions like ‘when a generation changes’? Gee whiz that’s cosmic power for you.”
“Jen, what’s going on? My hologram’s doing something. It’s flashing on and off.”
“Where? Which one?”
“It must be Pluto. And look at yours. It’s in a different place from mine. I guess that’d be right - you’re Gen X and I’m Gen Y so that must be what she means.”
“Mine’s in Libra. Where’s yours Nat?”
“Scorpio I think.”
“I guess that means we’re going to experience things a bit differently then.”
Power and it’s alter-ego, powerless-ness are Plutonian energies affecting all generations. Take the Frugal generation for example. They were born when Pluto was in Cancer. Security meant a lot then. The homeland was on their agenda. It was the First World War. Defending the homeland was all-important and then after the war ended, the allocation of the soldier settlements was a priority, even if it did turn out to be a disaster when the land sizes were too small to make a living. All anyone wanted during the Frugal generation was a home and a bit of land to call their own.
“Cancer, crabs, hiding in their shells. Yeah, I get it. That’d be a case of being security conscious for the Frugals.”
“That would also be why the symbol for Cancer is a crab, Jen.”
The Baby Boomers were born when Pluto was in Leo from 1938-1957. The post World War II spike in births has been known as the ‘baby boom’ demographic, however the name Baby Boomers has been accepted as the framework for the entire generation.
The lion defended his territory through another World War; women became the hunters, just as the lioness does in her family. A family group of lions is even called a pride. The Baby Boomer generation was when women went out to work. Pride was their catch cry.
“How about the Baby Boomers and all the long hair. If that’s not a lion, I don’t know what is, Nat.”
“And what about when Pluto was in Libra. Libra’s symbol is the old-fashioned weight scales. Where’s the power in that?
“Hang on Nat. Don’t run ahead. I’m sure she’ll get to it. There’s another generation in there between the Baby Boomers and the X’s.”
“And my Y!”
Following the Baby Boomers, the next generation was all about ‘the pill,’ as the birth control pill was known. That knocked over a giant hurdle when Pluto was in Virgo. Women finally had control of their sexuality, symbolic control over their lives. Pluto was in Virgo. Rather ironic isn’t it, that the symbol for Virgo is the Virgin. This transition was during the years 1957-1971, the era of the Yuppie Revolution.
The children born of the X generation, 1972-1983 when Pluto was in Libra, have grown up into a social networking era balancing work and play, however it is worth remembering one needs to take heed of the scales that carry the workload. When the scales tip – there is bound to be an upset.
“Hey, Nat. I just realized something. I never twigged the connection before. You know the abbreviation ‘lb’ for a pound that you see written after a weight measurement, well I knew the ‘lb’ was short for the word ‘libra’, but I didn’t get the significance as to why a set of scales was the astrological symbol.
“Gee whiz. That spells it out for us.”
When a generational planet like Pluto traverses the realm of the sometimes laissez-faire Libra, it doesn’t take much to picture the great mythological God of the Greco/Roman Underworld having something to say about the casual handling of power. Not a fan of a apathy, our Pluto. Plutonian power mishandled can quickly turn to powerless-ness.
Some mythologies record that when Libra passes the reins to Scorpio, it’s because the scales have tipped and the contents have fallen into the hidden depths, the Underworld of Pluto. So it has been for generation Y, the era of 1983-1995.
By entering into the Underworld, the dark magnetism associated with intense desires and passions needed to be addressed. For those born into this time period, it is perfectly natural for them to experience that dark world, which creates fear in lesser mortals.
“Me! That’s me. I walk where angels fear to tread!”
“In your dreams, kiddo.”
Learning the lesson of the scales is in the distant past for the Internet generation as Pluto left Libra’s generation X and the Scorpio Y’s in his wake. This shift to Sagittarius was very different, in so much that we were no longer in the Underworld and the intensity of Scorpio. We were back on Terra Firma, feeling the warmth of the Sun. Sagittarius is a Fire sign and Sagitarii is Latin for ‘archer’.
The mythological Sagittarian, half horse, half man armed with bow and arrow is the territory, which Pluto needed to traverse. That sounds a bit precarious doesn’t it? Negotiating a field full of archers and all those connections between the rings of the target creating a web.
“You know, I have a few planets in Sag, Jen. No wonder I always loved the hunting stories and Diana, but I never connected the dots between the Sagitarii and the zodiac sign of Sagittarius.”
“What are you getting at, kiddo?”
“Well, in most stories the Centaurs were a rowdy lot of mercenaries who drank lots of wine and were mostly general lay-abouts.”
“Sounds like most of the Sag. males I’ve met.”
“You need to get over him, Jennifer. Move on girl.
