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Season of Cancer (June 21 – July 21, 2010)
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Goddess Appearing
The hottest
time of the year in the northern hemisphere coincides with a forty-day
period when Sirius – the alpha star in the constellation Canis Major
(the “greater dog”) – rises with the Sun. Hence, this time is known as
the “Dog Days” (July 4 – August 11). But throughout the ages, Sirius
(Latin for “scorcher”) has been regarded as the abode of Isis, the soul
of the divine mother. She is represented in countless historical
periods and cultures, as Sothis of the Greeks, Sopdet of the Egyptians,
the Arabian Ashshira, and Rudra (Shiva) of the Vedas.
As
the season of Sothis now begins, we prepare for the star’s emergence
just before dawn in early August. At the end of the forty days’ Solar
conjunction, she appears on the horizon at dawn before the Solar aura
becomes visible (the heliacal rising). This was viewed by the ancients
as “the herald of the Sun’s divine companion.” This will mark the
beginning of the sacred year and the rejuvenation of the temple.
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky that rises
after the constellation Orion. The forty days of her rising with the
Sun were regarded as most sacred in the ancient cultures of the Levant
– from Egypt to Babylonia, including Greece, India, and as far East as
China.
The lore associated with this event has been passed down
through the ages. The shade of the naturally blue-white star is
significant – if it appears bright and clear, the ancients foretold an
abundant harvest and a year without conflict. If it was dim or reddish,
a poor harvest would be expected with hostilities from foreign lands.
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Cosmic Events
The Sun
enters Cancer June 21st at 7:30 am, a day of strong intuitive
influences as the Moon enters perceptive Scorpio and forms a
harmonious trine aspect to the Sun. This will facilitate understanding
and insight throughout the season as long as we acknowledge our
impressions and work with, rather than against them.
Eclipse Season
The Full Moon takes place on June 26th at 7:30 am (4 Capricorn 46’),
bringing a partial Lunar eclipse that will be seen in North America
from 5:50 am to 9:30 am EDT. Observers will see the gradual shadow of
the Earth overtake the luminous face of the Moon, transforming it into
an orange-red orb in the sky.
Emotional
disruptions are common to Lunar eclipses, though serious and pedantic
Capricorn may bring skeptical disagreements rather than angry
outbursts. Avoid energy depletion by following some planning and
keeping spontaneity within reasonable bounds.
The New
Moon occurs July 11th at 10:35 pm (19 Cancer 24’), bringing a total
Solar eclipse of three minutes, 18 seconds duration (3’18”).
Astrological tradition asserts that the influences of Solar eclipses
are proportionate to their visible duration; in this case, three years
and four months (until November, 2013). This eclipse will bring
dramatic alterations in seasonable weather, since the visible eclipse
track follows a path along the South Pacific, French Polynesia, and
southern Chile and Argentina. This is the region where the El
Niño weather pattern begins, as well as the eastern edge of the
Pacific Rim earthquake faults. More disruptive phenomena in this part
of the globe can be expected within the timeline of this eclipse.
Season of Gemini (May 20 – June 20, 2010)
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Unity and Diversity
In
the Hellenic universe, Hermes traverses both mortal and divine spheres,
transmitting the messages of gods and men through time. He is at once
divine herald, guide to the underworld for mortals, keeper of books and
guardian of archives. In his season, Hermes draws faith and reason
together, as symbolized by the double-bodied kerykeion he carries
(Latin: caduceus). During intervals between day and night, he descends
to the Hermai, pillared altars placed at crossroads, to receive the
first fruits of Spring.
Because he may dwell in
both the heavens and earth, Hermes transcends the limits of time and
space, and thus becomes lord of epiphanies and revelations, those
events that rejoin the divine and human worlds. He dons the spotted
skins of leopards to show his affinity with the starry sky, and
embodies an androgynous form to show his powers to fuse light and dark,
male and female, in the material and ethereal realms.
