Tools for Saturn in Libra

© 2009 by Joyce Mason

Oct. 29, 2009 - April 7, 2010 
July 21, 2010 – Oct. 5, 2012

Astrologers consider Saturn to be exalted or best placed in Libra. When you see Saturn coming, if you cross your index fingers and hold them out in front of you as if to ward off a vampire, this article is your chance to put away the garlic, reconsider and discover some ways to make the best of Saturn’s upcoming transit through in Libra. Libra is the sign of relationships, legalities, politics, artistic refinement, “niceness,” and peace and harmony. Besides structure, discipline and testing, Saturn also brings wisdom, practicality, and order to these areas of life. I wouldn’t mind seeing a little tidying up, especially in my government and legal system. Relationships always need tinkering and tune-up. Later in this article, I’ll suggest some tools.

Who Is Most Affected

If you have planets in Libra or the other Cardinal signs in your chart (Capricorn, Aries, Cancer), you are likely to feel the Saturn in Libra cycle the most. During this time span, Saturn will form a conjunction with planets in Libra, square Capricorn and Cancer planets, and oppose those in Aries. Traditionally, these aspects can be considered “stressful.” I’d like to say that in a different way. Saturn will be nudging you to change, to break patterns that don’t work, and to establish new ones that do. Whether or not this is stressful is directly related to whether you resist your personal growth curriculum, as hinted in the sky, or if you decide to go with the flow.

My Perspective

In the High Signs series, I advocate living on the upside of the astrological signs. We can aim for the same goal with any planetary energy. Granted, getting the goodies out of every planet’s mixed bag is likely to be an evolutionary process.

You don’t just wake up one day, kiss Pluto on the lips, and expect that the enchantment will be mutual and that from now on; all your Pluto transits will be a steamy love affair. Or hug Saturn and do everything a good little boy or girl should and expect that you’ll now have the ultimate Good Cosmic Daddy each time he rounds a connection with your personal planets.

The gods must be honored, and transits are the figurative gods of change. They reflect the various aspects of the One Spirit in which we’re all joined as souls on a human journey. We need to do our inner growth homework in order, ultimately, to live on the high side of any planet’s influence. Any transit is easier once we learn to get with the program of that planetary influence and its mission to catalyze growth.

Transits happen. Our choice is to cooperate and make it easy or resist and make it hard. Transits from certain planets might not always be pleasant experiences, but when we respect them as teachers and trust the process they present, any planet’s transit ultimately is positive. It just takes the eyes to see—sometimes the eyes to see ahead to where you’re going rather than just looking at what you’re dealing with now. With time and cooperation, transits just get easier and the results better as you grow in the direction the sky is pointing you in.

Capricorn Credentials and Game Plan

I have a good relationship with Saturn. Saturn rules my Capricorn Moon, and I realized somewhere along the way that my emotional life would be miserable if I didn’t start appreciating Saturn’s positive contribution. My poor Moon is besieged with squares to the Sun, Venus and Neptune—aspects I had to learn to revision and appreciate as constant invitations to morph toward a new and more whole version of myself. The Neptune influence, in particular, makes me so sensitive; I feel that if my Moon weren’t Saturn-ruled in the solid sign of Capricorn to compensate, I’d probably have no emotional control whatsoever. I’d be out emoting on street corners and making a fool of myself.

With that personal example in mind of coming to terms with Saturn’s energy, read on thinking about how you’ll make the most of Saturn’s trip through Libra. We’ll explore some major areas of life Saturn will influence while it’s in The Scales and how you can help “massage” how these transits will influence you by using tools such as affirmations, meditation, journaling, and flower essences.

Tools of the Transit Trade

Affirmations. If you really want to reset your thinking about a planet’s influence and help it to be the most positive, given your need also to learn from it, affirmations are the way to go. Find your favorite list of Saturn key words and form affirmations based on them. Focus on those issues with Saturn that are most personal to you. Here’s an example of some I use:

Affirmations for Saturn Cycles

My urge to build is backed by Divine Resources.

I set limits and boundaries with others and myself in ways that are appropriate for me.

I like being responsible and mature: I am my own authority.

A caution on using affirmations: Most people do not use them in the most effective way. Affirmations were originally designed to include a step for acknowledging and releasing negative internal dialogue. Without this step, it’s like sweeping dirt under the rug. It’s hard to “set” the new intention for that big lump of old garbage that has not been taken out. For details on how to make your affirmations virtually foolproof, read my article, Affirmations: Part 2, Column 2.

Meditations. Add structure to your meditation whether using a guided meditation tape or Buddhist mala beads to count a simple mantra, or any type of meditation system with a format, such as Centering Prayer, a Christian contemplative type. New or just returning to meditation? I suggest starting with an article on types of meditation, discovering the category that you feel fits you best. Then search online further with that category and meditation, such as “mindfulness meditation.”

• Create your own structure by putting together a list of positive Saturnian characteristics you’d like to develop. Use them as mantras. (Stick with 3-5 to keep a simple focus.) Alternatively, you can envision yourself in your daily life operating as if you already have these qualities. This can be the opening visualization and bridge to your meditation. Examples: wise, realistic, grounded, responsible, disciplined.

• Listen to Saturn themed music when you meditate. Examples: Echoes from Saturn by Michelle Costa, Saturn Returns by Alex Theory, or the Saturn track from Holst’s The Planets. (Visit Amazon and search for Saturn under Music for more options.) What does this music evoke in you? Journal your thoughts and feelings afterwards. Within these observations lies guidance for the restructuring Saturn is asking of you now. That brings me to the next suggestion …

Journaling.  Keeping a journal is an invaluable guidebook to your own life. (Check out my article, Journals: The Sort-It Detail.) When Saturn touches our horoscopes by making a significant aspect, order is one of the hallmarks of this particular growth nudge. I like to think of Saturn as the force that helps me get my act together. Journaling indeed helps you with those sort-it details.

