This months Astrology
At the very least, August and the next three months, are going to be very intense, even by 2020 standards! The chart for the month has multiple Grand Crosses, probably the most challenging of astrological configurations, but ones that are also interweaving with some particularly good aspects simultaneously.
So the challenge for all of us is going to be about how we navigate a period of intensely frustrated transformative power coupled with deep internal processes of psychic emotional purification, while identifying its more hidden gifts and opportunities and, energising those archetypes that can assist this collective rite of passage.
Before we get stuck into the Grand Cross, we’ll take a look at some of the usual monthly positions of the inner planets.
Leo Sun squaring Uranus in Taurus, trining Chiron in Aries and Hekate in Sagittarius
As we saw in the introduction, there is both a great deal of fire in this month’s chart and yet significantly compromised fire energy. So, it is good that the Sun is in Leo who is normally the most potent and stable of the fire signs, asked to use that fire sign passion and courage to keep moving in the face of significant obstacles. And to shine a light on the difference between healthy and unhealthy expressions of the fiery independent and forthright parts of self.
In squaring Uranus, upsetting the normal stabilising influence of Leo, we’ll get challenged by quite radical and unexpected change, creating chaos that colours the month. Within that instability though are also the opportunities for breaking up old patterns of rigidity, for challenging conservative mindsets and firing up the drive for innovative and liberating change. Part of the shadow of Uranus though, is getting sucked into psychologically adolescent forms of rebelliousness, which can get a lot of attention but be basically ineffective in making sustainable long-term change.
In trining the Wounded Healer and the ultimate Medicine Woman, (and therefore forming a grand trine, one of the best, flowing astrological arrangements) the Sun calls upon us to intensify our healing and spiritual practices, particularly those that engage physical and emotional expression. So, while traditional meditation is always recommended, it would be great to balance out with emotional and creative expression work, like any of the conscious dance processes as well is deeper cathartic release practices. Tweaking the pressure valves regularly is an absolute necessary at this time!
Moon in Capricorn conjunct South Node in Sagittarius, squaring Persephone/Chiron conjunction in Aries
Having Moon on the South Node means we’re not just dealing with the emotional influences of our early lives but with a much more ancient influences arising from the unconscious, whether we consider them to be of past life, transgenerational or cultural origins. This South Node position talks about positive and negative energy lines to do with the use and misuse of power and knowledge into its different forms. Don’t be surprised then, if you are having significant dreams, meditation visions or spontaneous psychic openings that have an additional intensity and reality about them.
Moon squaring both Persephone and Chiron talks about the upwelling of wounds around unhealed losses, early sexual violations and unreleased grief and trauma. Both archetypes are also initiators into greater healing power and psychological astuteness and will use such wounds as portals for profound awakenings.
Venus conjunct Medusa, Eros, North Node in Gemini
Venus opposite Lilith in Sagittarius
Venus sextile Mars conjunct Black Moon
Venus trining the Juno, Kali, Parvati conjunction in Libra
Phew! … Obviously, this is going to be a very significant month in terms of relationships and sexuality, and not just this immediate period of time. The kinds of challenges and possibilities around these multiple aspects will impact our relationship dynamics and experiences well into the future, thanks to the presence of the North Node in this mix.
Conjuncting Medusa and Eros, who are almost polar opposites, is quite a juggle in itself particularly if we believe all the stories, mostly negative, that our culture tells us about Medusa. Certainly, the depth of this primal goddess appears a long way from the relatively lightweight realms of this winged god of love (who just so happens to be the son of the Venus and her partner Mars) but any conjunction offers an opportunity to unite their energies, in this case mediated by the goddess of love.
And they have a lot to offer each other; Medusa draws Eros down to earth and into deeper relationship with the feminine, much like an authentic priestess who initiates the immature masculine into the mysteries of the feminine. In return, Eros can help the intense Medusa to lighten up and draw her into the light of the Sun.
Where they do meet, is that both are aspects of our sexuality, the primal and the playful, tantric and spirit lifting. And both have their own unique sense of humour, even Medusa! Eros has always been known for his mercurial, mischievous and seductive energies, while underneath her fierce mask, this goddess actually has a deeply sensual seductive humour which can surface if she is happy with you. Feminine Eros meets masculine Eros.
On another level, having Venus connected to both Medusa and Lilith, the latter by opposition, activates the potent feminist leanings of both. So, we can expect more challenges and atrocities that served to awaken the #metoo movement, and instigating the necessary conversations and actions around domestic violence and abuse.
More personally, this can highlight relationship inequality and sexual discrimination, with an emphasis on action is much as words, as both these goddesses are fierce warriors for truth and justice.
These warrior goddesses, along with Venus and those women who embody them in our culture, are constellated in a way that puts them in a position to moderate some of the more destructive potentials of the Grand Cross by offering clearer avenues for positive action while other parts of self are locked up in power struggles.
Venus sextiling her traditional consort Mars is normally considered a great aspect, but when Mars is lining up with the intensely transformative and purificatory Black Moon, and with the two being the sharpest corner of the Grand Cross, this is not necessarily an easy connection. However, as Mars is being simultaneously purified and eventually empowered by the Black Moon, all our relationships will benefit, as the better our Mars is working, the freer and happier is our goddess of love.