I know that in the Greek myths the Sagittarii were often mercenaries. There’s even a military connection, you know. The Sagittarii units in the Roman army were made up of archers rounded up from the peasants and conscripted into cavalry units. I even bet if you were to scratch the surface of military records today, there’d be Sagittarii units there somewhere.”
“Hey I just remembered. The Internet was originally set up for the military. That fits with the generation name.”
Just as an archer can shoot to the target, so Sagittarius would be expected to shoot straight to the point when need be, although being a Fire element, debate for the sake of debate would also be on the agenda. Either way this realm of Sagittarius has had plenty to say.
Generationally speaking, this was a far different field of action from the Underworld of Scorpio and a distant memory to the Plutonian trip through Libra.
“All very sobering, Jen. Perhaps we should pull our heads in for a while eh?”
“Humph.”
“Oh for heavens sake stop sulking.”
The generational planet Pluto has an orbital period of 248 Earth years, spending anywhere from 13 to 30 years in any one sign of the zodiac on its journey around the Sun. Two hundred and forty-eight years is far beyond any of our lifetimes to be the topic of general conversation, however the God of the Underworld, Pluto has been on the cusp of Capricorn since 2008. He’s been in our conversations since then, however we’re not consciously aware of it. Let me explain by sharing the Pluto in Capricorn cycle. If I were to mention ‘gold’, would you be surprised? The sharp rise in the price of gold since 2008 has been a perfect example of Pluto in Capricorn.
“Hey Jen, starting to wish you knew about this earlier?”
“I have to admit, greed is about to raise its ugly head. It doesn’t take much for this Pluto in Libra to see a pile of gold on one side of the scales and lots of libra weights on the other.”
“Can you guess what a Scorpio Pluto would think?”
“Hoarding it, like Scrooge?”
“That and more, Jen. Not a good sight.”
We all know that the global economic situation is somehow tied in with the gold price and that the economy is a barometer for fluctuations in the price of gold. Financial reports in the media inevitably quote the current price of gold every day, don’t they?
I bring up the subject because, if we look at the history of Pluto in Capricorn, much of it has been in the chase for gold, the ultimate power-symbol of a nation’s wealth. We don’t have to go too far back in history to pick up the gold chase or it’s metaphor, plunder. So what happened the last time Pluto was in Capricorn?
Pluto was in Capricorn from 1762-1778. This was the era of the American and French revolutions, both resulting from economic exploitation. It wasn’t just about tea and cakes.
Britain marched into Canada and the British explorer Cook planted the Union Jack flag on the soil of Australia and New Zealand; the British East India Company took control of India and the trade route to China. This was also the peak of the Atlantic slave trade. Africa was plundered of her people.
Even the Industrial Revolution led to the Scottish economist, Adam Smith publishing his “Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations” in 1776. Smith’s body of work laid the foundation for modern day economics.
Come with me as we take one more step back into the history of Pluto in Capricorn and the period 1516-1533. We have the precious metal as the focus yet again.
Lured by gold, the Spanish invaded Central America. The Aztec, Incan and Mayan empires were decimated as the Spanish plundered vast quantities of gold. It was this gold that financed the establishment of Spain as one of the most powerful of European empires.
Let’s look at one more era. At the beginning of the Pluto in Capricorn period of 1024-1041, the focus is on economics yet again. The banking industry began in Europe with the storage and safekeeping of gold as a commercial enterprise. And last but not least, the Chinese started to use paper money as currency during this era.
“And we were told in 2009 that no-one saw the global financial crisis coming! Hello? I’m gob-smacked.”
“Me too. That’s just plain crazy.”
As at January 2012 we’re only just entering 8 degrees of Capricorn. We have until 2024 to experience Pluto in this sign of the zodiac, however we have the remnants of the excesses of the last generation still with us. Why is this so?
We need to return to the hoary-goat story to understand. The Capricorn goat needs to get sure-footed, to learn how to clamber on the craggy mountain, before he can step forward with confidence. Capricorn is the phase in which we have the opportunity to get on top of things such as the economy and education. Remember knowledge is another branch of power. The expression ‘knowledge is power’ is on many lips. Education is another focus of the Pluto in Capricorn generation.
Not that we can’t be ambitious about the future, but we need to see the way forward by keeping our feet on the ground. After all, Capricorn is an Earth element. Each of us needs to take responsibility for our actions not pass the buck. It takes maturity and responsibility to traverse this Capricorn realm, a time for ‘middle of the road’ politics.
I’m not inferring that there will be economic crisis until 2024, more that economics will be the backdrop to the generational shift; a time to be economical at the grass roots level and all the way up the food chain. It is a generation when economical reform is likely to take place, an era in which the focus will be on banking systems, money, gold, the stock exchange, pirates and booty.