Flower Essences.  If you aren’t already familiar with these small-but-mighty tools for transformation, there’s no time like a Saturn cycle for an introduction! My article, FLOWER ESSENCES: Emotional First Aid, Boomer-Plus Edition  may be geared toward those born between 1946-64, but since Saturn is connected with aging, saging, and maturing, this perspective works great for anyone who wants to derive wisdom from their Saturn cycles.

If looking at flower essences by planetary influences, it is as important to consider the planet transiting Saturn is aspecting. That means there are many possible choices of flower essences. Here are some specific essences and/or articles to consider during Saturn cycles:

• Plants and Planets Formulas by Desert Alchemy give you the opportunity to take its Saturn Cycles blend with the formula for any other planet in aspect to Saturn by transit: Sun, Venus, Mars, for example.

• This article also contains tips for Saturn’s aspects to specific planets: Mallow and Other Remedies for Keeping Mellow Under Saturn Cycles by Kathleen Douglas.

• Sage by FES Quintessentials may be the most generic “positive Saturn” essence anyone can take during these cycles. Wisdom is the ultimate Saturn characteristic. This remedy helps us discover the inner wisdom within our life experiences. It helps us find inner contentment and life’s meaning. Who wouldn’t want a dose of that good medicine?

“Out in the World”

Whether or not Saturn is lighting up your chart in particular by its transit through Libra, it will be doing its work in the world in general. Here are some areas of influence with the kinds of changes we can anticipate:

Relationships. Relationships tend to solidify with Saturn. No long-term relationship is likely to survive without a strong Saturn link in the synastry between two people. With that in mind, Saturn in Libra tends to make people want to put their relationships into more solid form, to make commitments. At the very least, they will want to define relationships—or redefine them. Partnerships that don’t have Libra’s loving kindness or fair balance are likely to hit the rocks. They will either perish or restore themselves through the hard work of picking up the pieces to rebuild on a firmer foundation. Commitment and cooperation of both parties will be mandatory, as they are the sole reconstruction crew—add a counselor, if they use one (and it’s a good time to do so). These comments apply to all kinds of partnerships, whether business, personal, or organizational. There may also be lessons to learn and past patterns to right--the consequences of being too nice or indecisive at the expense of the quality of the partnership. In this case, a stance of “no more Mr. or Ms. Nice Guy” will benefit the relationship by pointing to the nitty-gritty issues that need to be resolved to make it work.

Aesthetics and Art. Saturn in Libra brings the desire to organize and bring order and beauty out of chaos. If you’re artistically inclined in any way, this is a great time to put your concepts into form, especially if you have planets in Libra in your chart. If you are a busy modern person whose personal space has suffered from collected “junk” for lack of time to attend to regular pick-up, Saturn will urge you to get things in order and give you an injection of Taskmaster to get it done. It’s not like a Virgo housework tizzy; it’s about creating the safe and orderly space where your creativity can cut loose. This is applicable to personal space in the most literal sense (scungy garage, yard that looks like a natural disaster struck, home office in shambles) to your inner space (a desire to clean negativity out of your energy field and invite in higher thoughts and interactions). You may find yourself wanting to redecorate and hang more pictures that reflect an oasis of beauty and inspiration in your home or office.

Legalities. Since it’s so topical to Libra, I expect there will be changes in same-sex marriage laws that reflect a fairer solution for all concerned that are motivated from upholding civil rights not religious opinion. In general, I expect clearer delineation of what the separation of church and state really means, and where it needs to evolve to support people in the 21st Century.

This goes for balancing other aspects of the relationship between the government and its citizens, such as the health care debate. (Libra loves debate! With their ability to see both sides of an issue, they can even have great arguments when talking to themselves.) While health care is a very Virgoan subject—the sign Saturn has just transited, reflecting why the issue has been stirred up of late—the crux of the matter is fairness and the intrinsic value of human life and a country’s citizens. Affordable health care is an inalienable right. I watched my sister die because of decisions she made (actually didn’t make) based on her lack of health care insurance. An estimated 22,000 Americans die annually for the same reason. [1] This is unconscionable in a supposedly progressive nation. This aspect of “government for the people and by the people” needs fixing, if we’re to hold our heads up as a “humanitarian” nation, first to our own citizens.

I expect that whatever the outcomes, we will begin to remember during the next two years that Lady Justice wears a blindfold and the Scales are balanced impartially.

Politics. In case we haven’t seen enough political scandals yet involving “unsanctioned relationships,” we may see even more, but ultimately, during this cycle, I suspect we’ll balance the way we view this “dirty laundry.” Many people around the world think Americans are completely out of touch with reality to place so much emphasis on the personal lives of politicians. It’s tragic to think of how many careers have been ruined or seriously tarnished by marital infidelity or other sexcapades among fully functioning leaders who are often, otherwise, out there “doing good.” Will we use Saturn’s maturity to separate a politician’s public and private life? Or become even tougher on offenders, insisting that private/public life be joined in holy deadlock? Perhaps we will get out of other people’s bedrooms and tend more to our own. After all, they say politics makes strange bedfellows.

Peace and Harmony. As of this writing, headlines read “Obama Peace Bid Flounders,” referring to attempts at Middle East peace negotiations. The U.S. President’s win in wartime of a Nobel Peace Prize was ironic on the cusp of Saturn in Libra. As pointed out in the New York Times editorial, The Peace Prize, U.S. President Obama has yet to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He’s a long way off from an orderly withdrawal from the Iraq, and has not yet set a strategy for Afghanistan. Still, he has denounced torture and made a good start on climate change. Less than a year in office, his commitment to make change is being noticed and encouraged—at least by the Nobel Peace Prize committee. While President Obama himself felt he did not deserve the prize, it sets a high bar for achievement in an administration that has already taken on change head-on.

There is an additional factor that comes into play. In the U.S. birth chart, Saturn is at 14 Libra. The country is coming up on a Saturn Return. [2] Saturn returns, retrogrades, and then returns again to its own place in the U.S. chart from December 2010 until August 2011. When individuals experience a Saturn Return, it is a time of forming new structures and commitments. Same with countries. In fact, when a young man or woman reaches his or her first Saturn Return at age 30, we often think of it as a time for “settling down.”

It will be fascinating to observe how things “settle down” in the area of war and peace. At least as far as President Obama is concerned, he has already gotten a large vote, if not nudge, of confidence in the Nobel Peace prize.

We can only hope that the outcome proves, once again, that Saturn is exalted—at its best—in Libra.
~~~

Photo credit: ABSTRACT SATURN | © Soldeandal... Dreamstime.com

NOTES

[1] National Coalition on Health Care

[2] There is much debate and variance among astrologers on the chart of the USA. I use the Sibley chart (named after the man who first proposed it, Ebenezer Sibley, 1751-1789). Data: 4-Jul-1776 at 5:10 pm, Philadelphia, PA.

Chiron: The Shaman Centaur

© 2009 by Larry Williamson, Guest Blogger

Centaurus is one of two constellations said to represent the centaurs, mythical creatures with a human head and torso on top of a horse’s body. Centaurus was the name of the first centaur. The constellation Centaurus is primarily associated with Chiron, a wise, immortal being who was the King of the Centaurs. He was renowned for his healing skills and a wise teacher and mentor.

Chiron was the Son of Chronos (Saturn), ruler of the vanished golden age, where men lived in harmony with nature. His mother was the nymph Philyra, whose name means both “the love of music of the lyre” and “sweet-scented linden tree." Philyra gave birth to Chiron, was horrified by his appearance, and abandoned him. Chiron’s initial wound was the rejection and abandonment by his mother.

Apollo, the Sun God and Diana, Goddess of the Moon became Chiron’s foster parents—and along with the wild animals, his family. Chiron would become their first pupil and, in turn, he would teach humankind. Apollo and Diana taught him the art of healing, medicine, science, music, war, archery and all survival skills. All the greatest kings and heroes were taken to him as children to be raised in his cave. Some of his students were Jason, Achilles, and Hercules. Chiron taught Orpheus, the great musician, how to play the lyre in a way that made trees weep and rocks melt. He taught Asclepius, god of healing, the arts of healing and medicine.

Chiron’s healing powers were so great, it has been said that he cured those who suffered mortal wounds during the Trojan wars. Below Chiron’s cave lies a sacred valley where he grew powerful medicinal herbs, which he shared with his pupils, along with how to turn them into salves and potions. Chiron was the only centaur able to maintain his higher self. The centaurs were known for their rude, drunken and rowdy behavior, but Chiron was above the fray.

But, unfortunately, Chiron was not above harm. A stray arrow from the bow of Hercules accidentally wounded Chiron. The accident occurred during a wedding feast near Chiron’s cave. Pholus was the keeper of the jar of wine that belonged to the centaurs. He had been had been told not to open the jar. However, when Hercules arrived, he coaxed a reluctant Pholus into opening it, stating that the jar had been placed there generations ago waiting for his arrival. When Pholus opened the cask of wine as Hercules requested, the wild centaurs could smell the aroma from miles away. They sped to the scene, drank all the wine, went berserk, and tried to rape the bride. All mayhem broke out and Hercules tried to stop them. Elatus is the centaur associated with the woodlands and his name means “Fir Man,” because he used to pull up whole fir trees and use them as weapons. Elatus was killed by one of the poisoned arrows of Hercules, dipped in the blood of the many-headed Hydra, a poison from which there was no cure. This same arrow from the bow of Hercules passed through Elatus’s arm and continued its path to wound Chiron in the knee.

Hercules ran to him, pulled out the arrow and dressed the wound with a salve Chiron handed to him. Because the wound was incurable, Chiron moved to his cave yearning for death, but could not die because he was immortal. Ultimately, he passed on his immortality to Prometheus. Zeus saw what a grand and noble gesture this was, and then placed Chiron amongst the stars. In another version of the myth, Chiron offers to trade places with Prometheus who was chained to a rock for all eternity because he discovered fire—or as gods saw it, stole fire from them. Prometheus’s liver was being pecked out nightly as punishment, growing back each day for his vicious cycle of suffering. Since he was suffering himself without let-up, anyway, Chiron offered to take Prometheus's place. Both versions have the same ending. Zeus recognizes Chiron’s altruism, releases him from the bonds of his immortality, and raises him up in a constellation of stars.

In some versions of the story, in spite of his own pain and suffering, Chiron continued to help, heal and serve others. The term Wounded Healer seems to have emerged from this aspect of the myth. Others claim Chiron cured his wounds with the plant Centaury, the sacred herb of the centaurs, and never died. The best definition I ever heard of the Wounded Healer is “the ability to do things for others that we cannot necessarily do for ourselves.”

The kicker of the story is once Chiron was transformed into a constellation, it was not the archer centaur (Sagittarius) but actually the shaman centaur (Centaurus). The brilliant shamanic astrologer Daniel Giamario revealed this to me during an interview. Here the Shaman Centaur is dancing with a She-Wolf (Lupus) holding not a lance, or spear, but a magical and sexual Thyrsus, a staff of wild fennel topped by a pine cone, held by the centaurs. There is a region below the southern ecliptic including, Centaurus, the Shaman Centaur, the original constellation of Chiron. This area of the sky was far more elevated in the southern sky, and due to the precession of the equinoxes, it was all but lost to view in northern latitudes. Because the ancients Greeks couldn’t see the constellation Centaurus, they transferred it into the centaur of the archer, Sagittarius.

Before Chiron was discovered, astrologer Dane Rudhyar predicted there would be a new planetary body found between Saturn and Uranus that would act like a higher Moon. This is interesting, as both, Apollo and Diana, Goddess of the Moon, raised Chiron. One of the greatest paradoxes about Chiron astrologically is in our wounding lies the key to our healing, and it all has to do with feelings and emotions. All healing needs to begin with emotional healing.

This same paradox applies from an astrological interpretive point of view. Wherever Chiron is placed in the natal chart points to an area of possible woundedness, but it also indicates the area in which we can awaken the healing process for ourselves, and how we can best help, heal, and serve others towards integration and transformation. One of the first steps to accelerate the healing process is to “own our wounds.” You can’t change or transform anything you’re denying. Chiron, like Pluto, can serve as a powerful attachment breaker. “De-nial” isn’t just a river in Egypt!

Many astronomers believe Chiron is not an original member of our solar system, but rather came from outside it as a maverick, temporary visitor. They believe, in time, that Chiron will eventually leave. This is a symbolic parallel to the idea of the Bodhisattvas, who voluntarily return to the world of suffering to help assist others on the path of enlightenment. This clearly serves as a powerful metaphor of the Chironic themes of healing, helping and serving others.

It is this astrologer’s humble opinion that the connection between Chiron and Virgo seems clear. Both are associated with healing and service.

The humanistic astrologer Dane Rudhyar states that the trans-Saturnian planets owe allegiance to the galaxy, not the Sun! The former seems to imply “outside help,” the latter relates to “inner work,” or the power of change, transformation inherent in each of us. I feel it is incumbent for all astrologers not to become locked in or fixed solely on the principle of wounding with Chiron, but to cultivate and celebrate the teaching, mentoring, and meaningful service function. We all need someone in our lives at times to serve as a teacher, mentor and act as a bridge between two worlds.

Finally, let us honor our Inner Shaman, inner Teacher to help guide us on our journey towards healing, reconciliation and wholeness. The next time you need healing, go and heal someone else, and ask where have I failed to give? Out of the place of our wounds, will come our greatest gifts.