The Grand Cross of 2020
The four points of this Grand Cross are:
- Hygeia, Mercury, Vesta in Cancer
- Mars conjunct Black Moon in Aries
- Juno, Kali and Parvati in Libra
- Pluto, Saturn, Jupiter and Pallas Athena in Capricorn
Each of these four points either squares or opposes the other three, producing intense conflict and mutual frustration that creates a powerful and potentially dangerous pressure cooker.
You have only got to think of the existing challenges of this extraordinary time to see that this does not bode well, especially around the coronavirus, the different points of potential political/military conflict around the globe, the fractures in our political and economic systems, the environmental damage and the divisive polarisation negatively energised by various protagonists.
Mercury conjunct Hygeia and Vesta in Cancer
Here the planet of the mind is infused with the deeper emotional intelligence of Cancer, while also making the clarity of our intellect dependent and sensitised to whatever our emotional energies are doing at the time.
His conjunction to Hygeia brings this healing goddess to the fore, something which can couple healing energy with the use of words and language, while heightening the potency and effectiveness of mantras and visualisation. In the face of significant frustrations and limitations from the outside world, this encourages us to use subtler, inner work for healing, and healthy self-care. He gives us an available direction for keeping our energies moving and fluid.
Mercury conjunct Vesta allows the mind to draw from this priestess archetype who supports groundedness, focus and energy, concentration and conservation. Along with Hygeia, she supports the effective use of the power of our minds and intellects, while offering an important degree of psychic stability.
The latter influence is going to be critical because this conjunction forms one of the four corners of this very difficult Grand Cross, as we will need great clarity in our dealings with the various challenges of it.
Mars conjunct Black Moon squaring Pallas Athena, Jupiter, Pluto and Saturn in Capricorn
Mars and Black Moon together join the warrior archetype with this dark face of the Great Mother. As we know, the Black Moon seeks to transform and purify whatever she touches and the intensity of her action can stir points of ancient rage and trauma, whether from masculine or feminine sources. She will apply her blowtorch to this part of our masculine, targeting impurities around our ego drives, desires, sexuality toxic, misogynistic and abusive masculinity, and the misuse of power.
The ultimate goal though, is to hone and empower our authentic masculine drive, in greater conscious alignments with the personal and sacred feminine, its wisdom, intelligence and transformative sacred power.
However, some individuals will respond to this by both resisting this purification and reacting destructively, misusing the power potential of this conjunction for their own ego driven purposes, whether on a purely personal level and/or on a broader collective scale.
The above themes are repeated in the multiple squares to the super powerful conjunction in Capricorn, squares that will repeat themselves over these next three months, whether by the slower moving Black Moon and/or the retrograding Mars. At the moment, the two have tighter squares to the more benevolent energies of Jupiter and Pallas Athena. However, the much tougher squares to Pluto and Saturn go exact in the latter weeks of August and then get recycled through much of the remainder of the year.
These latter squares are intensely frustrating and can bring up a great deal of anger, rage and a temptation to try and push through immovable barriers. It will also reflect major power struggles between individuals and nations.
This is why it is so important, as I’ve written earlier, for each of us to work consciously on an inner level as these potentially destructive energies arise, whether using cathartic therapeutic practices, active meditations like the Osho kundalini and chakra breathe ones, and conscious dance.
But even here, watch out for approaching these practices from an egocentric place that pushes too hard because as much of these practices are dynamic and expressive, they work best when we are able to simultaneously be vulnerable and trusting the more feminine healing intelligence inherent in our bodies.
With the Black Moon and Kali prominent in the mix, meditations that connect us with the deep sacred feminine will help enormously, including the purificatory Golden Kali meditation.
Parvati conjunct Kali and Juno in Libra
Here is the traditional Greco-Roman goddess of marriage and committed relationship, joining forces with the Indian goddess of the sacred marriage and a wife of Shiva, the highest expression of the sacred masculine in that culture. While Juno is a powerful Queen and consort of Jupiter/Zeus, Parvati is a Yogini queen and, in many ways, a higher octave of Juno. The meeting is also a joining of more temporal power with heightened personal and spiritual evolution. Both are tantric goddesses, both demand high quality relationship based on equality and mutual respect. These qualities are further energised by the presence of Kali who adds her fierce, no bullshit approach to life and relationships.
As the fourth corner of the grand cross, the tantric power of these goddesses and their drive for powerful relationship evolution presents a major challenge to the individualistic and egocentric Mars in Aries. This is an intensification of that age old conflict between Aries and Libra, between individual freedoms versus deeply committed relationship.
They are also pushing up against the patriarchal leanings of the Capricorn conjunction to demand the inclusion of the sacred feminine in the re-creation processes that will come after this period of intense deconstruction.
And while they have natural resonances with the Cancerian point of the grand cross, they will draw the deeper potency of the sign out, as its tendency is to hide behind its shell and resist deep emotional change.
Jupiter in the Capricorn Conjunction
Despite all the challenges of the above, having Jupiter in the mix is a point of obvious grace, because his benevolent energies touch every point, planet and asteroid in the Grand Cross, while all the heavy duty players, Saturn, Pluto, Black Moon have their own forms of grace if you can dig deeply enough, Jupiter does modify the harder edges of each, while providing greater fluidity, flexibility and trust.
Whatever happens here, he ensures that great learning comes of it, which will have great consequences for our personal and collective future. As we journey this period, it’s good to remind ourselves that grace is always present, and to keep an eye out for its expression.
Take care,
With great love and blessings,
Daniel