Current Transits for December 1998 Current Transits for December 1998Here's some of the important astrological news this month ...
Full Moon at 11Gm51, 12-3
Mercury Direct Station at 1Sa18, 12-11
Saturn quincunx Chiron, 12-12
Chiron enters new Retrograde Zone, 12-17
New Moon at 26Sa48, 12-18
Vesta Retrograde Station at 22Le26, 12-20
Saturn Direct Station, 12-29
Happy Holidays! After the doldrums of November, even the moderate activity of this month will seem like an upsurge of energy. In actuality, the influences coming in may be somewhat new, but they are hitting us in a gentle, easy-going manner that makes it easier to take them in. Realize that a kind of sluggishness or feeling stuck may permeate the month (especially with Saturn standing still after Christmas). When you run into one of these blockages, look for the way around them instead of trying to barrel on through. The deeper insights that allow this kind of end-run around your problem areas are all about us, if you make an effort to break out of well-worn mental ruts. The new moon on the 18th is a particularly powerful time for tuning into a new point of view. Enjoy the low-key energies as we prepare for the holy days.
The sluggishness that seems to be hanging on this month is because of 3 planets hitting their stationary points. In addition, there's one "big aspect" in December and one honking new moon on the Galactic Center on the 18th. Chiron's entrance into its next retrograde zone (across the Scorpio-Sagittarius border) is also worth noting, as it represents a prolonged shift in energies.
The focus of this full moon chart is on mental transformation. Since this is the first new or full moon since Neptune went into Aquarius (on Nov. 27), we're looking at starting to consolidate a new vision of our world. Obviously, the first place to start is examining the ideas and concepts that we brought with us, many of which no longer apply to the current circumstances. There's no need to hang onto outmoded ideas for old time's sake, especially in the areas of your life that don't seem to be working very well. Start looking around for fresh points of view, wherever you may find them. This is not just your garden variety picking up a new fact or opinion here and there. Some of the changes are fairly deep and radical reevaluations of who we are, how we interact with others, what our "business" is in this world -- some of them could easily be called "spiritual awakenings". Follow your intuitions; let others guide you. We're still stuck in the cultural myth that says only the physical, material world really "matters" (pardon the pun), that things are important in proportion to the pricetag they carry, that power and clout and "being right" are the main goals. Meanwhile, that culture is itself changing. The next 14 years or so are an extended initiation, as we learn that many things previously overlooked are indeed valuable, regardless of their economic value. Spirit becomes the yardstick, not the dollar. However, we need to start small, near to home. The first step is realizing you can always change your mind.
Mercury is the first planet to stand still, on the 11th at 1Sa18, about to resume normal forward motion. As always, when Mercury is in reverse gear, the thinking and symbol using part of the mind is out to lunch. It makes it hard to think straight or communicate clearly with others. Most of the problem is that normal mental habits for dealing with the world tend to break down during stressful times, revealing weaknesses in our coping behaviors that don't surface when things are easy. This Mercury retrograde cycle seems unusually linked in with the powerful, unconscious planets (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto), so it seems much of our mush-brained problems are symptoms of deeper drives coming to the surface for our attention. In fact, Mercury is conjunct Pluto most of the month (and closely sextile Neptune at its station), so our normal mental framework may need some serious overhauling. Use this period to explore new ideas and ways of looking at the world. Entertain whacky, far-out concepts that you'd usually dismiss -- some of them may be saner than the "common sense" you're used to. There's a powerful visionary perspective emerging in sensitive people that will enable us to more fully understand who we truly are. See how your ideas can expand.
Saturn and Chiron are quincunx on the 12th, the 3rd act of an extended 3-1/2 year, 8 act contact. Chiron is the healer and the initiator of the planets. His role is to show us the most hurt and ignored parts of us are really our greatest strengths. He opens us up to possibilities in this world that we never even imagined, but only if we are ready to do the growing and healing that are required. Saturn rules the physical body (especially the structural parts of bone, teeth and skin), so some of the releasing that we need to do is on a purely physical level. Whether some bodily impediment or old injury that never healed right, or simply the tension stored in the muscles from too many emotions left unexpressed, we all have physical limitations that curtail the level of psycho-spiritual attainment we can achieve and sustain. It's a shame that in the midst of all the spiritual overhaul going on, the body should be the limiting factor. But one of the lessons of being a spiritual being in a physical body is the recognition that the body is also important. Unless the body is enlightened (a "light" body, full of health, vitality and grace), the spirit's realization is restricted. Personally, I've been through some major physical changes lately (right down to the bones), a painful process of letting go. Work with the body and its wisdom; don't assume you can ignore it or beat it into submission. Other Saturn issues, particularly one's attitudes towards responsibility, can be up for release as well. Do the necessary work to break through these blockages. Get the proper help to aid you, since some of these deep wounds may require another's talents to overcome. Some kind of physical bodywork to relax the stored up bodily tension is very much in order. Use this time (until Apr. 11, 2001) to get all the restrictions behind you.
(Interesting tidbit: the 4th Saturn-Chiron contact, on 99-4-2, includes Neptune and the final Saturn-Neptune square on Apr. 6. That's a pretty major combination!)
