July 17th~ 24th
“Le Berceau” by Berthe Morisot
When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it... always. ~ Mahatma Gandhi
On July 20th, a configuration known as a Cradle will reach perfection when it becomes exact. You might have also heard it referred to as Barbault’s Basket. Barbault was an astrologer who accurately predicted specific events over time, and considered this particular configuration to be globally significant. He saw it as a time where there would be a reorganization of power and changes in the distribution of resources. As a result many perceive this time as a shift in the global zeitgeist.
One thing that we can be sure of is that this is not a common configuration. The last time we came remotely close to this alignment was in 1789, when Pluto was last in Aquarius and Jupiter in Leo. This time all of the outer planets, plus Jupiter are going to be perfectly aligned in this configuration at 4º of their respective signs. It consists of an opposition between Jupiter in Leo and Pluto in Aquarius, intersected by 2 wedge planets, Uranus and Neptune also at 4º of their respective signs, Gemini and Aries.
A Cradle (or Basket) is contained by the opposition, which represents certain issues that need to be faced and overcome. It could even feel potentially dangerous, or like we are heading down the wrong road. This will be different for everyone. But collectively Jupiter in Leo opposite Pluto in Aquarius is often about the unequal distribution of or the abuse of power and resources (hence Barbault’s prediction). The sign that Pluto is currently in will often point to where the power is being leveraged. During the years that Pluto had been in Capricorn, power had been rigidly consolidated at the top. But now that Pluto has entered Aquarius, that power aims to be redistributed among the people.
But in order for that to happen it helps to have some sort of catalyst. This often happens because those who hold the power don’t want to let it go. And those who don’t have the power are getting tired of not having it. And now that Jupiter is creating this exact opposition to Pluto it is inserting a certain amount of leverage allowing the changes to unfold. One of the things that Jupiter/Pluto transits do, is make us that much more aware of the unfair use of power and distribution of resources. And even though the abuse of power and corruption is not necessarily anything new, it just becomes that much more blatant and obvious under these oppositions that expose the abuse for what it is. At first it can seem that the already powerful are able to enrich themselves, and may even be quite successful at it. However, under this transit, that power is only ephemeral, and enrichment due to nefarious means will lead to a fall, not a rise, in power. For ultimately, especially now that Pluto is in Aquarius, the power is being leveraged into the hands of those whose motives are for the greater good of all concerned, not just a chosen few.
This becomes further complicated when we consider that the Nodes of the Moon will be moving into Aquarius and Leo at the end of this month, just before the Full Moon in Aquarius. That Full Moon will be conjunct (within a few degrees of) Pluto, while Jupiter will be cazimi (in the heart of the Sun). All of these conditions makes one think that Barbault might have had something here.
One of the keys to working with Jupiter/Pluto transits is to do what we do because it is the right thing to do, without expecting some sort of reward or recognition for doing so. We are literally being asked to put our egos aside when the South Node enters Leo, and doing this even as Jupiter in Leo is feeding it. Both can coexist. For instance, having the confidence and audacity to challenge the status quo. But to do so for the benefit of everyone concerned, not just for one’s own. This requires us to have the courage to do the right thing, and to do so even under extraordinary pressure to do otherwise.
We have some help with this. And that is where the wedge planets, Uranus and Neptune come in. They are showing us a way out of our predicaments and back to a place of safety and security. There is more than one way to relieve the stress of the challenges we are compelled to face. We can use the wedge planets to avoid or escape having to deal with the stress through some sort of distraction away from the conflict. The creative potential is still there, but it is used to find creative ways to avoid working out the problem.
However the more we are willing to face and deal with the conflicts we are presented with, the more likely we are able to access the full potential of this glorious planetary configuration, which is nothing less to transform ourselves and our lives. To literally grow and evolve.
Through the sextiles and trines from the wedge planets:
Neptune sextile Pluto and trine Jupiter:
Neptune in Aries, our courageous spiritual warrior is being put to the test here. Although sextiles are subtle, Neptune sextile Pluto points to an evolutionary shift in the collective that has been occurring on and off for decades. As Neptune and Pluto are moving at about the same speed right now, this transit continues well into the 2030’s. It takes time for this subtle shift in the zeitgeist to occur. It doesn’t happen overnight. But also know that their sextile is exact on July 25th.
