Spiritual Astrology at Work in July-August 2005 Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces affected

by Robert Wilkinson

The coming weeks continue the challenges, realizations, dissolutions, renovations, and transformations for all signs shown by dynamic aspects to Pluto in Sagittarius, Neptune in Aquarius, Uranus in Pisces, and Saturn in late Cancer and early Leo. There are squares, quincunxes, or oppositions to or from planets in cardinal (activating) signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn), fixed (stabilizing) signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius), and mutable (distributive) signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) involving all of the inner planets, so get ready for lots of change, awareness, fulfillment, and dynamic activity.

Pluto continues to put long range pressure people with birthdays in mid-March, mid-June, mid-September, and mid-December. If you have a birthday during these periods, go to the core of your being and clean up your magnetism to regenerate your heart. Be a pioneer, show self-control, concentrate, and throw off the chains in your mind that keep you powerless. Let go of obsessive-compulsive feelings and people, and purify however you need to, becoming the "captain of your own fate." Pluto's nature is "economy of energy," and it tends to make our lives more efficient through annihilating obsolete life factors. Banish the corrupt, corrosive, or dishonest elements in your life, and regenerate the seeds of power in the houses it influences in your charts. Pluto's long-range influence is presently most personally disruptive to those with a Sun, Ascendant, or planet between 21 and 25 degrees of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces.

In July and August, Pluto's powerful transformative energies retrograde over the span it first traversed in mid-Jan through early June 2004, and again Nov-Dec 2004, preparing to go stationary direct September 2, 2005, at 22 Sagittarius. The next two months we can once more return to use the special parts of our background, "self-containment and good humor" to "prosper in an alien environment." January brought the seeds of rewards and blessings in the houses ruled by Aries, Scorpio, and Sagittarius, setting up rewards and blessings that began to arrive the past two months with another payoff November-December 2005.

During May-June we moved from anticipation of future developments and positive results back into being "immigrants on Ellis Island" at the threshold of an entirely new experience, and will need to live these seeds in action October through December 2005. July gives us one last chance to embrace "new openings that come to all who are willing to risk self for the sake of greater selfhood," and reorient toward a new way of doing our being. This transition degree began at the Summer Solstice occurring 11:46 pm June 20, 2005, which of course means June 21 everywhere east of here.

Neptune continues to make life somewhat strange, unclear, or even very weird for people with birthdays in early February, early May, early August, and early November. If you have a birthday during these times, let go of self pity or feelings of inadequacy, and be resolved to do whatever needs to be done to come out of uncertainty, doubt, and confusion. Get clear about your role, release drifting through things that don't interest you, and find the light of your highest ideal. At this time in history, Neptune's long-range influence is presently most confusing to those with a Sun, Ascendant, or planet between 15 and 19 degrees of Aquarius, Taurus, Leo, and Scorpio.

January brought evolutionary accelerations, shortcuts to penetrating insights, and greater faith. February brought long-range management issues to the forefront requiring intuitive foresight to organize enterprises in process since April-May-June 2004. In May-June 2005, new ideals and ways of expressing them came forth. The building force will break the surface with the oppositions from planets in Leo in July-August, and the powerful lower (waxing) square from Mars, setting into motion the Mars-Neptune cycle that began April 2005.

Neptune went stationary retrograde May 19th, occupying 18 Aquarius through July 8. This began a Neptunian process of "unveiling," and ways to protect oneself from negative social judgments. Expect to continue "unmasking" things with the result showing as forms of valuing oneself. The oppositions of Mercury and Venus to Neptune in mid-July in the Grand Fire Trine will be very positive, offering social and intellectual harmony and understanding. See the stages and phases of development, and be alert to put-downs, which are unacceptable. Be clear about the potential problems, miscommunication, or misunderstanding in situations up front, and the potential problems involving Mercury retrograde opposed to Neptune will be mitigated. I'll deal with the Mercury retrograde effect for each sign in the near future. For those who want to know more about its effect on us since the last one in March-April 2005, go to this link which has links to other related articles about previous Mercury retrograde periods.

While the July transits to Neptune should continue to offer new ideas and new relationships, continue to build intuition and find subtle but absolute protective mechanisms, especially from harsh social judgments and social traps. As with the past two months, continue to adjust to emerging conditions, protect some things while unveiling others, and prepare for some dramatic events to come that will affect the whole world in March 2006. Again, it's all teaching us good management techniques. What you learn at this time serves the need of January-February 2006 in the houses ruled by Sagittarius, Aquarius, and Pisces.

Uranus is evoking revolutionary developments or needed renovations and creative renewing in the houses in our charts ruled by Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. Its influence is associated with disruptive and/or unexpected changes that challenge us to individuate. Uranus currently affects most strongly those with birthdays in late February and early March, late May and early June, late August and early September, and late November and early December. If you have a birthday during these periods, learn cooperation, flexibility, and try to innovate and synthesize things into a newer, broader view. Uranus' long-range influence is presently most disruptive to those with a Sun, Ascendant, or planet between 8 and 12 degrees of Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces.

In January Uranus helped us master discouragement and find unique ways to bring old things to completion. February furthered our dedication to a group purpose, showing us how to stand up for an ideal we believe in. Jan-Feb was the next step in what began between late April and July 2004. March 2005 summoned us to a form of rebirth and "hear the call." Late March-early April challenged us to quicken the pace and dismiss every superfluous consideration in doing what we must do to attain our goals. We were forced to drop excess baggage quickly, and prepare for higher responsibilities in April, when we awakened our ability to "fly by the seat of our pants," demonstrating some form of mastery resulting from our dedication to an ideal, our willingness to persevere, and our hustle. These skills will be challenged to come forth in August.

In May-June 2005, Uranus occupied 11 Pisces, going stationary retrograde June 14 in the Western Hemisphere, June 15 east of Greenwich. This was a threshold for things to come February 2006, and concerns new areas of self-dedication and an awakening by the "conscious mind to the intuitive Soul realms." The keynote is "the capacity inherent in every individual to seek at whatever cost entrance to a transcendent realm of reality." We began to be "guided into the sanctuary." This period, along with July 2005, should be seen as a test of being pure in heart, mentally aware, emotionally mature and able, and "spiritually self-mobilized." We are all on the threshold of walking on into some new realm of existence. However, this may also awaken some inner fears, which of course are very good things to get rid of. Please refer to this article on how to deal with any fears that may emerge in this period lasting through December 2006, with echoes well beyond that point in time.

The primary aspects concerning these outer invisible influences, "forces beyond our control," are frequent during July-August. We have Venus square Pluto the second week of August followed by the extreme hot zone in mid-Sept involving a Sun-Mercury square Pluto with Venus semisquare and Mars quincunx. The Mars effect creates a Yod configuration with Jupiter, which I'll cover in future articles. This post explains a little of the Yod, or "Finger of God," effect regarding recent Saturn-Pluto Yods and Jupiter-Uranus Yods, both powerful influences. Pluto's multiple Yods from Saturn, and the coming Mars-Jupiter Yod, bring tremendous multiple sacrifices leading to spiritual expansions that offer a powerful focus for us all. I'll comment more in future articles on this and other configurations to come that will affect everyone on Earth.

Other powerful aspects to the outer planets include the oppositions to Neptune I've already addressed, heralding the Sun opposition Neptune in early August. This energetic pattern will show itself forcefully at the Mercury-Mars-Neptune T-square August 24-29, throwing energy into mid-Scorpio. The lessons of this time will prepare us for the long-term T-squares and Grand Fixed Crosses prevailing from September 2005 through mid-February 2006. The Mars in Taurus square Neptune will prove out how well we learned the lessons of May involving clarifying our perception of how to apply spiritual principles in practical ways. The Venus-Neptune quincunx in early August is briefly a Yod when the Moon is in Cancer, and the Mercury retrograde opposition Neptune will help us see things from a new angle of perspective.

Uranus hot zones involve Mercury and Venus quincunxes in early July, a semisquare from Mars with a Solar sesquisquare the third week of July, a Venus opposition and Sun quincunx at the end of July (with Mars square Saturn!), a Yod with Mercury and Mars the second week of August, Mercury and Venus quincunx in the second half of August, and the Solar opposition at the end of August. Add to these the Venus conjunction Jupiter both quincunx Mars in Taurus, and it'll be a hot time in the old town tonight! All these are powerful configurations that will force multiple "expansions through sacrifice" in the chart areas affected. And of course, I'll discuss these in the future as they come closer.

© Copyright 2006 Robert Wilkinson. Last update: 8/27/2006; 10:53:34 AM.