During this saturnine Capricorn period of the current generation, we can expect to face the challenges of ambition where ‘the hordes’ clamber over each other to get to the top. Chaos will be seen to be fearful. Control of one’s environment will be deemed as necessary. Being master of, as opposed to slave to, the environment and our place in it will be the order of the day. We can expect serious attention, even arguments to arise over the state of Planet Earth.
“Gee if we could get a handle on all that Capricorn represents, then we’d have a better idea of what’s ahead. If I had any money I think I’d go out and buy some gold shares.”
“Probably a bit late for that, kiddo. We would’ve needed to be ahead of the ball game. I reckon it’ll be worth looking to see what happened when Pluto was in Aquarius last time and then aim to be ahead of the game.
We’ve got plenty of time to plan then, Jen. The year 2024 is a fair way off. ”
When all is said and done, Pluto is the planet of transformation and revolution is a form of transformation. How bloody the revolution is going to be, is determined by its participants: us, the human race.
We can expect to experience this era of Pluto in Capricorn according to which generation we were born into, for we carry our life’s experience with us as we enter into each new epoch of history. We transform our reality, as the era unfolds.
Putting Pluto into our power packs, what else do we need in order to step into 2012, and destiny? The planet closest to the orbit of Pluto and somewhat closer to our Sun is Neptune.
This is the second of the trinity of outer planets. Neptune represents all that is intangible, our dreams, our schemes and flights of fancy. Religion and spirituality are intangibles. Neptune can be wise or folly depending on whether we work with the Ocean God or against him.
“He’s the bloke with the trident, kiddo. King Neptune dunks you in the ship’s pool when you cross the equator. He’s got a crown on his head and holds a pitch-fork with a long handle, which reaches from the ground to the top of his head. Davey Jones is his assistant. It’s a bit of a hoot really, being initiated into the secrets of the deep.”
“Sound a bit scary. I don’t fancy visiting Davey Jones’ locker at the moment thanks, Jen.
“Heaven knows why, but sailors in the Navy are called Pollywogs until they’ve been initiated by King Neptune.”
“I don’t think I’d be too keen on being called a Pollywog either.”
The planet Neptune has been in Aquarius since the late 1990’s. It’s been a time to be innovative about change; to be sensitive to humanitarian issues; to create schemes to draw attention to saving Planet Earth and her creatures; to dare to dream of a better future for the next generation and beyond.
“My Neptune’s in Capricorn. I guess that means I need to be surefooted. Knowing that Neptune is close to leaving the Air sign is terrific. No more air-head for this little black duck.”
“Don’t worry Nat, I’ll shoot you out of the water if you’re getting out of control. I’m a Sag. for this one. Dreams and schemes will be right up my alley.”
There are 30 degrees in each astrological sign, so with Neptune at 28 degrees we stand at the threshold, the cusp of a new experience in the company of the Oceanic God.
The underlying urgency, that time is running out for a humanitarian approach to be achieved, before Neptune enters Pisces is prodding behind the scenes. Somewhere in our collective memory, an intangible something stirs.
As an example of this intangible urgency, we only have to look to the ending of the Mayan cycle, to the Mayan Long Count date of December 21, 2012. This is the time when the solstice of the Sun aligns with the Galactic Equator, which is something that happens every 25,800 Earth-years according to the Mayan cosmologists.
Prediction of the end of the world as we know it, is to be expected under a Neptune transit. Survival is a primary fear, generated within individuals and projected onto our leaders to resolve. There is an underlying quickening across all cultures. The Mayans are not alone among the Sky Watchers.
It’s not that Neptune induces fear. It is more the case that Neptune represents the intangible and we feel out of control when things are not tangible. We can’t get a handle on them, feelings of chaos rise to the surface of our consciousness. We get pretty twitchy about things.
“How long have we got until this passes, Jen?”
“Well it takes Neptune about 164 years to travel full circle around the Sun, so the cycle is probably a couple of lifetimes’ worth. As to how long it’s going to take to get clear of this fear stuff, I don’t know.”
“Bring on Neptune in Pisces, is all I can say!”
“I wouldn’t rush us into that, kiddo. Have you got any planets in Pisces? If you do you can bet you’ll have a Davey Jones’ locker visit ahead.”
“Gee thanks, Jen. I’m not looking.”
Before we settle too comfortably in this changeover, not that Neptune will let us get too settled, there’s one more addition to the mix of generation planets in order to create the boundary of our inner and outer world, the planet Uranus.
Uranus and Neptune were bosom buddies at the end of the 1990’s when both were in the sign of Aquarius. What a volatile mix that was. With Airy Uranus, the planet that governs electricity and innovative technology, hanging around with a Water element like Neptune, the gods must’ve been crazy. That was bound to create a geyser effect, a crackling in the air.