Whenever major planets enter the sign of Aries, such as Neptune just has, these point to New Beginnings in our collective consciousness and perspective. When Neptune is in Aries, the spiritual warrior asks us to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. To Act. To Do something. To honor our ideals and make them manifest. Jupiter’s trine from the fellow fire sign Leo to Neptune’s Aries demands that we rise to the occasion, follow our conscience, and Do the Right Thing, because we simply cannot do otherwise. Collectively we are simply not in the mood for blatant corruption or unfairness. We’re just not having it. We find satisfaction and pride in following our conscience.
Uranus sextile Jupiter and trine Pluto:
Uranus in Gemini has ideas. Lots of ideas and solutions. And will not be dissuaded. If one method does not work, then there’s this other solution over here. Let’s try that! Or this one here! Jupiter/Uranus sextiles dare us to take risks, to do things differently than the way we have in the past. We are fascinated with the New and Different. Sometimes all that is being asked of us is to see things in a different light, or to look at things from another perspective. And as we do so, a sudden burst of clarity ensues.
Uranus is not only exactly sextile Jupiter this month, it is also trine Pluto. Uranus/Pluto transits are indicative of revolutionary changes that can restructure society on a myriad of levels: technologically, scientifically, intellectually and politically. And all of this is interlaced with the innate idealism of the Neptune transits. We not only want something more. We want something better. And we want to do it the right way.
With the North Node shifting into Aquarius, and the South Node entering Leo on July 26th, we will probably see both the greatest and the worst of the Jupiter/Pluto opposition. Jupiter in Leo just makes all things Leo that much larger. We would all do well to ask ourselves how we are using whatever position or influence we may have for the benefit of all concerned, not just our own. Those who do so are probably going to see themselves thrive in this weather, and influence others to do so as well. And while those who abuse their power may seem to be successful for a time, and perhaps appear to even thrive, under the influence of the South Node in Leo and Pluto in Aquarius, will inevitably fall in the end.
We but mirror the world. All the tendencies present in the outer world are to be found in the world of our body. If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change... We need not wait to see what others do. ~ Mahatma Gandhi
And although we often speak of the collective with the Cradle, we are also a part of that collective. And although we may not think that we are contributing to the global changes that will be occurring over the years and perhaps decades ahead, all of us, everyone of us is part of the same system. This is the theory behind the whole ingress of Pluto into Aquarius, which speaks to this idea of interdependence, and the impact that each and every one of us has on each other and our collective progress.
In our personal lives we can experience the challenge of the Jupiter/Pluto opposition as some sort of powerful force that feels impossible to overcome. We may be facing a health issue, an addiction or a habit that stands in the way of us living our own best lives. Perhaps we are feeling forced to adapt to a new situation that forces us to reinvent ourselves or our lives all over again. Jupiter in Leo is not easily dissuaded. It is here to remind us that we are more powerful than we think we are. And this will be even more so when we are willing to collaborate with others in order to achieve our aims. And always, always, with Jupiter/Pluto we get back to our motives, and doing what we do, because it is the right thing to do.
Ultimately cradle formations are about finding places of safety and security in a world that feels like it’s quickly changing. And may even be potentially dangerous, if we don’t create the changes that are well nigh due. We ask ourselves how we can fit into this new scheme. Where is our place? Mercury retrograde in the sign of Cancer for the month of July is stressing the idea of seeking safety and security as well. We can use the wedge planets to find creative ways to avoid the conflict, or use them to situate ourselves within the new order that is still in its formative stages. Depending on the circumstances, both of these paths can be valid.
The wedge planets are trying to give us another, perhaps higher perspective which allow us to see the big picture. To see solutions where previously we only felt defeat or saw problems. To improve ourselves and thereby inspire and influence others to do so as well. Whatever we do, whatever we say, has an impact on others as they do on us. Therefore live your life as if everyone is watching, and be the change that you want to see in the world.
For this week’s horoscopes, click below: