September 11th ~ 18th
“Hope” by George Frederic Watts and assistants
The Portal
Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God’s greatest gift to us… A belief in things not seen. A belief that there are better days ahead. ~ Barack Obama
In the many years that Neptune and Pluto are sextile one another it feels a bit like a portal is opening. Because of their extremely slow movement, and a very lengthy cycle together, they have been closely sextile since 1950 and will be until 2032. They do so in clusters, that occurred in the 50’s, from 1976-86 and now from 2026 to about 2032, but I would extend it to 2036, giving it a wider orb. 60º sextiles form harmonious relationships between these most transcendent planets at the outer fringes of our solar system.
All the planets beyond Saturn have lest to do with our material mundane everyday lives, and yet they do on these very subtle and sometimes not so subtle emotional, psychological and spiritual levels. And when these portals open it allows these signals from the outer reaches of the universe to wash over us like a cosmic blanket of spiritual and psychic energy. Neptune and Pluto are both presently in their retrograde phases, making them stronger and closer to the earth. At this point Pluto is virtually standing still as it will station on October 15th. This week, on Tuesday, Neptune and Pluto make an exact sextile.
We might not even notice this triumphant and exact aspect between sublime Neptune and the Dark Lord Pluto guarding the gates to the outer realms if it were not for Mercury. Where Pluto and Neptune are the outermost planets, Mercury is the innermost planet of our solar system. Over this weekend, Mercury having just entered Libra on September 10th, will be forming a beautiful KITE configuration with Neptune, Pluto and Uranus. This allows those subtle and discrete energies to be channeled into our everyday lives and existence.
Mercury in its turn channels all of that cosmic dust through our hands, our words, our senses, our awareness and our perceptions. Through the MIND.
Mercury to Neptune on its own might feel like there is no rhyme or reason. That nothing is making sense. It might even impart the false notion that we are the hapless victims of fate. However through the Grand Trine auspices of Uranus and Pluto we are being shown that in fact there is a reason for all this. There are patterns, rhymes, purpose and maybe even solutions.
It may require us to stretch our vision, and our awareness, in order to see things from another perspective. And then to be open to it. Through Mercury’s intervention, we have access to this portal at least through this coming Tuesday. And if we can but channel even an iota of this transcendental wave pouring through the portal it could feel like an epiphany. A eureka moment. Sudden and creative insights. Like flashes of lightning hurled through the solar system from Neptune/Pluto, Mercury translates these into messages that we are capable of recognizing and seeing. Be amazed. Write down these missives. For as quickly as they arise, they will then disappear, like whispers on the wind.
The Abyss
It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, lies your treasure. The very cave you are afraid to enter turns out to be the source of what you are looking for. ~ Joseph Campbell
Venus dives deep as she readies for her retrograde station within the depths of Scorpio. What she is showing us there can make your hair stand on end. Just know that the creatures we find there are not monsters, even if at first they seem so. They are our own monsters, tied to us through the chains of our own making.
We are creatures of habit. Habits are our default and what feels familiar. But Pluto suggests that sometimes we need to create new and better habits in order to survive. Wherever we have Scorpio, which is a fixed sign, we do not like to be forced to change. Even if it will be better. Pluto reminds us that sometimes what feels comfortable can also entrap us, keep us in ruts, and prevent us from growing, and might even make us unsafe. The more attached, the greater the danger of falling into denial.
Venus/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 you that there is a whole world of opportunity waiting for you, if you are willing to let go of the comfort of the shore that you are clinging to. 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 Venus and Chiron and Pluto will show us where we have become stuck, and what is no longer sustainable. It can be harsh. But know that it also ends well.
Venus is working her magic as she descends into the underworld. And she does so for our sakes. Even if it doesn’t feel like it at first. Those chains of our own making? We have the ability to remove them. We just didn’t know that we could.
Pluto’s job is to show us what we have outgrown, is no longer supporting us, and might even be harming us to some extent. Venus in Scorpio reacts to the irritating nature of Chiron and Pluto by wanting to protect all that she feels is near and dear to her heart. She fears the loss. Suspects betrayals and abandonment. And fears the monsters that lie in wait outside the gate. Venus shows us what needs tending to out of kindness, before we are forced to by Pluto and Chiron.
We might want to ask ourselves, therefore, what are we trying to hold on to? And why we are holding so tightly? 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 and relationships in our lives? And what are the things we know we are not willing to part with and do without? The clash of all these passionate planets will make it a little more obvious what needs to stay and what needs to go, especially as Venus enters her retrograde phase in October.
Meanwhile, as Venus and Chiron are so closely opposing one another, Chiron retrogrades back into the sign of Aries to give us a refreshing reminder of what we had been working on for these past 8 years that Chiron was in Aries.
Out of a fear of rejection we will often hold ourselves back. If I appear unacceptable, will I be rejected? If I say the wrong thing, if I don’t do the right things… but the lesson of Chiron in Aries was that we are enough as we are. It often feels during these retrograde returns to the previous signs that we are gathering the essence of what we had learned in order to proceed. For when we realize that we are enough, then we are also worthy of receiving, which is addressing the Chiron in Taurus wound of being unworthy. And also contained within the very last degrees of the sign of Aries is the readiness to proceed. Like taking a few steps back, to remind ourselves, in order to proceed again.
While in Aries we were releasing old Soul Contracts that were proving to be too self-limiting and no longer valid. We were learning that it was okay to take up space, and not to be afraid to be ourselves. That requires self-care, self-healing, and self-protection. For when you can experience life on your own terms, then you will have enough to give to others.
How dare she Wear those shoes And color her hair like that And take up space And use her voice And allow no diminishing Who does she think she is You wonder as you bristle and Make her an alien in your mind
And one day an observer Who is staring as you Knowingly smile back Will be collecting the remains And blooms of her own fire Only to ask her heart Not How dare I? But always How can I not? ~ Laurel Trautwein
For this week’s horoscopes, click below: