The next major astrological milestone after the Uranus-Neptune conjunctions was the sextile of Uranus and Pluto. This was a series of 5 separate contacts that was repeated during the '95 to '97 time period. With Uranus ruling the principle of radical change, especially in the basic paradigms we use to interpret the world, and Pluto overseeing deep psychological growth and individual unfolding, it's not too surprising this sextile was an important whack up the side of our heads. Further, this sextile is part of a larger 125 year cycle that began in 1966, another period of tumultuous change, hinting that current changes are part of a bigger process that kicked off in the Sixties. Note also that Uranus and Pluto were both in the process of changing zodiac signs during this period (into Aquarius and Sagittarius, resp.), increasing the overall transformational power of this contact. The overall theme of these contacts seems to be about making our awareness of being spirits in a human body part of everyday reality, whether we were ready for it or not, thus laying the foundations for an unfolding revolution of the spirit.
Not too surprisingly, the first sextile of this series supplies a direct kick to the third eye, a sign from Uranus that new levels of awareness are opening up. Accompanied by 2 eclipses that month, and reflected on earth by the Oklahoma City bombings on the 19th, this contact heralded a profound overhaul of the mass psyche. Since the conjunctions sensitized us to deeper levels of reality and perception, this first sextile is a bit of a wake-up call to start paying attention to the inner self. This remedy allows us to be more aware of these new possibilities and start making room for them.
Of the 5 sextiles, this is the only one that happened with Pluto in Scorpio and Uranus in Capricorn, indicating a need to let go of old patterns before the new patterns can take root. This remedy heads straight for the heart and solar plexus, stirring up and releasing old hurts and sorrows from deep inside us that are impeding our progress. The major news story that week was the death of Jerry Garcia two days later, of a heart attack (!). It's as though people who have been carrying this Sixties energy for all of us have tired of the effort. In esoteric thought, the vessel must be broken before the energy is released into the world. This weariness of the long struggle needs to be acknowledged and released before we can be "reassigned for new duties" on the path. Feel the intense emotional pain within you, give thanks for the lessons suffering has taught you, but allow yourself to move on.
After releasing all that emotional pain, there's much more room for new approaches. The third contact was much lighter and playful, a transition into a more carefree way of approaching the spiritual path. The old, intense method of releasing pain and karma through a cathartic experience of "letting go" is replaced by a recognition that these are only energy patterns within us and can be released by simply dissipating the energy pattern. It's time to let go of this "letting go" soap opera approach. This remedy affects the heart primarily, but it warms up and supports us here, filling us with joy, instead of just stirring up old issues. It keeps us from falling victim to the fear that everything might fall apart on us. During the capture of this sextile, there were many chakra/kundalini overtones to the experience, including the clearing out and opening up of numerous "power points" within the collective aura of our psychic furnace. Saturn, the planet of structure and form, is now interacting with Uranus and Pluto, hinting of the need to integrate this "vague spiritual stuff" at a very concrete, physical level, including the physical body. When the intense spiritual energies threaten to burn-out the nervous system, the Saturn in this remedy helps us slow down and come to terms with this power is a gentle, playful fashion.
This 4th remedy is less specific than the others, homing in on many of the upper chakra centers. It seems to revolve around developing more acceptance to the process of change. Instead of straining or trying to change (an ego-centered approach), we need to recognize that transformation is a natural process that you only need to accept and cooperate with. As the internal world changes, however, the external circumstances of our lives need to be adjusted (especially work and relationships). We need to let go of external structures that don't reflect this creative process of transformation, particularly if the attachment is based on fears or insecurities. There's a need to release the feeling of "beaten-down-ness" that goes deep into the nervous system level of the body, often residing in the heart and chest area. The remedy helps you be more dispassionate about these changes, going with the flow instead of shifting in fits and starts as the emotions hold you back.
This two year process culminated in an incredibly strong planetary pattern that released more energy in 2 months (Jan. and Feb. '97) than most entire years will provide. I called this time the "Grand Finale", since it resembled the last 2 minutes of a fireworks display. For many people, this was one of the weirdest, fastest-moving time periods that had little resemblance to the "normal reality" we're used to. They were reduced to pulling themselves through life one day at a time, as any remaining resistances to change were relentlessly removed. After a time, the energy of undergoing of one shift after another gives way to continuous, flowing change. During the capture of this energy, we both felt a strong sense of emptiness, of simply being a conduit of the energies of change instead of having to force the changes. By following your path, even when seemingly contradictory forces are at work that defy your understanding, a sense of joy and abundance naturally follows. I also had the impression that some "stuck chakras" were being opened or cleared, including some above the head that aren't presently recognized. There were deep, powerful earth energies present, as our individual transformational processes linked up with the larger shifts of Mother Earth as a whole. This remedy helps complete the process of the spirit's unfolding, just as a catepillar needs to become a butterfly.
This is another blended mixture of all 5 of the sextiles, combining all these energies into one remedy. It doesn't focus so much on any of the individual steps of the change process as on the entire cycle of change as a whole. The effects of this remedy are difficult to pin down, as it opens numerous higher centers within us and ushers us through a long series of shifts. In effect, it opens the doors of the unconscious, making us aware of profound soul influences at work in life. As a general remedy for dealing with deep changes, this HCW is quite remarkable. I recommend this one highly as a means of resolving the unfinished business of this long sextile. In fact, it has become one of our more popular remedies.
The entrance of Neptune into Aquarius on 98-1-28 marked a radical, wrenching shift from the previous 14 years of Neptune in Capricorn. That old influence was overly concerned with the material world and taking care of business, while the new one is focusing more on the mental/spiritual plane. For many people, the old energy felt very stifling and deadening, which is probably why this passage into Aquarius felt so liberating and alive. However, this spiritual awakening came upon us extremely rapidly, creating enormous stress and burn-out for people who had already exhausted their reserves. This remedy wakes up the entire chakra system very quickly, although it seems to concentrate it's effects on the third eye (penetrating insight into subtle realms) and the heart. It has a very enlivening, optimistic impact, as though making the world much lighter by releasing us from that deadening influence and allowing us to be more authentically ourselves. It's very common for people to start smiling whenever they take this remedy. It promotes a shift in consciousness towards being in these higher chakras/mind-sets more often. Incidentally, I was "told" while we captured this essence that a lot of information about "working with energies" was being downloaded into the crystal (for about 5 minutes straight!) and would be released through the remedy when taken. My sense is that all the outer planets (from Saturn on) are active in this remedy, a sign that the collective unconscious is extremely active. This activity usually turns our lives upside down; the HCW makes it easier to work at this level.