Mars cnj Pluto in Saggitarius > 2/5
Saturn Retrograde in Sagg > 9/9
Full Moon Libra 30/4
Sun in Aries > 15/5
In today’s blog I want to focus a little on the last (known) planet in our solar system – Pluto! Today is also full moon in Libra, opposing an exalted Sun in Aries, while Jupiter and Saturn are currently retrograde.
The full moon in Libra will occur in the nakshatra Swati. The shakti, or power of this star is to scatter negativity, like the wind scatters dust away. It is associated with harmony, diplomacy and individuality. The deity associated with this star is Vayu, lord of the winds. Vayu symbolically reminds us to breathe deep and create conscious connection between our psychological states and the flow of our breath or Prana – the most intimate connection we have with life. Libra full moon is met with an exalted sun in Aries, illuminating our minds, giving courage to be independent and to firmly dream up plans and goals for the next 6, 12, 24 + months. However don’t be in too much of a hurry to put those plans in action unless you are very sure , the retrograding of Jupiter and Saturn may create some unexpected delays.
Pluto deals with death, rebirth and renewal, destruction and regeneration in the most fundamental ways. The planet was ‘discovered’ in 1930, coinciding with the creation of the atomic bomb and the advent of modern nuclear energy. Robert Oppenheimer who is credited to be one of of the ‘fathers of atomic energy’ was very familiar with the vedas, as indicated by his response below, in the interview about the Trinity explosion, first broadcast as part of the television documentary The Decision to Drop the Bomb.
“We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita; Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and, to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form and says, “Now I have become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” I suppose we all thought that, one way or another.”
There is nothing light about pluto’s impact whether in the natal chart or through transits. It’s influence penetrates to the depths of one’s being. No stone is left unturned – radical changes and transformations within one’s core are experienced. Intense, fated situations occur in the outer world to radically alter your state of mind and consciousness. The more destabilising it feels, the greater the need for inner change. The intensity of pluto (or any planet) will be felt acutely especially if it is making a hard aspect to a personal planet in your chart. Currently, Mars is conjoined to Pluto, making the stress more profound, as pluto is sometimes said to act like a higher octave of mars. The tension, stress and unsettled feelings are felt primarily on a psycho-emotional level. Pluto exposes us to the dark heart of reality, inviting you to dive deep – Explore the underworld, be Persephone, surrender to the dissolutions. Discover and explore what is on the other side.
“All great changes are preceded by chaos”
Although the outer planets are traditionally not considered in the general vedic use of astrology, they were known about and recorded on ancient palm leaves in the deep south of India (known as Nadi Astrology) over 2000+ years ago. It was said that the outer planets would gain significance in this era that we are currently in. The three outer planets, uranus, neptune and pluto are named, respectively as : Prajapati, Varuna & Yama.
Their elaboration is beyond the scope of this blog, so if you are interested to know further please see this illuminating article by Dennis Harness : http://dennisharness.com/plutoneovedic.html
The deity Yama, who is assigned to pluto is known as the ‘god of death’, although it need not be taken so literally. Yama is the half brother of Shani (Saturn), In hindu mythology. Yama is the first point on the path of yoga, representing restraint and discipline, two fundamental pre-requisites which need to be developed if we wish to achieve anything substantial and long lasting in life. When our senses are under control, it becomes much easier to manage, harmonize and balance our energies; great things are possible.
Pluto has been travelling through Sagittarius since early 2005.
Sagittarius is a mutable (changeable, erratic, unpredictable) fire sign, ruled by the expansive and wisdom bestowing planet Jupiter represented by the symbol of half man/half horse; the centaur with a stretched bow and arrow pointing to the sky. Sagittarius is an idealist but it does not make the life smooth sailing. The path is about surrendering the lower self to the higher self. These people are freedom fighters, explorers, philosophers and teachers, but can at times, miss the details , including other people’s boundaries and feelings, when striving for their idealistic visions, dreams and aspirations.
The Sagittarian aim is for dharma, higher wisdom and right living. If one has not been living according to one’s dharma (life path in harmony with nature), then this mars/pluto conjunction will feel more acute, shaking and rattling your material attachments. Its time to take heed of your inner knowing. Have faith, trust in your process even if you can’t see the steps ahead. Often we cannot see past our blindspots and so we need trusted guides and teachers who can illuminate our shadows, point us in a more harmonious way. With the loss of our spiritual midwives in the form of the old people, the medicine men, women & the wisdom keepers, when our soul is going through a process of gestation and birthing itself it can feel very scary indeed. There are always guides and signs around you, so try a new approach. A true guru/teacher never tells you what to do, but will only show you, free from religious dogma or personal agendas. They point your to your inner Self. You are free to take it or leave it.
When intention is married with right action, sag people can be excellent at breaking new ground and expanding themselves through limited possibilities. This is especially the case at the moment as Saturn, planet of duty, discipline and hard work is also travelling through this sign for the next couple of years, so it’s a time when we can bring structure to, and ground the grand visions and ideals. Sagittarius is a lover of knowledge, which, when applied correctly brings true freedom in the form of wisdom thru lived experience.
I would like to share an excerpt from the book “Crazy Wisdom” – a collection of discourses between tibetan buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa and his students. I feel it summarises the spirit of the Sagittarian vibration to continually explore and push new horizons.
“When people talk about enlightenment, they usually have the idea of someone old and wise. An enlightened person, they think, is one who has been aged by experience and has thus become wise: in fact, learned. He has collected hundreds of millions of pieces of information. This makes him old and wise, trustworthy and good – enlightened. But from the point of view of crazy wisdom, enlightenment is entirely different from this. It doesn’t particularly have anything to do with being old and wise, It is more like being young and wise, because it has tremendous openness toward exploring the experiences that go on in our lives – toward exploring them psychologically, on the relationship level, on the domestic level, on the practical level, on the philosophical level, and so forth.
There is also a quality of fearlessness in enlightenment, not regarding the world as an enemy, not feeling the world is going to attack us if we do not take care of ourselves. Instead, there is a tremendous delight in exploring the razors edge, like a child who happens to pick up a razors blade with honey on it. It stars to lick it, it encounters the sweet taste and blood dripping off its tongue at the same time. Simultaneous pain and pleasure are worth exploring from the point of view of sanity of crazy wisdom. This natural inquisitiveness is the epitome of non-caring, but at the same time caring so very much – being eager to learn and eager to explore.”
Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, which is currently retrograding through Libra.
This time is about working toward harmony, peace, and equilibrium. Since Jupiter is channeling Pluto & Saturn’s energy until later this year, profound and transformational relationships are likely. Allow yourself to explore these connections, as in exploring others, is exploring yourself. To have something you have never had, you have to do something you’ve never done. Dare to go where you haven’t before, try a new approach, push your boundaries and limitations and judgements.
“Libra represents dynamic poise and balance – being halfway through the zodiac. The balance between spirit and matter, symbolised by the Nataraja, the cosmic dance of dynamic balance.” – Bepin Behari
Jupiter will bring its wisdom and benevolence to all of our relationships and we are seeing this occur right now with the surprising yet promising bipartisanship between the leaders of North and South Korea, along with the intention to denuclearise the Korean penninsula.
This is a huge step forward to global harmony and unity. Jupiter retrograde invites us stop and think, that maybe some of your problems in life, esp those in close relationships, are your own creation. Now is a good time to ask yourself how to make necessary changes. Retrograde energy often makes us want to withdraw and be more introspective.
Saturn has recently gone retrograde in sag until september this year. Systems and structures that have been built in your life are being shaken up – assumptions and beliefs that have been taken for granted are going to be thrown into question. This is a time where you may be forced to think in brand new ways.
Saturn’s placement in a chart indicates the nature of the karmic ‘debt’ we have to ‘pay’. Our experiences in this life are as a cumulative result of our free will actions performed in past lives – all shades and hues of experiences. Our blessings and challenges all come to us in the right time. When we work against the laws of nature (Adharma) and only follow the fleeting whims, desires and emotions of the limited personality/ego then we are bound to run into trouble. It is hard to break free from this cycle when we are so attached to the “I”, our identity. It is said that our mind is an excellent servant, but a poor leader. Saturn is not just about taking responsibility for other people in our lives – it is about taking responsibility for one’s thoughts, emotions and actions. We are free to act and think as we please, but we are not free of the consequences of those thoughts and actions. Contentment and peace of mind is a choice; a daily habit that needs regular practice to cultivate.
“The boiling water that softens a potato, hardens an egg. See, it is not the conditions, but what you are made of that counts ” – Unknown
Remember we are never punished for our actions, rather, we are punished by our actions, time is of no consequence – by extrapolating the symbolic significance of the planetary arrangement in our charts, one can gleam deep insight into the nature of karma that is being experienced in the current lifetime, and effective pathways to navigate through the matrix.
There are multiple undercurrents and overtones that form as well as permeate the energetic fabric within which we live. These cycles within cycles reflect and express the complexity of our individual process and soul’s sojourn through the earthly realm.
Om Tat Sat
Darinka Maja 