~~~

Laurence Williamson is a practicing astrologer with over thirty years' experience. While maintaining his steady practice, Larry served as the resident astrologer for Sagittarius Books store for over six years. He also teaches classes in astrology and mythology. Listen to Larry's New Moon Podcast at his Skybear Astrology website. Contact him at skybear2@juno.com.

Photo Credit: CEREMONY OF THE SHAMAN |© Irbis769 |Dreamstime.com

References

Catherine Tennant – The Lost Zodiac

Tim Lyons - Astrology Beyond Ego

Daniel Giamario – Reflections on being 52

COMMENT CONTEST WINNER!  Congratulations to Sandra Moseley, second and final winner in our Mercury Direct Comment Contest. Sandra is an astrologer and Radical Virgo. Sandra and husband David Mosely have a wonderful website, Zodiac Arts, a visual feast and delightful to visit! Sandra has won a free copy of Joyce Mason's new e-book,  Chiron and Wholeness: A Primer.

Quotes for the Signs #4

© 2009 by Joyce Mason

I keep finding them—or they find me! Here’s Round Four of the latest zodiac quotefest.

ARIES - Patience is the ability to count down before you blast off. ~Author Unknown

TAURUS -  There is deep wisdom within our very flesh, if we can only come to our senses and feel it. ~Elizabeth A. Behnke

GEMINI - I keep six honest serving-men,

They taught me all I knew;

Their names are What and Why and When

And How and Where and Who.  ~Rudyard Kipling

CANCER: Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson:  you find the present tense, but the past perfect!  ~Owens Lee Pomeroy

LEO -  Grown-ups never understand anything for themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them. ~Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince, 1943

VIRGO - We are the products of editing, rather than authorship. ~George Wald, "The Origin of Optical Activity," Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 1975

LIBRA - Endurance is frequently a form of indecision. ~Elizabeth Bibesco, Haven, 195

SCORPIO -  Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it's dark. ~Zen Proverb

SAGITTARIUS -  Every one of us has in him a continent of undiscovered character. Blessed is he who acts as Columbus to his own soul. ~Author Unknown

CAPRICORN - The leadership instinct you are born with is the backbone. You develop the funny bone and the wishbone that go with it. ~Elaine Agather

AQUARIUS - Rabbi Zusya said that on the Day of Judgment, God would ask him, not why he had not been Moses, but why he had not been Zusya. ~Walter Kaufmann

PISCES - Learning how to operate a soul figures to take time. ~Timothy Leary

~~~

Photo credit: AND I QUOTE © Zitramon |Dreamstime.com

Crave more Quotes for the Signs? Visit these previous posts:

Quotes for the Signs #1, Quotes for the Signs #2, Quotes for the Signs #3.

NEWS! The winner of last week’s drawing in the Mercury Direct Comment Contest is Susannah of The Lion and the Lightning Bolt blog. Susannah won a free PDF download of my new e-book, Chiron and Wholeness: A Primer. A new contest drawing period starts today and runs through next Monday, Oct. 19, at midnight PDT. Comment for a chance to win in the second and final drawing.  People who commented last week but did not win will be rolled over into this week's drawing, in addition anyone making a new comment between Oct. 13-20. Next winner will be announced on or about Oct. 21.  Good luck!

Your Two Cents Worth! A Mercury Direct Comment Contest

Mercury has gone direct and the Sun is in Libra, the sign of relationship. What nice timing for friendly communications. To celebrate, I’m encouraging more talk amongst ourselves via Comments. I have met several great new friends who have commented on The Radical Virgo. It could happen to you, too!

Prizes! While friendship and shared ideas are the real prize—a nice combination of Venus and Mercury—let’s have some traditional prizes to sweeten the pot. Each person to comment over the next two weeks will be entered into a drawing to receive a free copy of my new e-book, Chiron and Wholeness: A Primer. There will be a drawing each week, so two free e-books will be given away worth $4.95 US each. Winners for the previous week will be announced at the bottom of the next two posts.

The comment contest applies to any post or article on The Radical Virgo. The only “rule” is that your comments be constructive and substantive—responses to the content of a post or sharing a related experience. More than, “Hi, nice post.” Good luck, and have fun!

-Joyce

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Photo Credit: © Tomo Jesenicnik - Fotolia.com

Chiron & Wholeness: A Primer by Joyce Mason

Announcing a new, lushly illustrated, 40-page e-book that brings you the basics and key insights about Chiron in a tightly woven package.

Here’s the what’s inside:

Chiron for Better or for Worse - If you resonate to Chiron or your astrology chart is “Chiron prominent,” what can you expect?

Chiron in the Signs and Houses – A starting point for exploring your personal Chiron placement.

Chiron Cycles and Life Purpose – How transiting Chiron’s cycles to your natal Chiron tell you about your personal quest for fulfillment.

Modern Find, Cosmic Question Mark – A brief history of Chiron’s modern-day find in 1977, how its uniqueness—and many unanswered questions about it—still captivate astrologers.

Symbol, Cosmic Characteristics, and Cultural Connections – Chiron’s symbol or glyph is a skeleton key, the kind that opens all doors. Its astronomical characteristics suggest a whole-making function, and cultural changes around its discovery marked dramatic shifts in relations between men and women—and many other themes of balancing complementary energies.

Myth of Chiron – What does the ancient Greek story of this mentor of heroes and multi-talented healer—the one who can heal everyone but himself--tell us about ourselves?

Chironic Characters Show Us How to Become Real Heroes – Famous people who embody Chiron and what they tell us about holism and heroism.

Wholeness, Inner Marriage, and the Chiron Sector – Why Chiron is associated with the Virgo to Sagittarius sector of the zodiac.

Suggestions for Further Reading & Further Resources

A specialist on Chiron for 20 years, Joyce is the former editor of the international newsletter, Chironicles (1992-95), and the creator of the Chironic Convergence in 1996, a journey of discovery to the Mt. Pelion region in Greece, Chiron’s mythical homeland. Back to astrology after a long hiatus, Joyce blogs here on The Radical Virgo, a repository for her many articles, both old and new.

Will there be a longer book? It’s only a matter of when. Meanwhile, this is both a primer (as in an introductory, first-level reader) and a primer (with a long i, as in the first coat of paint or something to get you primed!).

Delivered in PDF format via e-mail. Pre-purchase discount applies through September 29 ($3.50) at midnight PST, then $4.95 US introductory rate through December 31, 2009. This lower, initial price is being offered to Radical Virgo readers before more massive marketing requires a price increase in 2010.

To purchase, see the sidebar on The Radical Virgo or order on joycemason.com.  Here is some sample reader feedback.


For more information, e-mail Joyce. joyce@joycemason.com.

~~~

Photo credit: CIRCULAR DANCER © Elenaray | Dreamstime.com

Fully Seasoned: Astrology and Ritual

© 2009 by Joyce Mason. All Rights Reserved

Happy Autumn Equinox! What’s not to like about this time of year? The Sun moves into Libra, the sign of love, relationships, and beauty—in gorgeous, breathtaking color. This is the time of crisp air and abundance in the Northern Hemisphere. In the US, we celebrate Thanksgiving and our gratitude for Earth’s plenty. It’s a time I relish.

As I’ve shared in other posts on both my blogs, I’ve been celebrating the solstices and equinoxes for over 20 years with a groovy group of women known as the Solsisters. I cannot begin to tell you how much these rituals have enriched my life. Celebrating these seasonal changes brings astrology, spirituality, and the cycles of life down to earth for me where I can hug them in community.

I have a special resonance to the Autumn Equinox, because I was born on the cusp of fall, less than 24 hours before the Sun moved into Libra. My first Autumn Equinox was part of my first day on Earth. What a way to get off to a good start in an incarnation!

Harvest time is the reward of a life well lived, the goodies we get out of all the work we do. Astrology may help us to understand ourselves, others, and even world events. Ritual does even more. It brings the dancing sky down to earth where we can dance with it. In that dance, we can feel, discover and show our gratitude for the magnificence of creation by offering our awe at these times of shift. If you don’t believe me, try it! That’s the point of this post--to tempt you to create ceremony under the stars in thanks for the cosmic symphony.

Getting Started

All it takes is a few people who are interested in exploring the idea. The Solsisters were born out of the annual candlelighting ceremony at our largest, local Unity church. Inspired by the Season of Light, several of my friends wanted more. I was the astrologer, so soon we decided to create a Winter Solstice ceremony in addition to attending the candlelighting service. I had never done anything like it before. This was in the late 1980s, so I was still high from the Harmonic Convergence. I had the spirit of peace on earth all year ‘round and a Catholic background. My religious roots ingrained me with ritual, ceremony, and liturgy from my head down to my toes. This kind of worship permeated my soul.