• Hermes and Athena
Bartholomaeus Spranger (1546–1611) |
Twice Born, of Two Natures
Another deity of the Herm is Dionysus (Roman: Bacchus), born of the
mortal Semele and the celestial Zeus, who also inspires divine insight and
communication between the living and the dead. Also assuming
male-female form, he engenders sacred ecstasy through music, dance,
wine, and theater. Dionysus represents the fruit of the season that
matures through fermentation to become the wine of divine inspiration.
His Mysteries, celebrated throughout the Mediterranean world in Late
Antiquity, regarded him as the “twice born,” because he was given life
by both human and celestial powers.
Dionysus with the Herm •
Roman, CE 200 – Louvre
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Born of Hermes and
Aphrodite, the Hermaphroditos possesses both healing powers and the
ability to presage the future. Accompanied by satyrs, this deity
conveys the generative forces in Nature that do not distinguish between
good or evil, time and eternity. Hence, the appearance of the
Hermaphroditos foretells the alteration of reality as has been
accepted, a shift in the course of history and future imaginings.
Hermaphroditos •
Greek, BCE 300 – Istanbul
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Cosmic Events
The
Sun enters Gemini on May 20th at 11:34 pm, a day of contention that
begins with the Moon conjoining Mars and opposing Neptune. This
presages a month of discord and deception, calling for much objectivity
and honesty among disputants. Along with this atmosphere of distrust,
Jupiter and Saturn reprise their long-running opposition to each other
on May 23rd at 1:38 am (27º Pisces-Virgo 53’), creating another
intense flux in global markets. The situation may settle down as
independent states begin to address their own particular crises without
outside interference and innovation supplants conformity. There’s no
peace on the economic front until the Spring of 2011.
The Full Moon takes place on May 27th at 7:07 pm (6º
Sagittarius-Gemini 33’), as Mercury reaches post station (12º
Taurus 38’), his former retrograde point of April 18th. Events from
that time period may reach a semblance of resolution, the most obvious
being the Deepwater Horizon oil spill off the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Neptune turns retrograde on May 31st at 2:50 pm (28º
Aquarius 42’), joining Pluto who reached stationary status on May 6th
at 10:33 pm (5º Capricorn 25’). Both retreat for a long slog into
the Fall season, allowing more obfuscation and unaccountability in the
political and economic spheres.
Jupiter enters dynamic Aries on June 6 at 2:29 am,
bringing an aggressive approach to matters financial and environmental
that will be powerfully felt by the New Moon on June 12 at 7:15 am
(21º Gemini 24’). Despite the equivocating mood of the Gemini
season, there will be convergence on the timely dispensation of justice
and fair resolutions to international disputes.
Season of Taurus (April 20 – May 20, 2010)
Garden of the Hesperides
by Frederick, Lord Leighton (1830-1896)
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A Divine Garden
At the edge of the world, where Earth and sky meet, the Olympian gods
created a garden with orchards of miraculous fruit trees. Guarded by
maidens known as the Hesperides (“Daughters of Evening”), the garden is
a passage to a celestial realm where beauty and song gladden heroic
sojourners. Likewise, the season of Taurus celebrates the victory of
life emerging from winter’s quiescence following the Spring Equinox,
and sets the stage for nature’s proliferation in the coming months.
In the garden of the Hesperides, the golden apples of immortality were
given to those who ventured as far west as the setting Sun, an allusion
to the rewards awaiting the virtuous at the gates of the afterlife. It
is the endowment of the soul that ventures past the comforts of mundane
existence and seeks the fruit of a mythical tree in that garden – the
one that offers knowledge of good and evil. And here another obstacle
exists – the tree of golden apples is also the abode of the dragon
Ladon, who must be slain or transformed by the hero/ine before
immortality can be obtained.
The tree, its fruit, and the dragon represent the both the lure and the
dangers of mortal life. In the season of Taurus, we may become
complacent with the return of Spring and the warmth of nature that
revitalizes the living, but heroic acts await us each and every day.
Problems must be resolved, threats must be transformed into accord.
These are acts that transcend time and create the miraculous fruit of
harmony and celestial song – the reward of virtue. |
Song of Hathor
In the Egyptian pantheon, Hathor embodies all the faces of
the celestial theme in Taurus. For those on Earth, she is the
flourishing aspect of nature and the fecundity of the land, symbolized
by the heavenly cow who nurtures the royal calf. She is lady of song,
music and dance, the confidant of lovers and patroness of marriage. On
entering the Afterlife, she serves as companion to the sojourner
from the eastern region of the living to the western realm of the dead,
initially greeting the soul from her celestial sycamore tree, offering
water to refresh the traveler.
In her Chthonic role, Hathor engenders proliferation of the life
force, overseeing rebirth, renewal, and enduring vitality. And in
her magical aspect, Hathor is the serpent power of the Royal House,
guardian of the anointed and protectoress of the divine estate.
I worship the Golden Goddess, I sing of her Presence,
I raise up the lady of heaven and give adoration to Hathor.
Praise was given to the Mistress of Dendera,
I reported to her and she heard my pleas.
She ordered a Mistress for me, who came into my presence.
What a great thing has happened!
– Papyrus Chester Beatty I
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Hathor guides Queen Nefertari Meri Mut to reunion with the gods
– From her Tomb in the Valley of the Queens, 19th Dynasty
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Cosmic Events
Of note:
The Sun entered Taurus on April 20th at 12:30 am as the Moon in Cancer
eased into a gentle rhythm of fortunate contacts with the planetary
powers. This did bode well for mood, but presaged the explosion of the
Deepwater Horizon off the U.S. Gulf coast hours later, and the
subsequent oil well leak that continues to threaten the local
environment. Chiron had entered watery Pisces moments earlier, the most
obvious influence in this disaster. Thus, as the Sun entered the first
Earth sign of Spring and fire-ruled Chiron entered the oceanic abyss,
the volatile results of human error surfaced. The transit of Chiron
will retrograde back to Aquarius throughout 2010 and return to the
region of the Twin Fish on February 9th, 2011. Only then can we expect
a resolution to the U.S. Gulf oil spill to begin.
The Full
Moon takes place on April 28th at 8:18 am (8 Scorpio-Taurus 07’),
bringing about confusion and misinformation due to Mercury’s position
at cazimi (“in the heart”)
with the Sun and Mars intersecting in a nasty square from 10º Leo.
With this configuration, the underlying deception and obfuscation that
rules the day will not be uncovered until the next New Moon.
Mercury
turns direct on May 11th at 6:27 pm (2 Taurus 40’), though he’ll be
slow to move the business agenda forward until he enters his own sign
of Gemini on June 10th. In the meantime, electronic transmissions will
be unreliable and quirky – best to have backup and paper copy in place.
The New
Moon takes place on May 13th at 9:04 pm (23 Taurus 09’), bringing
another Mars square to the Sun and Moon, though they join forces to
subdue the antagonisms of the warrior god and channel the influence
into peaceful endeavors. Now is the time to plan and promote, as
productivity is now on the rise.
Season of Aries (March 20 – April 19, 2010)
Moving Northward
In
the season of Aries the sleep of winter is awakened by the fire of life
and the pulse of nature once more seeks form in the soil of mortal
existence. It is the time of the Vernal (Latin vernalis, “of the
spring”) Equinox (equi nox, “equal night”) the first of two events in
the Earth’s annual circuit around the Sun when the terrestrial axis is
upright, when night and day hours are of equal length.
The
Sun now begins to move northward on the horizon in concert with the
alchemy of fire and soil that is taking place. It is a restatement of
the primeval creation and a reminder of the creative powers endowed to
all the living who move toward the summit of their own enlightenment,
personal and collective.
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Warriors and Heroes
The lord of the season has always been embodied in Ares – warrior,
defender, master of combat and discord. It may be that these roles are
more widely celebrated because we exist in a culture that values the
conquerer over the conciliator, but the theme of Ares encompasses the
heroic and gallant champion, and in the mystery traditions, the slain
god who is redeemed by his sacrifice and reborn in the season of
renewal.
Once such deity is the Graeco-Syrian god of vegetation and renewal,
Adonis. His mysteries enacted the god’s death by a wild boar – a
metaphor of the untamed forces in nature – and his restoration through
the planting of his gardens by the mourning daughters of Aphrodite. In
this tradition, the fiery pulse of nature is channeled into the
measured acts of agriculture.
• Ares Ludovisi
Deities in the realm of Ares also possess the powers of mediation and
diplomacy, traits that emerge actively in Libra, the opposing season of
the Solar year. They represent the civilizing powers of the creative force that strive for order, balance, and justice.
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Concilators
The
Egyptian Neit serves as mediator among the gods, resolving
questions of sovereignty and intervening during the ubiquitous episodes
of hostility between Horus and Set. She is judge, arbiter, and
peacemaker between divinity and humanity, even banishing discord from the body
and soul of her supplicants in her role as physician and healer.
• Neit, goddess of reconciliation
The Greek Athena holds sway over the arts of
war – strategy, weaponry, and treaties. Sister to Ares and a member of
the twelve divine Olympians who govern the twelve Solar seasons, she is
patroness of Athens and inventor of the chariot and plow, mechanical
devices and protective armor. She embodies the intellectual dimension
of combat – tactical skill, defensive action, negotiation. In the realm
of Athena, all sides win and harmony is achieved.
Pallas Athena, goddess of strategy •
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Cosmic Events
The
Sun enters Aries on March 20th at 1:32 pm as the Moon enters the Sign
of the twins hours later. This celestial new year promises dialogue and
ambitious planning, but dissension and polarization will accompany
these events on the world stage. By the Fall season, some accord will
be achieved internationally, while the wheels of justice will
accelerate toward resolving pressing economic inequities and the
financial misdeeds just now coming to light.
The Full
Moon takes place on March 29th at 10:25 pm (9 Libra 17’), a volatile
day with baleful Saturn in company with Luna and rebellious Uranus
opposing the status quo. This could set the stage for even more
contention instigated by the ongoing Saturn-Uranus opposition, a
celestial contest that began on November 4th, 2008 (yes, election day
in the U.S.). This polarized conflict between the past and future
reaches a plateau this year on July 26th when both planets reach the
world axis (0º Aries-Libra).
The New
Moon takes place on April 14th at 8:28 am (24 Aries 27’), banishing
some of the delusions that Neptune scattered across the sea of public
opinion in the opening days of the new year. Still, new battlegrounds
will be delineated in the public sphere that will require the
intervention of regulatory bodies and the courts before the year is out.
Mercury
turns retrograde on April 18th at 12:06 am (12 Taurus 38’), slowing the
action down enough to encourage deliberate thinking, though some may be
too lazy for the effort. We’ll have to be on the lookout for regressive
solutions to unsolved problems and revisit issues when the inevitable
temper tantrums that surface at these times block clarity and resolve.
Season of Pisces (February 18 – March 19, 2010)
Poseidon at the Copenhagen Port
(photo by Hans Anderson)
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A Sea of Storm and Deep Tranquility
Poseidon (Roman: Neptune), brother of Hades in the underworld and
Demeter in the fertile soil, commands both water and wind, flood and
storm. His three-pronged trident represents his power over the waters
and the creatures within them – with it he both calmed the stormy seas
and brought forth hurricanes. When wielding his weapon he pierced the
earth and caused springs to come forth, but could also strike the
ground to compel earthquakes. Beneficence and anger, tranquility and
turmoil – the lord of waters shows us the powers and dangers of our
internal sea, the vast ocean of our unconscious impulses.
In the season of Pisces, all past seasons dissolve in the brine of
Poseidon’s kingdom, awaiting the renewal of a new season when our
aspirations and efforts emerge rejuvenated and reanimated with the
powers of the coming Spring. It is a phase of awakening from the
hibernation of Winter, a transition from the incubation of dreams into
the world of new life. In Pisces, we move with the tides of our
internal sea toward the shore of renewal.