So what was Neptune’s intangible input at the end of the 1990’s? What was the result of Uranus’ technological advancement meeting the intangible Neptune in Aquarius? It was an Aquarian event of course, the Y2K panic.
The big question being asked was, ‘What was going to happen when the clocks inside all the computers in the world ticked over to zero at midnight 1999?’ Chaos ruled. It was predicted that computers would crash, that airplanes would fall out of the sky. It was all-up-in-the-air. The Water Bearer had a great time with them both.
“Fizzer was the operative word there, Nat.”
“We can laugh now, but it did create a run on baked beans at the market.”
“I’m not touching that one, Nat.”
As we stand at the gateway to 2012, Uranus has left Neptune in its wake and is currently at 0 degrees Aries, having traversed Pisces to reach this point in time.
The Sky God travels faster than our God of the Oceans, however don’t be lulled into thinking we’re finally clear of the Piscean influence.
Take a second look at the ephemeris map of the gateway. There is a small symbol after Uranus, an Rx. In astrology speak that’s the abbreviation for a planet in retrograde motion.
For the sake of expedience, let’s say that when you see the ‘Rx’ symbol after a planet consider it as a ‘take note’ flag indicating that the planetary influence is not finished with us yet. The god is virtually saying, ‘Hang on to your bootstraps. It’s not over till I say it’s over.’
Retrograde Uranus will return to Pisces once more, before we can go full steam ahead into the fiery realm of Aries. We’re bound to get one more dunking before we can blow-dry our hair.
This planet, Uranus is a bit of a trickster when he enters the realm of Aries. The gods are toying with us now, however we can anticipate somewhat. We do know that Mars is the natural ruler of Aries, so we can expect a boy’s own adventure, with lots of bangs and explosions when Uranus gets into the action.
Presenting as the Golden Ram, Aries is not quite the sheepish one that I alluded to previously, at least not when he is in the company of Uranus. Aries can be a bit of a wolf in sheep’s clothing, when combined with innovative Uranus. The use of camouflage can be expected in the war games.
“Is the Golden Ram anything to do with Jason and the Golden Fleece, Jen?”
“I think she means us to focus on the gold rather than Jason. What I do know is that a sheep’s fleece was used for filtering alluvial gold in ancient times. I haven’t got enough fingers and toes to count back that far, but I reckon it would’ve been when Pluto was in Capricorn.”
The retrograde Uranus also indicates that we need to check our navigation. Are we as prepared as we can be to take on an Aries experience? Uranus rules sudden changes, so it’s a good idea that we don’t just cast off in the hope of good weather. We need to be prepared for strong undercurrents and rough seas.
Each of us will prepare in our own way for this aspect of change. There’ll be those of the X generation who have been more caught up in their ‘power versus powerless’ struggle. They will look to the stars for navigation, whereas many ‘Y’s’ will have been weighing up the pros and cons and now will need to go with the flow.
“Hang on a minute. I’m one of those “Y’s’. I’m not paddling down the canals thinking I’m in Plato’s Utopia. I’ll have a bit to say about it. My Uranus is in Sag. I can handle change.”
“It’s okay kiddo, take it easy. It’s not all set in concrete. There’ll be lots of challenges ahead, I bet.”
Uranus enters Aries proper in the latter half of 2012. That will bring an accent on militant issues, the armed forces. NASA’s Mars program could be highlighted as well. Uranus in Martian territory can be very volatile.
“I won’t be putting my hand up to go on the Mars expedition then.”
“Sounds like it wouldn’t be a good idea, at least not yet, Jen.”
“Pluto would stop me. I couldn’t afford the ticket.”
“Bummer.”
Stepping into the unknown with the new era’s sense of adventure, 2012 awaits. Uplifted by the knowledge that we are well prepared to handle the big issues together, we can now discover what treasure the trendsetter planets Saturn and Jupiter have in store for us.
“Did she say trendsetters Jen?”
“She sure did. Here we go. More lights have come on up top.”
“My hologram girdle is glowing nicely too. I keep expecting it to hum.”
Trends occur within a time framework – be they fashion trends, political trends or social trends. We have daily trends and weekly trends. Time is always present when we speak of trends.
The Time Lord, our senior trendsetter, is the planet Saturn. Among the gods on Mount Olympus, Saturn is also the Greek god Kronus. It’s all a matter of which empire you’re in, Roman or Greek. It can be somewhat confusing, however think of it from a Plutonian perspective. Power swung back and forth between the Greek and Roman empires for generations and so we must also. In the end it’s all swings and roundabouts.
“Kronus, Chronos either way you spell it, chronometer translates as measurer of time.”