Chiron enters its next retrograde zone , from 3Sa53 back to 27Sc35, on the 17th. Normally, I wouldn't be concerned much with the entrance of a planet into its zone. But like Neptune and Saturn during 1998, this zone straddles the border between two signs, indicating a major shift in the way Chiron's influence is being expressed that will take 10 months to come about. The shift starts on Jan. 7th, when Chiron slips from Scorpio into Sagittarius. The Scorpio placement seemed to be prodding us to get used to constant transformation. Chiron in Sag is a whole different story. I suspect it's effect will be in several areas. For starters, constant transformation will simply be a given for us -- the trick is to do it in a public arena. We become agents of change in the world at large by allowing change to happen within ourselves. At the same time, a tolerance of diversity becomes necessary, since each person's spiritual path is completely individual. Learning to tolerate a wide spectrum of belief and practice becomes vital. However, as with Pluto in Sag, I expect things to get worse before they get better. This may initially be a heyday for fundamentalists of all stripes (even the New Age variety) who still hold onto "one true beliefs" that admit no contrary views. Eventually, this will lead to an enlightening change on their part or an increase in the fighting and discord (or both), especially towards the end of 1999, when Chiron and Pluto are conjunct. How high minded can you be? How true to your beliefs? How much can you transcend any beliefs? We've got a few years to find this out...
The most impressive thing about the new moon is that it's right on the Galactic Center, the huge black hole pattern that lies at the heart of our own galaxy. Acting like a super-Sun in our charts, it resonates to some very deep soul energies in our psyches. The new moon point joins in with Saturn and Vesta to form a beautiful fire-sign Grand Trine (a huge triangle in the sky). Fire means spirit, and Saturn and Vesta are both planets that tend to withdraw inward. People are apt to be drawn into parts of their being quite at variance from their normal, everyday lives and they may need to "space out" awhile in order to come to terms with it. They need to reach out from a smaller mundane life into something much bigger (e.g. -- the first airplane flight at Kitty Hawk was the day after a new moon conjunct the GC) and that takes some rearranging of the mental furniture. Give yourself the space to "check out of this world" and "go galactic" for a time, whatever that means for you. The 10 degree grouping of planets shows all the personal planets tuning into Uranus and Pluto, which open even more doors of awareness for us and forces us to look. This has the potential to be an extremely transformative time for some people, although you probably need to do your preparation work beforehand to get much from the experience. Watch for those funny "coincidences" and synchronicities that point you in new directions. Continue to explore paths that have been coming up the last 3 years or so. Take what you can learn the next few days, change your life accordingly -- and don't look back...
Vesta is standing still on the 20th, at 22Le26, preparing for a long reverse journey through Leo. An asteroid normally passes through a zodiac sign in about 3 months, but due to this retrograde cycle , Vesta hangs out in Leo for over 9 months (from Sep. 16 to next June 23)! Vesta is about going within, getting in touch with your psychic roots, discovering the true power that lives within and creates your life. We usually think of Leo as an outgoing, showy sign (the word "egotistical" is often used), but there's a more subtle, sensitive side to the lion as well. A Leo's power and creativity comes from their own personality, from the warmth of their often vulnerable heart. It takes an act of will to project that tender inner heat into the outer world, without it being perverted or derailed along the way. Vesta's light is shining quietly on this heart, saying to the soul "Go within! Go within..." The magic of Leo is not in how much he impresses everyone else, but in how much his actions and behavior reveal that warm heart, expressing the soul that lives there. This is not a flashy placement, by any means, but it can be a time when a person withdraws from the world to discover themselves. You can't reveal yourself to the world until you know -- very intimately -- who you really are inside. Drop the glamour and the pretenses -- faddish forms of behavior will only draw you further from your goal. Follow the truth within you wherever it leads you. Vesta goes direct again on 99-3-23, at 7Le05.
The last station this month is when Saturn stands still on the 29th, at 26Ar46, soon to resume direct motion. Saturn stations are some of the least pleasant of astrological events, although the long-term results may be to your liking. Saturn is about taking responsibility for your actions, of putting your strength and resources at the disposal of your higher will. Everyone wants the good things in life, but few really want to put out the effort to create such a life. The physical plane is a realm limited by the law of cause and effect -- as long as you live in a human body, you've got to respect the laws the world lays down. We all try to take short-cuts, doing less than the required effort, but the world "rewards" the lazy with results that fall short of the original dream. When Saturn is backing up (as it's been since Aug. 15), all this karmic exactitude is doubled. If you've been involved in building some dream project the last few months, you may have noticed how problems keep popping up. It's no universal perversity at work here, just some feedback of where your plans and actions are the weakest. At the direct station, Saturn's message is probably the loudest, a stern "Fix it!" as you sift through the pieces of your project. It's time to stop slacking off, not because you're "supposed to" or because someone ordered you to, but simply because you desire your dream strong enough to do what needs to be done. Saturn has a lousy reputation (I jokingly call him the "Head Master at the School of Hard Knocks"), but he's actually a valued teacher. His lesson is disciplined and responsible action; his reward is success in fulfilling your dreams. It's a simple enough deal. Of course, Saturn is intimately tied up with Neptune this past year and the coming spring (they are square all year), so our dreams are big, opening us up to powerful spiritual dimensions. It's time to bring that spiritual element into everyday living.