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The Piscean Journey
Ancient legend tells of the time of the demigods, when Typhon, lord of
chaos, sought to overturn the beneficent rule of Zeus by capturing and
holding hostage the Olympian deities, Aphrodite and her son Eros. To
escape discovery, the two hid in the waters of the Nile and transformed
into fish. Their feat was commemorated in the heavens with the stellar
image of the Ichthyes (twin fish), to keep the influence of Typhon
forever at bay.
The northern fish swims upward, toward the cosmic waters
of forgetfulness; the southern fish swims westward, toward the
constellation Aquarius and the waterbearer’s waves of enlightenment. At
the same time the Ichthyes are tied together, representing the eternal
quest that draws the soul toward these dual destinations and the
dilemmas of spiritual desire.
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The constellation Pisces
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Cosmic Events
The Sun enters Pisces on February 18th at 1:36
pm with a harmonious aspect between the Moon and Neptune, drawing the
water lord’s insightful powers into the environment. This will be a
month of small realizations that will find significant truths when the
Moon is in full light.
The
Full Moon takes place February 28th at 11:38 am (9º Virgo 59’) with the
Sun and Jupiter aligned in an opposition to the Moon. This should be an
interesting day of hits and misses, or maybe a comedy of errors if
serious matters are set aside. Family issues can be resolved amiably
and long journeys may be planned with confidence.
Mars
turns to direct motion (0º Leo 18’) on March 10th, reenergizing the
atmosphere with fiery ambition after months (since December 20) of
inaction and discouragement.
The New Moon takes place on March 15th at 5:01 pm (25 Pisces 10’), a
day that will encourage brilliant ideas as the Moon conjoins Mercury
and Uranus – all three together in visionary Pisces. But dreams need a
foundation of ambition and fortitude to become a reality, and they can
find just such fulfillment if patience and commitment are the powers
exercised through the next month.
Season of Aquarius (January 19 – February 19)
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Aquarian Acts of Service
And godlike Ganymede,
Most beautiful of men;
The gods beheld and caught him up
To heaven, so beautiful was he, to pour
The wine to Jove, and ever dwell with them.
– Homer
Ganymede, a
Trojan prince, was viewed by the Olympian gods as the most
attractive among mortals. But with this admiration came notice from
Zeus himself, who sought the young man to serve as cupbearer to the
celestial powers. Taking the form of an eagle, Zeus swooped down from
the heavens and abducted Ganymede, who became an immortal but also a
servant to the gods. His image is embodied in the constellation
Aquarius, and is accompanied by the eagle constellation Aquila.
This ancient story tells of the obligation human
beings have when they seek to become “godlike.” The individual ego is
subsumed by divine will, and those powers hold greater sway over mortal
destiny than the petty aspirations of the individual. A lesson to be
well understood by those who strive for the ethereal heights!
But the Aquarian motif also alludes to a cosmic secret –
the gods seek our service as much we we seek their counsel. The
exchange of powers – human and divine – becomes possible when each
recognizes the needs of the other. It is the ancient art of theurgia
that uncovers this secret, a sacred tradition that is unlocked with the
words and gestures of magic. In this way, the server is given a true
place in the heavens and is served by the powers s/he has honored.
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Abduction of Ganymede by Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640)
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Cosmic Events
The Sun enters Aquarius on January 19th at 11:28 pm EST with
intimations of rebellion in the financial world and the unveiling of
revelations held secret for a time in the political sphere. This will
be a season of unrest and distrust as efforts to bridge differences,
moral and social, will take months to resolve. When the Sun enters Leo
the cynical will regain some trust and the wounded will be well on the
mend.
The Full Moon takes place January 30th at 1:18 am (10 Leo
15’). Sword-rattling accompanies this phase as the antagonistic face of
Mars joins with the lunar public, while Venus attempts to sooth the
afflicted. Mars, who has been in retrograde motion since December 20th
of last year, will move forward on March 10th. This will allow
hostilities to become more transparent and amenable to resolution.
Until then, passive-aggressive actions are on the rise.
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Harmony at Last
The New Moon takes place on February 13th at 9:51 pm EST
(25 Aquarius 18’), inaugurating the Oriental Year of the (Metal) Tiger.