“Is that where the word ‘clock’ comes from, Jen?”
“I don’t think so. Clock comes from one of the European languages. I think it means bells.”
“So six bells, six o’clock is right then.”
The Time Lord, Saturn is usually depicted holding a scythe aloft, the tool for harvesting grain. ‘You reap what you sow’ is a typical saturnine phrase.
As far as trendsetting goes, Saturn is also portrayed as the controller of an environment - be it controlling the construct of time or something tangible.
“Sign-of-the-times, that’s a trendsetter if there ever was one, kiddo.”
I’m sure there are plenty of time-trend metaphors that can come to mind. Even the image of a skeleton holding a scythe aloft, that’s a modern day mythological representation of Death, the grim reaper. There again is the time theme, Death the harvest of time, a life’s time fulfilled.
“How about once upon a time, Jen?”
“I guess that’s saturnine. It’s certainly within a time framework.”
“Time and change often go together don’t they?”
“I think it’s all relative, kiddo.”
Saturn returns to the degree and sign of our birth every 29 or 30 years after its solar journey and so we can expect to experience the planet’s sobering influence at least a couple of times in an average lifespan.
Because of the shorter orbit, Saturn cannot be classified as a generational planet. This planet is more cyclic in our lives, more memorable, real. As its orbit is repeated often enough for us to remember during our lifespan, we can utilize the time period to compartmentalize some of our life’s events.
Even the quarters of the Saturn clock are familiar in human psychological development – the ages of 7,14,21,28 are all eventful years. Saturn is a down to Earth, a maturing influence.
“What sign’s Saturn in now, Nat?”
“Libra is what the homunculus is indicating.”
“Oh okay. So it’s time to combine harvest themes and the scales, weighing the harvest. She did talk about the scales tipping if they’re overloaded. Perhaps Libran diplomacy is needed and patience too.”
Saturn is in the closing phase of Libra. The Time Lord has been swinging between direct motion and retrograde for some time now, like a farewell concert that keeps getting resurrected. Saturn has been in the Libra realm since 2009. Trends have been conservative and fashions haven’t been overly radical either, if you think of it.
“With all this focus on scales wouldn’t you think people would be more weight conscious?”
“How fat we are, is probably more related to Jupiter, kiddo. Big, bigger, biggest remember.”
The 2012-year is of particular interest in relation to trends as we have the second trendsetter, the planet Jupiter in a fresh sign, the first degree of Taurus.
Jupiter is the largest of all the planets orbiting our Sun and so it is fitting that the Greek name for Jupiter is Zeus. Zeus is the Boss, God of Gods, protector and guardian of all the gods and goddesses on Mount Olympus.
Astronomers tell us from their scientific standpoint, that the planet Jupiter plays an important protecting role by using its massive gravity to capture or deflect many rogue comets and asteroids, which would otherwise threaten to collide with planet Earth and the inner planets of the solar system. So as far as we are concerned, Jupiter is a benign ruler and not a tyrant. Mythology and science are in agreement.
Taking just 12 years to orbit the Sun, Jupiter will be influencing 2012 trends in two zodiac realms, Taurus and Gemini. At the 11:11 gateway, Jupiter is in the early degrees of Taurus, having escaped fiery Aries. Spending just the first six months of 2012 in Taurus, Jupiter will enter Gemini mid year heralding a mercurial change in trends.
“Phew, that’s a relief. I’ve had enough of Mars and red. With two signs on the go it’ll mean a change of colors mid year. That seems to fit with the seasons too.
Do you want to hazard a guess, Nat? What’s Taurus and Gemini on the color spectrum?”
“As far as I know it’ll be strong greens with white for the first half and then lime accents come in with Gemini.”
“Throw a bit of purple in and we’ve got women’s liberation!”
“Guess what Jen?”
“What?”
“Jupiter’s purple.”
“Hip, hip!”
Astrologically, Jupiter is associated with the principles of expansion and growth; of prosperity, and good fortune; governing long distance and foreign travel; higher education, religion, and the law. It is also associated with the urge for freedom and exploration; of taking humanitarian and protecting roles, plus a dose of all round ‘Jovial’ merry-making.
For the jolly giant’s Taurean visit, visualize the Taurus totem, an ancient bull lounging in the fields, chewing his cud. He is territorial about his paddock, his assets and his herd of cows. Once roused though, his tenacious nature comes into play.
Jupiter in Taurus will be a time for nature, getting our hands in the soil, being down on the farm, lots of rest and relaxation, R&R. Just remember to keep the fences mended and by all accounts, don’t go browsing in china shops.
