Grounded and Good to Go ~ 13 February 2009


Starting tomorrow Mercury enters Aquarius and creates a convergence of objects in that sign sector of the sky that includes the Sun, Neptune, Chiron, Nessus, North Lunar Node, Jupiter, Mars and the quicksilver planet. Mercifully on the 18th the Sun dips into Pisces, allowing some relief from the “out there” vibe of Aquarius, which can be a bit hard to integrate for travelers on Earth struggling with matters mundane. The rest of the pattern remains intact in the water bearer until Mercury dips into on Pisces on March 8th and a week later, Mars follows suit just in time for the Ides of March and Saint Patrick’s Day festivities.


Next Wednesday as the Sun enters Pisces, Mars commences entertaining “barometric” black holes in Aquarius, soon to be followed by Jupiter. Despite his retrogradation later in the year, the accelerating Jupiter does not return to these degrees as he hurries toward his closest rendezvous with the Sun. Typical of Jupiter, he encourages the psyche to play with the black hole consciousness, and in the short term he makes only one offer. The barometric nature of these black holes foreshadows innovative developments and breakthroughs in consciousness, which become the thing, the fad and the rage of six to nine months from now. The challenge remains: Can you filter distractions from critical life demands and maintain crisp intentional focus long enough to capture insights and inspirations and make them work? And make them work in a time when the Saturn to Uranus opposition exchanges in heated debates over the merit of tried and true ways versus installing change and going on the limb. Forward progress seemingly is not aided by the logic obsession of Saturn’s position in Virgo; but actually it is. Saturn responds to things that make sense, improve methods and protocols, reduce waste, save time and eliminate stress. No matter how far out there, work the line of logic even if twisted around several curvatures in space until your ideas fit right in with the needs of a world hungry for improvement.


To some degree it feels that the Aquarian energies dang near foreshadow the influence of the next solar maximum due in 2011 (and not 2012, though it may linger in effect into 2012). During solar maximum, the Sun acts up. Coronal Mass Ejections (CME’s) increase in frequency and blast the solar system with waves of high frequency energy. Sensitive humans respond when the Sun erupts and when the energy strikes the Earth, if the energy in fact hits the Earth. Those less tuned in still get their turn. When the solar blast hits the Earth the result resembles that of the highly ionized seasonal winds such as the Chinooks, Santa Anas and Monsoons. A condition of “meta-stability” results in which mind and body struggle to synchronize. When the body is tired, the mind wants to play. When the brain can hardly make even the slightest synaptic leap, the body needs to pump iron, throw stones or vigorously engage in a Wii contest. Here in Tucson, suddenly the work out like a boxer at a boxer training gym has become the rage, so indicates the commercials inserted in local late night news. The Aquarian energies of the time feel exactly like this. The antidote: get back in the body and feel everything you can. Restore balance of body and mind so the spirit can settle back into the body. To add a “by the way” to the energetic excitement in the air, recently one of those entirely unpredictable Soft Gamma Ray Repeaters previously transmitted a powerful blast of energy, which we recently received (January 22nd).


In last week’s Galactic Times I mentioned getting down and getting with nature. The suggestion increases in intensity of recommendation with the Aquarian acquisition of seemingly more planets and things that can be humanly managed, let alone managed by humanity. Back in my early days of astrological study, I remember many astrologers clearly distinguishing between the high side of Aquarius and low side of Aquarius as indicated by the high road wavy part and the low road wavy part. As much as there is the altruistic side, there is a self-aggrandizing, able to justify anything side to the sign.


Last Sunday night I watched Katie Couric’s interview with Captain Chesley Sullenberger. Captain “Sully” is the U. S. Airways pilot, an Aquarian, who made a snap decision to ditch his Airbus in the Hudson River and as a result, saved the lives of everyone on board on the day that Jupiter directly contacted his natal Sun. His responses to the rather inane questions were amazing. When asked if he prayed, he replied there were likely enough people in the back of the plane praying. He needed to focus, use his training and land the plane. He was busy. When asked if his adrenalin kicked in, he replied most certainly it did and his challenge was to focus it so he could stay on task. He also modestly replied that while he doesn’t fancy himself as a hero as the world does, he certainly does not want to rob others of their perception his hero-dom especially when people hunger for positive and inspiring news. If you can find it online, it is worth watching. I kept marveling how he was such a high road manifestation of the insights of Aquarius and his demeanor. And one final odd notation here, America West, the airline that took over U. S. Airways, but kept the visibility of that brand used to have a paint job on the fuselage that included what appeared to be a water mark logo for the sign of Aquarius.


Then I thought of Sarah Palin, also an Aquarian, who for some quirky reason, despises polar bears and likes to shoot wolves from helicopters and who takes the need to keep the planet populated her personal responsibility. And to flip back to the high side once again, there’s Lincoln, Darwin, Edison and more.


Truly, though this alignment does not technically mark the commencement of the Age of Aquarius, certainly the high side of all the best images of the spirit of Aquarius need immediate installation into our consciousness and daily routines. I think Barack Obama nailed it last night in his speech commemorating the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth (and also Darwin). President Obama quoted Lincoln as having said that we must “add the fuel of interest to the fire of genius in the discovery of new and useful things” And that the banding together that government is to “do for the people what they cannot do for themselves,” a tidy application of Aquarian thinking. The byproducts of such Aquarian ideals naturally breed self reliance, liberty and the freedom and space to cultivate individuality.


So says the Aquarian amalgamation, get your big picture glasses on - or the 3-d glasses left over from Super Bowl promos or needed to watch the latest TV show or movie - and stay in your body. Anchor, center, conjure, create and innovate. Plunk your brain weary carcass on the ground and permit the fertile energy of the Earth, rich in solar and galactic emanation, to infiltrate every cell of your psyche. If you don’t feel that, maybe its time to reboot the circuitry of robot central. Robots!? How utterly unoriginal and devoid of individuality and humanity. Hmmph!