The overall tone of such a year conveys austerity and focus, hard work
and determination to go forward. Individual fortitude will bring far
better results than allowing the status quo to dictate the course of
action. This may seem noisy to some, but will be the sound of progress
to others.
February 14th features a grand conjunction of the Sun with
Chiron and Neptune, shining a light on the elusive quest for universal
health and healing. The 17th will bringing a semblance of resolution to
this issue as Chiron and Neptune join at 26 Aquarius 15’ with Venus and
Jupiter simultaneously in a harmonious conjunction in their favored and
exalted places of 7º Pisces. The Sign of the centaur (Sagittarius)
rises at this event, presaging the rule of the wise warrior.
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Season of Capricorn (December 21, 2009 – January 19, 2010)
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A Solstice Star
The gloom of
winter can be illuminated by stellar light for those who see beyond the
darkness of the moment, and such a possibility comes to us at this
year’s Winter Solstice. The new season is accompanied by a
configuration in Aquarius that will usher in a new paradigm for many.
At our nation's capitol, the Moon and asteroid Chiron join Jupiter and
Neptune in an Aquarius conjunction on December 21st,
quietly setting a trajectory for the New Year that seeks to meld
environment, education, and health in a grand plan for change and progress.
The ingress of the Sun into the sphere of Capricorn is
viewed as the pacesetter for the coming year, financially and
politically. Looking at the event from Washington DC, the Solstice Sun
on December 21st is accompanied by Pluto, indicating a transformative
change in the Ninth House of Government. The world will monitor this
change, to judge if the new values it presents will ripple into waves
of empathy and responsibility for others of less fortunate
circumstances around the globe.
The key to this change lies in the symbolism of Chiron –
healer (“chirurgery”), peacemaker, and the legendary teacher of the
physician Asclepius and the hero Achilles. As he now travels in the
celestial sphere with a progressive Aquarian Moon and the lords of sky
(Jupiter) and water (Neptune), he brings us to a place of reckoning for
the state of our environment, within and without. At this
Solstice, Mars opposes this stellium of powers, but Chiron is well versed in the art of war and a veteran of many hazardous
conflicts. He teaches us to resolve our discord through nature, his
exclusive realm, and he promises victory over blind aggression. Change indeed will come to pass under his tutelage.
Cosmic Events
The New Moon takes place on December
16th at 7:02 am EST (24 Sagittarius 40’), with the Moon conjoining
Pluto later in the day. This presages the transformative process that
will take place for the next thirty days, one that will bring as much
bitterness as liberation from outworn conventions.
The Sun enters Capricorn (Winter Solstice) on December
21st at 12:47 pm EST, following the Aquarian conjunction of Moon and
Chiron, Jupiter and Neptune, at 3:53 am EST. The atmosphere throughout
the day will be one of wonder and trepidation, as what was long sought
for becomes unfamiliar and challenging.
The Full Moon takes place on December 31st at 2:13 pm EST,
(10 Cancer 15’), also known as the Yule (Winter) Moon. This year, it
features a partial Lunar eclipse that foreshadows a coming year of
doubts and a desire to retreat to old habits. Resist the gravity –
illusions may obscure our sight for the duration of this eclipse, but
in the following months Chiron will be offering each of us a path to
healing or heroism.
The New Year 2010 is inaugurated between the Lunar eclipse
of December 31st and an Annular Solar Eclipse on January 15th at 2:11
am EST, along with a Mercury in retrograde motion – all in wintry,
stern Capricorn. These cosmic influences will encourage a frustrating
decline in government initiatives due to financial instability and
obstructions from the status quo.
Other delays in moving international agreements forward
can be expected, with more than the usual seasonal transportation
slowdowns. But these disappointments will be short-lived – on February
11th Chiron joins Neptune in a decisive finale that will mend many of
the rifts that separate people from the powers that heal, educate, and
govern with harmony.
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The Education of Achille by Chiron – James Barry (1741–1806)
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(*) U.S. Time Zones
Central Time: – 1 hour
Mountain Time: – 2 hours
Pacific Time: – 3 hours
Hawai’i-Alaska: – 5 hours
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