May 22nd ~ 29th
“Rowboat” by Winslow Homer
When you have reached the opposite shore, you do not carry the raft on your back, you leave it behind. ~ Alan Watts
On June 12th Uranus will perfect a square with the True Nodes of the Moon. When planets are square the Nodes, we say that they are at the bending of the Nodes. There is a North Node bending and a South Node bending. Uranus in Gemini is now at the North Node bending. It is closely squaring these Nodes for all of May and until July, however its influence is far longer than that.
This is because the Nodes of the Moon mark the degrees where the eclipses are most likely to occur, as this is where the apparent path of the Moon intersects with the path of the Sun. And when a New Moon or a Full Moon occur at these points an eclipse will occur of either the Sun (New Moon) or the Moon (Full Moon). On February 17th there was a Solar Eclipse at 29 Aquarius that was closely square Uranus in Taurus. On August 28th there will be a Lunar Eclipse at 5 Pisces also square Uranus. And again on February 20th 2027, a Lunar Eclipse at 2 Virgo will square Uranus again…. indicating a whole period of rapid and accelerated changes and twists. It will be all we can do to keep up.
Planets at these points can feel like a demarcation, a liminal time between, where we are still holding on to elements from the past, while looking forward to the possibilities contained within the North Node. When planets are at the South Node bending there is an inclination to cling more tightly to old habits, even as they are receding from our grasp. When planets are at the North Node bending, such as Uranus is now, all that chaos, that unpredictable change, as crazy as it may seem, is said to be in service to the North Node, which is trying to show us a way forward.
The Nodes of the Moon, and where they are now, have to do with our collective evolutionary growth. Uranus can be illuminating. Sudden in its effects, and often surprising, perhaps even shocking. It upends the status quo. And it seems to be asking us both collectively and personally: What are you still holding on to, but no longer need, and may in fact be holding you back?
In the parable of the raft, when confronted with a raging river, if there is no other way to get to the other side, it makes sense to build a raft of whatever elements and bits, pieces and resources are at your disposal. Tied together they created a raft which allowed you to reach the safety of the farther shore. But then what do you do with the raft once you have arrived? Do you continue to carry it with you on your back, even though it is difficult to do so? Or do you leave it at the shore?
Squares create tension. Last week Mercury joined Uranus, where both were squaring the Nodes. This week on Monday, the Sun will do the same. All in Gemini, and in service to the North Node in Pisces, Uranus along with Mercury and the Sun are pushing us out of our usual comfort zones, perhaps into new and untried territory, for the sake of our own growth.
When major planets such as Uranus come to the bendings of the Nodal Eclipse points, it feels like we are between two points in our lives. Two worlds. Illuminating and sometimes surprising, the Sun and Mercury joining Uranus here can make this more personal. We share information with one another, we disclose truths, and learn things from others that we had not previously known. It shifts our perceptions, and can serve as turning points in our lives. And as a result of what we see, know and learn, our lives will not be quite the same again.
And as Uranus wends its way through our lives, moving things about, there is another important square occurring this week. And that is the square between Mars, which recently entered the sign of Taurus, and Pluto in the early degrees of Aquarius. These are both squares of stress and evolutionary change.
Taurus maintains the status quo thru various coping mechanisms that serve to keep us stable, safe, and secure. Mars/Pluto does not feel particularly safe. There are marauders at the gates; wolves howling at the door; and demons taking residence beneath the floorboards. Mars in Taurus seeks refuge in those things that feel safe and protected, and familiar. It shores up the ramparts; secures the foundations; and protects the innocents. It does so with strength, resistance and sheer stubbornness. Mars in Taurus will not budge even when the powers that be try to force the doors open and jimmy the locks.
Pluto tells us that:The marauders at the gates are actually the clarion call of the change whose time has come. The wolves howling at the door are reminding us that there is a whole world of opportunity waiting for us, if we are willing to leave the raft we are clinging to, at the shore. And the demons beneath the floor boards are letting you know that you have outgrown your current circumstances, which will no longer support the person you are or are becoming. We all get a little stuck here and there. But the stress between these two planets can show us where we are stuck, and what is no longer sustainable. It can be harsh.
Uranus and Pluto’s jobs are to show us what we have outgrown, what is no longer supporting us, and could even be holding us back. Mars reacts to the forceful nature of Pluto by wanting to protect all that he holds near and dear to his heart. Some will identify with the Mars angle, while others will side with Pluto. Most of us will feel conflicted between the two.
We might want to ask ourselves, therefore, what we are trying to hold on to? And why we are holding so firmly? Is it out of habit? Or is it out of fear of the unknown? What needs to give way in order to create healthier and more sustainable foundations in our lives? And what are the things we know we are not willing to part with and do without?
The North Node in Jupiter’s sign of Pisces, is trine by sign to Jupiter in Cancer. There is something spiritually fulfilling and emotionally drenching as these water signs meld, grow and expand our awareness. An awareness that there is something much much greater than just ourselves. Pisces connects us to the collective, and so our own destiny becomes a piece in the destiny of the whole. And so through the gates of the current eclipses we are all being asked to transcend our usual boundaries and limitations, in order to merge with the great beyond.
With this also comes an awareness that we are all swimming in this great ocean that we call Life. And we are not alone. There are others here with us, And together we are being led to fulfill a destiny that is much much larger than us. And the part that each of us plays will be found in that still small voice of spirit, conscience, and unity implied by the North Node in transcendent Pisces.
Our homework for the next several months therefore continues to be:
Do things that will align you with your own drop of the ocean: Meditate, Pray, read something spiritual, or poetic. Listen to something beautiful. Take long walks in nature, or near the water. Seek solace in sacred spaces.
Connect with yourself: Reflect, journal, read the cards, consult the I Ching, dust off the pendulum and the oracles.
Cultivate Pisces virtues: commit random act of kindness and compassion; stop to listen; be present for others. Volunteer your time or resources for a worthwhile cause.
Let go: of those things that are needing to go; Release. Forgive. Shake off regret, anger, dismay and sorrow. Doing this good work will make room for better things to come in the future.
Slow down: Pay attention, See, Hear, Feel, Be present in order to honor and fully appreciate each moment.
For this week’s horoscopes, click below: