Two metaphors keep coming to mind as my friends and I have coped
with this combined energy, an energy that seems to push us two steps backwards
before the next step forward. Sometimes it feels like trying to jog, knee-deep
in mud.
The first metaphor is
about seeds. Like plants, trees and flowers, our manifestations grow from
seeds of desire and intention. In a sometimes painful parallel, you don’t see
much going on at the surface for a long time. It takes literal or figurative
spring before sprouts break through the top of the soil and there’s any
evidence that the seeds, desires or intentions are beginning to manifest. Once
you get a green glimmer, you can visualize the sprouts turning into plants, flowers,
trees, projects, a new or improved relationship--or change of habit. It’s when
you’re looking at nothing for long periods of time that gets old. Enormous
faith in the cycles of life is required to keep from driving yourself crazy
with how long our intentions can sometimes take to “cook.” We have to believe what
we’ve sown will sprout in its own time. If it doesn’t, the seed may be a dud. Maybe
we have to rethink whether it’s still the right plant for us or if we need to replant
it—perfect activities for Mercury and Mars Retrograde. (The next Mercury
Retrograde is August 30 – September 22.)
“Consider that in astrology Aries is that spark in each of us that gets our engines running. But like the Hare in Aesop's fable, "The Tortoise and the Hare", Aries loves the race but can be easily distracted, Aries is not about winning or the prize, it's about starting. And that's why we need Taurus. Taurus, like the Tortoise, lacks the spark at the beginning, but has endurance and always keeps his eyes on the prize.”
~ Patricia Lanz, examiner.com
The second metaphor
is the Tortoise and Hare fable. I wondered if anyone had seen the
astrological implications that I saw in it. When I searched, I found the
wonderful article cited above by Patricia Lanz. She’s a favorite Astro-writer of mine,
and I encourage you to read it and get to know her, if you don’t already. Western
culture is very Aries, even if you don’t have a single planet in the sign. (See
God is Not
an Aries.) Manifestation, however, takes time. In the long-run, it’s the
Tortoise who wins—not the Hare. Though as Patricia points out, you need that
shot of Aries to get started. No one understands that better than me with
Taurus Rising. If I don’t get that cup of leaded, I’ll never get going and
spend the entire day in a fog. Coffee stokes my Aries fire.
What does this mean as we all slog through thick energy that
feels like it’s pulling us backwards?
Retrogrades are a time to hone your faith in the process of life. The repetition and surety of cycles is what astrology is all about. They are also times to re-examine about how we fit into that process.
Growing up Catholic in the 1950s provided me incredible training
for life, even though some of the things the nuns taught back then seem
ridiculous to me in 2016. (Example: Only Catholics go to Heaven. Apparently they
had Donald Trump’s idea before his time of an unscalable wall for souls of
other faiths.) What I learned that isn’t the least bit ridiculous is about
having faith itself—especially to have faith in the cycles of life. The
Catholic calendar is full of repetitive feasts and celebrations, just the like the
trusty sky patterns that bring us the equinoxes and solstices and everything
in-between. You can count on every Lent, Easter, Pentecost, All Soul’s Day,
Advent and Christmas coming at or around the same time every year. Isn’t it
interesting that so much faith depends on ritual? Repetitive acts at intervals
in a never ending cycle. These observances graduate to the level of
spirituality by celebrating their higher meaning without ceasing.
The religious feasts ask us to re-examine our faith and
forward movement, and retrogrades do the same. They pop up, now, at a time of
such tremendous change planet-wide; it’s good to consider where you’re going
and why, instead of just rushing to get there, like the Aries Hare. Like the
Hare, we get distracted and Retro Times give us an opportunity to “course
correct,” if needed. The current Retros ask us to examine how we act (Mars), how
we structure, organize or learn by experience (Saturn) and what we have to let
go of or transform completely (Pluto).
The wisdom of saging, my word for cool aging, is learning to
go with the flow of life. This is my favorite popular expression: It is what it is. The more we accept what
is, the happier we are. This doesn’t mean we don’t stand up for injustices or
try to right what doesn’t work, but knowing what we can’t change is in the Serenity Prayer for a
reason. We can’t change the stars or the cycles of life. There is a word for those
who buck the cosmic tide, disaster (against
the stars).
Accepting that Retrograde Times aren’t exactly conducive to quick
forward movement will help you win the “race” by taking small, faith-filled
steps that accumulate to meet your goal. Your metaphorical garden will be gorgeous,
too. Let chipping away at “getting there” it be your ritual.
~~~
Photo Credit: © fiore26 – Fotolia.com
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, a cult classic in the ‘60s and ‘70s, my curiosity was piqued by a discussion in one article about the
book. It focused on how waiting in
fullness is not procrastination. In fact, it’s the antithesis of putting
something off. It’s surrendering to the necessary, underlying development of
foundations for anything you’re building. You can’t push the flower to grow or
the egg to hatch. It seems more obvious when the example is a literal, natural
process, but when it comes to the birth of an idea or project, it’s easy to
lose sight of the fact that we can’t see everything yet. Decisions and
directions need to be based on sound infrastructure in order to succeed, just
as if you were building a highway or bridge. 