The second half of the year Jupiter will be in Gemini. This heavenly constellation of the zodiac contains a pair of bright stars – the twins of mythology, Castor and Pollux. As sons of Zeus, the twins were both excellent horsemen and participated in the hunt with their sister Helen. Se whose abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan War and the same Helen whose face launched a thousand ships. The twins are remembered today, as patrons of the ocean’s sailors.
As for Jupiter’s appearance in the Gemini circus, we can expect twice as many things going on at the same time. Jupiter in Gemini opens us to a myriad of possibilities. Wanting it all, we end up caught in a juggling act. Mercurial is also an apt description of a Gemini event. Quick to rise and quick to fall is the risk for Jupiter here.
Speaking of trends, political trends come to mind: lots of mercurial chatter in the chamber, fast talking and shuffling of feet. Gemini is renowned as a restless sign. The positive input of Jupiter in Gemini is best addressed by focusing on the Jupiter and not letting the Gemini schizophrenia get out of hand.
As your hologram comes to life with the Sun, Moon and the inner planets of Mercury, Venus and Mars illuminating your girdle, let’s journey together interacting with the planetary positions for each month of 2012.
The glyph before you, on your screen, is an extract from an astronomer’s ephemeris and the moment in time, which we have captured is the January New Moon, 2012.
Astronomers tell us that the New Moon is the lunar phase, which occurs when the Moon, on her 28day orbit around the Earth, arrives at a point exactly between the Earth and the Sun. At the New Moon both luminaries, the Sun and the Moon, are in the same degree of the zodiac, the aspect we call an exact conjunction. Why a conjunction?
Because from our position here on planet Earth, we are witnessing the event, the two heavenly bodies are in alignment. If it were a solar eclipse we wouldn’t be able to see the Sun for the Moon would be blocking it’s light. A solar eclipse can only occur at a New Moon, however it is not an eclipse at this New Moon.
The ancients saw the New Moon as the dark portion of the Moon facing towards the Earth, a time when the goddess was free of patriarchal influence. We are on the dark side of the Moon.
A snapshot of the zodiac at the time of the New Moon is a good time to get an idea of what’s in-the-air in relation to the movements in the heavens, the rustling of the bushes on Mount Olympus.
Looking at the row of glyphs taken from an ephemeris, there is no need to feel overwhelmed by the detail. We’ve already had a good chat about the right half of the ephemeris. With this new glyph, reading once again from right to left, we have the generational planets of Pluto in Capricorn, Neptune in Aquarius and Uranus in Aries together with the trendsetters Saturn in Libra and Jupiter in Taurus.
“Let’s use the KISS principle, kiddo. The God of the Underworld’s running around on the mountain with the goats; The Sea God’s sitting on a cloud and the Sky God’s in the shearing shed bossing round the sheep. Great stuff.”
“That could be an indication that we’re out of our familiar element, Jen.”
“But there’s more. We have Father Time sitting on the fence and the Boss down on the farm chewing his cud. So who’s running the country?”
“Well the politicians come into the picture around June, when Zeus comes back from the health farm.”
“Then they start debating for the sake of debating and nothing gets done. Heaven help us.”
“I’m sure the administrators will keep things ticking over, Jen”
“Ah yes. Administration, that’s a Saturn job if there ever was one.”
In order to get the whole picture of the planetary positions let’s go through a quick refresher. Some of us I’m sure, are feeling slightly overwhelmed.
Firstly little steps for Pluto finding his sure-footing under a collective umbrella; Neptune, our Sea God is in the last throws of technological leaps in the shallow end before heading into the depths of the ocean; Uranus is not quite sure whether to leave the safety of emotive Pisces and set off on a new adventure in Aries. He’ll be daydreaming about sky ships and hot air balloons.
Meanwhile our immediate environment is more conservative due to our timekeeper Saturn still negotiating Libra. He is perhaps a little premature preparing to step off the scales into Scorpio as there’s bound to be retrograde action ahead.
Jupiter is just entering the constellation of Taurus, where Zeus is on R&R.
“I knew I had a Zeus story in my head somewhere, Jen. He was the god who turned himself into a white bull when he invaded Europe.”
“Natalie, really! Europe was named after the goddess Europa. The Zeus connection has nothing to do with Europe. In mythology the goddess Europa represents the lunar cow and that’s why Zeus did his bull act. He appeared to her as a white bull when he was on a rape and pillage expedition. Europa was the territory, not Europe.”
“Well that’s an invasion of sorts, Jen. So the cow that jumped over the moon was Europa. I wonder who the dish was that ran off with the spoon?”
“Let me think? The laughing dog would be the ‘dog star’ Sirius and the spoon could be the Big Dipper. The dish? Well Venus was a bit of a dish wasn’t she? Will that do, kiddo?”