We ad libbed a lot, and I’m sure we had our share of divine direction, the ritual equivalent of automatic writing. Our celebrations were so satisfying, after the first couple of years, we began meeting quarterly at all the solstices and equinoxes. There is no right or wrong in rituals that celebrate the cosmic clock. You could just as easily celebrate any major event in the sky or the ingresses of the Sun into the various signs. Do as much or as little as you like. Do what feels good and raises your spirits. I often give a quarterly astrological overview as part of the process. For us the solstices and equinoxes offer just the right number of get-togethers and spacing to see progress in our lives. To spin off a quote by ‘70s pop poet Rod McKuen, “Love is a season and holidays (or solstices and equinoxes) like signposts mark the time.”

Evolution of Structure

Even the most Uranian of us all needs a little Saturn and structure for life to tick like the cosmic clock itself. Over time, a natural framework evolved in our ceremonies—the bones that hold them together with differing things that feel right in the moment to flesh them out. We borrow from every tradition you can think of: Catholic, Jewish, earth religions, Native American, Buddhist, and a multiplex of cultures. After nearly two decades, my friend and I who act as primary leaders wanted to encourage more women to try their hand at creating these soul parties. We came up with this outline by simply writing down what had already emerged naturally:

Basic Elements of Our Solstice and Equinox Ceremonies

1. Smudging – Purification of each person participating in the ceremony by sage or incense smoke. Alternatively, especially when we’re out of doors in high fire hazard areas, we use sound—bells, chimes, or rattles. The concept is to clear the energy field and help each participant let go of worry and concerns and come into the celebration with a clean slate. One person starts and each person then smudges the next person after being smudged until smudging is complete around the circle.

2. Casting the Circle – Calling in the Directions to create a sacred and safe space for ceremony. The circle is a space defined by the raising of energy. It replicates the zodiac and division of the year into four equal parts by the equinoxes (spring and fall) and solstices (winter and summer).

3. Opening Prayer

4. Opening Remarks on the Meaning of the Season – If there is a theme, this is the time to share it. For example, last Winter Solstice, our theme was The Magical Child Within.

5. Optional additional prayers, special blessings, or discussion of seasonal holidays and/or astrological overview.

6. Activity reflecting seasonal theme, e.g. preparing seeds of our growth in Spring, going into the “river of life” or play in Summer, harvesting seeds in Autumn, candlelighting affirming our inner light in Winter

7. Meditation – usually on the theme

8. Praying for Ourselves and Others - After a general prayer for all present and absent members present in spirit, anyone in the circle can put forth a prayer request for others.

9. Optional Oracle – We love drawing tarot cards or other oracles and use various decks to reflect the theme of the particular ritual. With last year’s inner child theme at Winter Solstice, we used Isha Lerner and Mark Lerner’s Inner Child Cards (A Fairy-Tale Tarot).

10. Communion – Sharing recent growth or our experience in any other part of the ceremony, such as what tarot card we drew. The card or inspiration we received in meditation often reflects what's been happening in our lives. These parts of the ceremony help focus our sharing updates.

11. Optional parting poem, prayer, or remarks

12. Releasing the Four Directions, Opening the Circle


Tips for First Timers

Here are the tips we share with Solsisters who are creating the ceremony for the first time:

Order. While the beginning and ending rituals such as casting and closing the circle need to be in those positions, the rest of the steps can be reorganized, if they feel more comfortable in a different order.

Extras. Don’t hesitate to add an extra step or swap one out if it feels right to the flow of the ceremony you are creating. This is a basic structure so we have the comfort of repetition that helps us reach the relaxed altered state of consciousness for getting the most out of a ritual. Within those minimal boundaries, the more creativity and variety, the better. Music always enhances. We do many of our celebrations at the river with the natural sounds of water rushing and birds singing.

Resources. The Solsisters celebrate our oneness with all creation, the reason we often use material from many faiths, paths, and sources of inspiration. When it comes to material, you’d be amazed at what you can find at the Pubic Library, often your library’s online resources. The Internet is one of the richest sources of material for ritual available to humankind. Plug words like ritual and a season name such as spring into Google and see what you get. The more words you try, the more you’ll find. As you do ceremonies over a period of years, your previous ceremonies become part of your resources. Most people barely remember what we did last year. Go back two years, tweak it a little, and you’ve got a brand new ceremony with minimal effort. I keep copies of everything in files that are easy to sort and access: ceremony outlines, different options for calling the directions, prayers, poems, and meditations. You can create a file of your most helpful links online.

Co-creation. The most important ingredient in designing a ceremony is letting Spirit flow through you and with you in its creation. Allow yourself to be “led” from one idea or resource to another. You’ll be amazed at how the ceremony creates itself once you merge into the mental and spiritual place where all things are joined.


It Only Gets Better

Even though I was born on autumn’s doorstep, my big ritual every year goes back to where it all started for the Solsisters—Winter Solstice. I lead this one solo and hold it at my home, including a potluck following the ceremony. I go a bit crazy with creativity on this one because I love the winter holidays and I resonate to the season of love, light, and giving. Our winter solstice always includes a candlelighting ceremony and many surprises. Most of the Solsisters met in our environmental work for the State of California. If you love the earth, you have to love the sky above it.

Honoring the earth/sky interface—and interplay—is part of a philosophy where everything is holy, infused with the gifts of the Creator. I know of no other time when I feel more alive—or luckier to be.

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Photo Credit: Lovely Autumn © Шпорт Олександр |Fotolia

For more solstice and equinox inspiration, check out these posts: Autumn EquiKnocks  and Happy Autumn Equinox; Spring: New Beginnings, New Blog; and Summer Solstice – “Let the Sunshine In.”

Chiron: Your “Higher Moon”

© 1995-2009 by Joyce Mason, All Rights Reserved

Before Chiron was discovered, humanistic astrologer Dane Rudhyar predicted that there would be a new planetary body found between Saturn and Uranus that would act like a “higher Moon.”

It was exactly in that location where the “centaur” Chiron was found on November 1, 1977. [1] For 15 years, no one knew just what Chiron was—a small planet (planetoid?) A comet? For a while, astrologers called it a cometoid for its composite nature, since it exhibited characteristics of both. Only recently did astronomers uncover that Chiron’s discovery heralded a whole new class of similar objects, found beyond Neptune, born from the far-off Kuiper Disk. The planetary system is now known to be surrounded by a vast disk of planetesimals. The disk is believed to begin a bit beyond the orbit of Neptune and to extend outward toward the much more distant, spherical Oort Cloud, from which all comets were once believed to come. Over time, astronomers realized that the short-period comets, like Chiron, could not evolve to their present orbits from the Oort Cloud, but rather, must come from a more flattened and much closer reservoir. More than 20 Chiron-like objects have now been found, at least one far beyond Pluto. Astronomers believe there are at least 10,000 such bodies, and that the Kuiper Disk contains billions of comet nuclei and perhaps a few larger objects up to the sizes of Pluto’s Moon or Pluto itself. [2] (For a more recent theory, read Chiron and Pluto: The Comet Brothers.)

Chiron was named two years after its discovery in honor of the wise centaur in Greek mythology, half-man and half-horse. The International Astronomical Union has adopted the name “centaur” for these compound small objects, in Chiron’s honor. [3] Many other centaurs have been discovered since Chiron’s entry into our awareness in 1977.

What does this astronomy lesson have to do with a higher Moon? More than you can imagine. First, Chiron was discovered at 3 Taurus, the traditional degree of the Moon’s exaltation. It was the only planet under the horizon, in the 4th (the Moon’s) house, and the Moon was in its own sign, Cancer. These were the first hints of Chiron’s lunar nature.

Chiron’s discovery in our time allows us to experience what it must have been like to be an ancient astrologer, trying to ascribe meanings to the planets. Planets don’t come with built-in astrological descriptions like the laundering directions on our t-shirts. Astrologers derive meanings primarily from three sources: the astronomy of the planet, the mythological character for which it is named, and cultural events approximately 15 years before and after discovery. The mythical link is the most fascinating, for it is the most lunar way we explore outer space from an astrological perspective. The names chosen for planets are somehow magically correct, despite the fact that it is the privilege of the discoverers to name them, often hard-core scientists who don’t believe astrology is the least bit valid. Myths "live" in the collective unconscious, so it makes sense that the astronomer would “channel” them unconsciously.

Mythical Chiron was a teacher and mentor of many famous heroes such as Jason, Hercules, and Asclepius. Because of the wound Chiron accidentally incurred at the hands of his most beloved student, Hercules, Chiron the planet has become best known as “the wounded healer.” Despite his skills as both an herbalist and surgeon, because Chiron was immortal, he was unable to heal himself and suffered lingering pain. He was shot in the leg with an arrow as Hercules fought off the wild centaurs (a different breed from Chiron altogether) at a marriage ceremony. As the story goes, the wild beasts smelled the festive wine, which brought out the worst in them. These other centaurs were untamed beasts who gave no second thought to rape and mayhem. Arrows flew as Hercules protected the bride from being ravaged. It was a stray arrow, dipped with the poison of the many-headed Hydra that produced Chiron’s incurable wound.

It is fascinating that astrologers have stayed as stuck on Chiron’s woundedness dimension as Chiron himself was stuck in his chronic wound. (Note the resemblance of that word to “Chironic.”) This is a vital aspect of Chiron’s story, but there is much more to it. Chiron was the son of Kronos (Saturn) and the sea nymph, Philyra. Kronos was married to Rhea, but became enamored with the nymph, so he turned them both into horses so that their affair could go undetected. (He turned Philyra into a Philly, so to speak.) Thus, Chiron was born in his half-horse, half-human condition.

When she first laid eyes on him, at the moment a mother normally first bonds with her baby, it’s reasonable to imagine that Philyra was horrified. She considered her son a freak and begged the gods to turn her into anything rather than force her to raise this “thing.” (You’d have thought she had learned her lesson about shape shifting.) The gods obliged and turned her into a linden tree, which has heart-shaped leaves. [4]

Kronos was already long gone before Chiron was born, so Chiron’s father never really knew him—his absent father’s rejection was once removed—more indirect. But the reaction of Chiron’s mother is one of the most heartless, all-out rejections imaginable. What does this part of the myth mean to us?

All the key words and concepts about Chiron refer to wholeness—or how to achieve it. Obviously, from the beginning, considering the myth, we come into this world feeling rejected and alienated at some level. One of Chiron’s major astrological meanings has to do with bonding issues and their opposite—a sense of separation, feeling different—like a misfit. For Chiron, it all started with mother—symbolized by the Moon. That brings me back to Chiron’s astronomy.

Astronomer Mark Bailey from the University of Manchester believes that Chiron is "the mother of all short-period comets." [5] In other words, Chiron was once whole and all other relatively short-lived comets broke off from Chiron. (Chiron’s mass appears to be a comet nucleus, but it orbits just like a planet—an outer planet, at that, given its position, and with all the astrological influence that implies concerning personal and planetary evolution.)
Like the planet Chiron, we were once whole, cruising the cosmos as free, unfettered spirits. [6] Then, like the centaur planet, we were sucked into a dense body, into the Earth's orbit, where our mission is to rediscover our original oneness with the other comet fragments. Thus, our heritage from Uranus (Heaven) is brought to Earth (Saturn) while we struggle to remember who we really are (and recover a little bit of Heaven here). Like Chiron, we often feel stuck—between Heaven and Earth and in mythical parallel, by the “slings and (especially the) arrows of cruel misfortune.”

