Cardinal Grand Cross: Being Pulled in all Directions

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"Alice came to a fork in the road.

'Which road do I take?' she asked"

-Lewis Carroll

Everyone may have been feeling like Alice lately, while the energy of the Grand Cross has been building up.  You may feel  confused about which way to go and pulled in all directions. The energy of this Cardinal Grand Cross has been increasing for quite awhile now and finally the Cross will be exact on April 22nd and 23rd. A Grand Cross happens when there are two oppositions and four squares linking four planets. Grand Cross energy can be frustrating and stressful. They push us to take action, yet to find balance as well. This Grand Cross is comprised of planets in Cardinal signs, which are concerned with taking action and moving forward. This will further our  feeling that we are being torn in all directions. The key is trying to find balance. 

This Cardinal Grand Cross will force us to focus on four different planets and what they represent. 

1. Mars retrograde in Libra- usually Mars is concerned with action, but since it is retrograde this will force us to reflect on action we would like to take in the near future. Since Mars is in Libra, the actions we are reflecting on taking will most likely be about relationships or ways we can bring more harmony and balance to our lives. 
2. Pluto Retrograde in Capricorn- Pluto will cause us to transform our selves and our lives. Forcing us to tear down behavioral or emotional structures that no longer serve us or any other type of structure not serving us anymore. For some this may literally mean moving. 
3. Uranus in Aries- Uranus will force us to shake up our lives and start new things, like a pioneer exploring uncharted territory. Uranus is the 'wildcard' so to speak in this Cross. It may cause the unexpected to take place.
4. Jupiter in Cancer- Jupiter will push us to grow and expand. We may learn to become more compassionate with this influence and we may grow spiritually or even materially. Also because of the influence of Cancer, we may be forced to grow in our family lives as well. 

These are the main issues we will be pushed to deal with under this Grand Cross. If we break it down a little though, there are some other themes that may come up during this time. First of all let's look at the two oppositions and the zodiac signs that are opposing. 

• Cancer opposing Capricorn- This opposition may cause us to re balance our career( Capricorn)  and our home life (Cancer). Father (Capricorn) and Mother (Cancer) issues may come up as well, which may mean we need to balance our relationships with our  parents. 
• Libra opposing Aries- This opposition may push us to balance our self (Aries) with our relationships (Libra). This was a big theme in the Lunar Eclipse we just had and will be ongoing through this Grand Cross. 

Every Grand Cross is composed of one planet in each element. Therefore in every Grand Cross we are torn between; expressing ourselves and our individuality (fire), our emotional identity (water), our intellectual/mental identity (air) and our physical/ material identity (earth). 

I know this Grand Cross sounds frustrating and confusing. We are being forced and pulled to figure out different areas of our lives and to express different parts of our identity. We may feel like we are Alice at that crossroads, utterly confused about which direction to take, but Alice found her way out of her confusion eventually and so will we. We must focus on balance, because that is the key. We must not let ourselves get pulled in all directions. We must stay centered and from a place of centeredness we will be able to put our lives in the state of balance that they are meant to be in at this time.

Swinging into Balance With the Libra Lunar Eclipse

© Shawna Erback

On April 15th 2014 at 12:42 PM (PST) there will be a Lunar Eclipse in Libra.  The Earth will move between the Sun and the Moon, creating a blood red effect which should be visible here in North America. This will be a marked time for change. Forcing us to acknowledge anything that we have pushed down deep inside, so that we can face it and release it. Pluto will go retrograde an hour before this eclipse, further helping to release repressed energies and feelings.  In this Lunar Eclipse, the Moon in Libra will be opposing the Sun in Aries. The South Node will be conjunct the Sun and the North Node will be conjunct the Moon. The nodes conjunction makes eclipses karmically significant. The karma and energy surrounding this Lunar Eclipse has to do with balancing independence with relationships. 

During this eclipse it is important to review your relationships to see if they are balanced. Do you have enough independence within your relationships? Do you give of yourself enough in relationships? Do you compromise, establish and respect boundaries within your relationships? These are important questions to ask yourself at this time. The South Node is in Aries, because of this, past (or past life) issues could arise. If you were selfish at any point, that could come up forcing you to realize that you need to give more of yourself in your relationships to maintain love and harmony. If you were restricted from being independent in the past , that could come up forcing you to relinquish codependency in return for your individual freedom. The goal for this Lunar Eclipse is to release these issues of independence from the past in order to fulfill your Dharma regarding balanced relationships in this life. This Dharma is represented by the North Node in Libra. The North Node in Libra pushes us to learn how to have balanced, harmonious , and compromising relationships. We must cast away our old selves and our old emotional baggage, so that a 'new' self can emerge. 

This eclipse will affect us all a bit differently depending on which natal house it falls in and whether or not it is conjunct a natal planet. Overall though it will push us all to achieve balance and equity in all our relationships. This will be an intense time, some of us may feel excessively emotional or even  psychically sensitive. Hang in there though, this could be a life changing time. Just be willing to release on this dark night of the eclipse,  and then you will be bestowed with the gifts of freedom and balance.

Pluto Retrograde: Change is Inevitable

©createabellalife.com

"I'm a Phoenix, if I die it's only to be reborn- hopefully better and brighter than before"

-Anonymous

                 

On April 14th 2014 at 11:47 PM (PST) Pluto will turn retrograde in Capricorn until September 23rd. This will be an intense retrograde that may cause us to make big changes in our lives. During this time we will all be forced to delve into the very depths of our souls and examine the structures in our lives. This is a time to detox ourselves and let go of things that are no longer serving our highest good. Retrogrades cause us to turn inwards and examine our insides, because of this it's a time for us to change inwardly. It's time for an internal cleanse so to speak. Think of any mind sets, thinking patterns, emotional patterns or any other structures you have made for yourself and decide whether they are helping or hindering you.  If anything is hindering you, it's time to tear that structure down, so that you may come out of this retrograde a lighter and better person. During this retrograde we will get greater insight into our subconscious mind, making it easier for us to review our behavior patterns.

At the beginning of this retrograde, Pluto will be opposing Jupiter. This will help stimulate growth and force us to eliminate things that are stopping our soul's evolvement. During Pluto's retrograde, it's square with Uranus will be continuing. This will just encourage further  change in our lives, shaking things up so that we can start fresh. At the moment Mars and Saturn are also retrograde. Mars and Pluto retrograde will work together to decide what action to take in the future regarding outside structures in your life. Some people may literally decide to move or change homes. Saturn and Pluto retrograde will work together to eliminate authoritarian, controlling or manipulative people from your life.  Overall these three retrogrades will really push us towards introspection and we may feel more introverted than normal.

Change is in the air. It may be scary at times, but after all change is the only constant thing in life. Overall though,  it's positive and helps us to evolve into the people we are meant to be. This Pluto retrograde will definitely evoke change in our lives pushing us to regenerate ourselves like a phoenix rising from it's ashes.

Aries New Moon: Time to Start Fresh

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  "Every Beginning comes from some other beginnings end"

  -Unknown 

On March 30th 2014 at 11:45 AM (PST) there will be a New Moon in Aries. The above quote perfectly describes the energy of this New Moon. This is time to rid ourselves of what no longer serves us, to start fresh, and to begin anew. 

This is a major time of new beginnings. For starters the astrological new year and spring started last week, which already signifies the start of new things. Then this New Moon is going to come along, with a load of new beginning energy in tow. This is also the 2nd new moon this month, making it a black moon, which is extra potent. The New Moon is conjunct Uranus in Aries, square Pluto in Capricorn and also square Jupiter in Cancer. The square to Pluto urges us to eliminate what no longer serves us and to transform our lives. It urges us to initiate change and shake things up. The square to Jupiter urges us to expand and grow. Since Jupiter is in Cancer, we might particularly be pushed to become more compassionate towards others. Jupiter and Pluto are also opposing each other which gives us an extra push towards transforming and growing.  The conjunction to Uranus furthers our need to start afresh. It awakens pioneering energy, urging us to do new things, and to re-invent ourselves. 

This New Moon wakes us up from winter, igniting us with the Aries fire of passion. It urges us to eagerly go after what we want with determination. It also sets things into motion and gives us a burst of enthusiasm. Another thing of importance to note is that this New Moon may bring back some energy that we have lost because of Mars being retrograde. Overall this is a super manifesting time, filled with fresh starts. Don't forget to write down what you want on this New Moon, to really make sure that you manifest whatever it is you want in your life. I urge you to plant new seeds and watch them grow into something beautiful! 

Happy Manifesting!

Aries: The Ram

© sergem73 deviantart.net

Aries

Planetary ruler- Mars

Element- Fire

Modality- Cardinal

Yin/Yang- Yang (Masculine)

Today, March 20th 2014, the Sun moved into Aries at 9:57 AM ( PST). So Happy Birthday to all of you Aries out there! This is such a special time because the Sun's descent into Aries signifies the beginning of the astrological new year and the spring equinox. This is a time of new beginnings, of the birth of new life, and the birth of new ideas. In honor of the Sun moving into Aries I want to talk about the qualities of Aries and the personality of somebody with an Aries Sun.

Aries, since it is a  Cardinal sign and ruled by the planet Mars, is a very energetic and active sign. Aries are great at starting new things, and are usually pretty physically active. Aries are usually independent, headstrong individuals who make excellent leaders. They can be extremely passionate about the things they love, pursuing their passions with gusto. Aries is a masculine (yang) sign and therefore is usually quite outgoing, unless aspects in a natal chart show otherwise. Fire is the element that rules Aries, which can make an Aries have quite a temper at times, but they are usually quick to cool off. Aries is the first sign in the zodiac, symbolizing the first stage of human evolution. Aries breaks away from the collective consciousness of Pisces and starts anew with a newly formed individual identity. Therefore, Aries are self oriented. They are experiencing the world through being an independent individual. Aries is a great place for the Sun, since the Sun symbolizes how you express your identity and Aries Sun's are so great at expressing their individual identity. Aries downfall however is the ego. People born under an Aries Sun must be careful not to fall under ego traps. They must remember that yes we are all unique and special in our own individual way, but we are also all the same at our core. We all come from the same source and nobody is "better" than anybody else. 

Although we are all the same essentially, Aries shows us that we all have different personality's and our own special light to shine. During the Sun's time in Aries I encourage all of you to embrace your unique talents and personalities and to plant the seeds for what all of you would like to see in your life!