“That’s stretching it. I’ll think about the dish.”
January is free of retrograde planets and on paper things appear to be ticking over quite nicely. As to the personal planets, there is no need for Mars to take any action at this stage. Venus and Mercury are not clinging to each other in conjunction, so apparently there’s no trouble there either. Mars is never to be underestimated, so more than a cursory glance is always a wise move in relation to him. We can identify the planet Mars quite easily on our personal holograms. He’s the red planet.
“I just can’t get away from red now can I?”
“Well it is the color of blood. Red’s one of Scorpio’s colors too, Jen.”
“Scorpio eh. Do you know why red lipstick is such a turn-on for men?”
“Jennifer, behave yourself.”
With Mars in the Virgo constellation during January, this indicates that it is a time to take care of details and detail, in Martian terms, means grease and oil the engine ready for action, as well as read the fine print in the instruction manual.
Mars takes longer than our 365 days to orbit the Sun. In fact it takes 687 days to fill a Martian calendar. That’s about two and a half years. Venus, being inside the Earth’s orbit takes 224.65 days on its solar journey and Mercury a mere 88 days. Phileas Fogg was probably racing against Mercury on his 80 days around the world journey.
In psychological astrology, the New Moon gives us a sense of any tension around for any given month. In January 2012 the Sun and Moon are positioned in conjunction at 2 degrees Aquarius, with the ascendancy in Cancer. This would indicate that security is on the immediate agenda as our eyes patrol the skies. There is a sense of unexpected change with unpredictable Uranus in the shadows.
“I don’t like the idea of this Jen. Tension’s scary.”
“Tension’s not necessarily a bad thing Nat. It’s what gets the juices flowing, interaction happening. It’s good stuff.”
“The hologram’s got things happening too!”
“Your sugar-candy getting a bit sticky, Nat?”
“It’s expanding as well and more like chain mesh now.”
“Don’t get jumpy. There’s no need for body armor. It’s a matrix, Nat.”
“It’s alright for you. You know more about this stuff than I do. What’s amatrix?”
“I’m getting an inkling that the hologram’s a template of our personal electro-magnetic field, a matrix. Time will tell. Let’s wait and see.”
Now that we are somewhat familiar with the ephemeris printout, we can leave the two-dimension of a flat screen behind and head into 3D. So if I can draw your attention to the image on your screens of the planetary positions at the January New Moon, visualize if you will, picking up each end of the printout as if it is a strip of paper and join the two ends together in your fingers to make a circle.
As we speak, the homunculus is reproducing the two-dimensional linear image of the planetary positions into a three-dimensional ribbon. This ribbon becomes a girdle. It is a separate entity from our personal holograms. This zodiac ribbon of light will automatically transfer onto the outer rim of our personal holograms in order for us to see and interact with the information it contains on a personal level. We can view the astrological positions at the New Moon in relation to our personal holograms.
“Remember when Kirlian photography was all the rage, Nat? It’s sort of like that.”
“You mean it is there, we just don’t usually see it?”
“Yes. It’s just that because we can’t see it all the time, we think it doesn’t exist.”
“Why can’t we see it, Jen?”
“Now that is one of life’s big questions, kiddo. We’re experiencing a technological event beyond my knowledge.”
“Like 3D glasses eh. Oh look there’s the girdle coming into focus outside the matrix. Hey, that’s different.”
In order to familiarize ourselves with the aspects of the New Moon planetary positions, our holograms are dimmed by the Homunculi for the sake of clarity. We can only see the girdle and the planetary positions at the New Moon.
Looking at the girdle now, we see that Saturn is opposite Jupiter. The red planet is off to one side of the circle and the rest of the planets are pretty much in sight of each other in the same quadrant. It reveals a different story when it becomes three-dimensional doesn’t it?
Let’s take another tack and look at it from Mount Olympus’ standpoint. All the planets have their places on the stage and the story can begin:
The position of Saturn is opposite Jupiter so our Time Lord Saturn is opposed to Zeus who is lingering in the fields. Mars is at his left in the latter stages of preparation for action. The left, we know, is the supportive position so he’s not leading, at least not yet.
The rest of the planets more or less are within coo-ee of each other, stage left of Jupiter. It could be interpreted that they are sizing each other up with the usual jostling for our goddess, Venus’ attention.
The expression timely comes to mind. Jupiter is close to the mid heaven and Saturn is in the shadow. The tension in the air is as if everyone is waiting for the big hand to line up at twelve.
If we now turn to our role in this story, we know that our personal holograms are a snapshot taken when the planets, the Sun and the Moon were orbiting at the time of our birth, our natal positions.