This issue of “rough landings” was brought down to earth for me in a brilliant presentation by astrologer Brian Clark. [7] Our first relationship and bonding experience is with our mothers in utero. Then, we are cast out—she “rejects” us—and we are thrust into an alien world. We feel rejected for being ejected. As babies we operate almost entirely from our subconscious, and at some level, the original wounding of birth can linger, life-long, if we don’t rebond outside the womb with our mother and others. From that point forward, life is a quest to feel at one again, both inside and outside of ourselves. Chiron tells us, both in his myth and astronomical properties, that he is dual, and it is the pain of duality—of being divine in human form—that gets to us from the beginning. In practical terms, it continues to plague us until we can integrate our many opposites—good/evil, masculine/feminine, human/divine—and so on.

When it comes to the Mother Comet Chiron, there are Moon metaphors everywhere. In the last paragraph, we were sucked (suckled) into the orbit (orb/breast) of Mother Earth. The most profound cultural event related to Chiron’s sighting in 1977 is “the New Age.” This, of course, is a total misnomer for there’s nothing new about it, only the rediscovery of many lost esoteric arts we can associate with our more feminine, lunar side. Even though Chiron was a male and conducted an all-male heroes' school on Mount Pelion, he clearly was at one with his feminine side and wanted his charges to learn about theirs, as well. His education was holistic and included not just the martial arts, but the creative arts, as well. He taught in a balanced way, the full spectrum of skills, as he was instructed himself by Apollo and Artemis in the guise of the Sun and Moon. The discovery of Chiron coincides with men getting in contact with their animas, helping rear children, like the many Chiron foster parented. There was the matriarchy, then there was the patriarchy; now we have a chance for true integration. That takes developing our recessive polarity as well as our dominant one—the anima and animus in everyone.

A little known fact is that Chiron married—a sea nymph (it ran in the family) named Chariclo. The nymphs or Nereids were very psychic, among the most lunar beings described in Greek mythology. They had one daughter, Thea, whose name means, “shining one of the Moon.” [8] She was known for her gift of prophecy, and Chiron himself was an astrologer, who presumably turned out heroes because he could encourage them to develop their greatest gifts by casting their horoscopes.

This is one of the greatest paradoxes about Chiron from an astrological perspective. In our wounding lies the key to our healing, and it all has to do with feelings (Moon). We are taught to suppress how we feel, from little on, and those stuck knots of unresolved pain often rule us from the subconscious where we are unaware of what causes our knee jerk reactions to certain incidents that repeat past patterns. So we stay stuck in ritualistic responses, to the detriment of our growth. To be in a body is to feel, and Chiron is associated with the pain of embodiment. We use the expression, “a free spirit.” It takes a lot of living to learn to be free within the confines of flesh and blood—to feel merged with the other beings, despite this fleshy armor with all its foibles. Just trying to move through the thickness of matter can be a chore. Some part of us remembers when there were no walls (bodies) between us. That is what we crave and take so long to learn. It is a state of mind. Separation is really an illusion.
Ironically, our Chironic sore spots are also our power points. When we do the brave work to release past pain, we often discover our greatest gifts to contribute—where we can be a hero, which after all, was mythical Chiron’s job to produce. Some examples are the stutterer who over overcomes his disability to become a great statesman; the bereaved mother who forms an organization to help find missing children; the person from poor roots who makes it to the top and now sends kids from the ghetto to college.

I recommend studying Chiron in your chart with these triple metaphors in mind—its astronomy, myth, and the cultural events around its discovery. Any of the material in this or other sources that lights up “in yellow highlighter” as you read it, is a big hint about the meaning of your Chiron. If Chiron is angular, or highly aspected, ponder what you were doing in November 1977 for even further insights. When you uncover a “sore power point,” massage it gently, but most of all, keep your sense of humor.

If you’ve wondered about my puns and playful asides, they’re more than just for fun. Besides being “the best medicine,” laughter is physically releasing and enables us to “chuckle up” locked-in pain. (Examine the content of a comedy routine sometime and notice just how many parts pain go into the making.) The greatest thing I learned from my own mother was to laugh at myself. And when we laugh together, we are joined. We see each other as beautiful, no matter how unique we are or different from the next person.

You’ve got to be there for yourself, even if your mother or father wasn’t. If we can become our own positive parents and nurture ourselves in the best way possible through our Chironic wounds, we will discover our hidden gifts and positive personal power to give back to society—nurturing the bigger family of humanity. I believe this is the “higher Moon” Dane Rudhyar meant.



NOTES:
[1] Discovered at 10 a.m. in Pasadena, California.
[2] Stern, S. Alan, “The Chiron Perihelion Campaign,” Sky and Telescope, March 1995, pp. 32-34.
[3] Ibid.
[4] O’Brien, Dale, “The Myth of Chiron,” audio tape, recorded at The Mountain Astrologer’s 1991 Planet Camp in Philo, Calif.
[5] "The mother of all short period comets, " Discover, February 1991, p. 9.
[6] O’Brien (See note #2).
[7] Clark, Brian, “The 8th House: The Sacred Site of Eros,” UAC ‘92, Bulldog Audio, Inc.
[8] Clow, Barbara Hand, Chiron: Rainbow Bridge Between the Inner and Outer Planets, (St. Paul: 1987), p.3.

This article first appeared in Chironicles in April 1995.

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Photo credit: MAN CELEBRATING WITH MOON © Orangee | Dreamstime.com