For each of us there is a unique printout transposed onto our hologram. It is not just an imprint in our memories, it is our blueprint for this life. You could even say that where the gods are hanging around at the time of our birth, are our expectations of how life will unfold. These positions are the filters that define our experience of reality, our worldview. The hologram is our filter, our window to the world.
Our natal Sun determines the zodiac's phere of action; Earth's satellite the Moon, determines our needs within that sphere and the planets within the ecliptic have their individual agendas as well. The New Moon’s ribbon of light, the girdle around the perimeter of our holograms can be appreciated in a subjective way by its interaction with our sphere of action.
Now that we’ve had a general feel for the January Moon, the homunculi will reveal our individual roles in the scheme of things by linking the outer ring to our holograms.
“Ooh, Jen. I can hear the clanking of the chains.”
“You and your peregrine Neptune. What’s happening in your hologram? Are any of the planets forming an aspect to your Neptune?”
“Nothing.”
“Well look at the transiting Neptune. Where is it?”
“Aha. It’s on top of my Jupiter and my Sun.”
“That’s a pretty good clue then isn’t it?”
“I don’t really understand.”
“We’ll get to it, Nat. Just accept that there’s a reason, okay?”
“Okay. I’ll hang on, for now.”
As we are dealing with a circular field of action, with us in the center of the circle, there will be angles of interaction between the New Moon’s planetary transits as well as these transits interacting with us on a personal level.
The four angles within the circle that we will be taking into consideration on this occasion will be those of 180 degrees, known as oppositions; 90 degrees called squares, dividing the circle into quadrants. There will also be conjunctions, when two planets are in close proximity and the quindecile, which we’ll learn about together as we progress.
“I think we’re about to be released. Fly free little bird.”
“Glad you said that, Jen. Whenever she says ‘tension’ I can’t breathe. I think I’m feeling a bit claustrophobic.”
“I’m coming too Miss Jennifer, you’re not flying solo.”
“Who said that?”
“Call me Kit, Miss Jennifer. I’m your personal assistant. I’ll be at your shoulder today.”
“You gave me a start. Oh, okay. Hello, Kit. Welcome aboard.”
“Thank you.”
“Hey, Nat. I just scored a wing man.”
“Me too. I guess this is going to get up close and personal from here on in.”
“Guess so.”
By now you will have been introduced to your P.A.’s via the homunculi. Their roles are as a databank of information for your personal use as we interact with the spheres, lifting the veils of Maya on our interstellar journey together.
“Sounds like the same horse different jockey, eh Nat?”
“What do you mean?”
“All smoke and mirrors kiddo. Maya is the Sanskrit word for illusion.”
“Huh. I still don’t get it. What’s it got to do with horses?”
“Nothing silly. Think planetary, Nat.”
“Ooh! That’s Neptune again.”
“And where’s Neptune in 2012?”
“At the end of Aquarius, on the cusp of Pisces. Gee whiz. I wonder where this is going? Are we going to get thrown in the deep end?”
“Probably. You know I think she’s referring to the piercing of the Veil of Maya as well as the Mayan calendar ending in December.”
“What’s the connection, Jen?”
“Maybe Sanskrit is the link.”
“And?”
“Sanskrit is an ancient language from the Far East. It’s the basis of the languages of India and Tibet, but whether it originated there or came from the North, I’m not sure. Etymology is not my strong suit. I do know though, that Sanskrit is the root of a lot of our English language.
The mythology of India is a different pantheon and yet there are lots of parallels. When I think of their mythology it’s always vibrant colors and rich metaphors. I don’t profess to know much, but I do remember hearing about the Veil of Maya. It’s all bound up with matriarchal metaphors like piercing hymens, birth sacs etcetera.”
“Like balloons, Jen?”
“Not quite. Pricking balloons is more of a ‘stop dreaming’ than a birth metaphor I think. Hmm. I’d start the story with visualize, Nat, however I reckon that’d send you off into a picture-book you’d rather not be in.”
“You’re right there. I was trying to get you off the subject. Childbirth detail is something I’m definitely not ready for. You could start with once upon a time.”
“I suppose I could but we’re not in a the Western pantheon and besides I’m summarizing, okay. Just think of the concept of illusion.”
“White screen, Jen.”
“Imagine that the ultimate truth is hidden behind a veil and the aim of enlightenment is to remove the veil and discover the truth. Don’t get caught up in what ‘the truth’ means that’s not what I’m trying to get at.
The piercing, I think, is the aim of the story. Something to do with needing to make an effort in order to discover the truth, rather than taking what appears to be the easy way by just lifting the veil.
The point is that it’s something to be achieved, a goal, a ring, a prize that is beyond reach - the cookies in the jar on the top shelf sort of thing. The illusion bit is that the veil doesn’t really exist. We construct it in order to give purpose for our being.