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Christina's Blog
The Oxford Astrologer
Culture, Sociey and Astrology
from Mythopia
I don't subscribe to any particular school of astrology, but I do make a point of keeping up to date. I choose the ideas that work when I apply them to a real chart and real life and throw out the ones that turn out to be, well, wishful.
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Christina Rodenbeck, based in the ancient centre of learning, Oxford, examines living mythology through the lens of astrology. She likes to challenge prevailing orthodoxy, champion
originality and enchant with a good story. She is available for personal consultation. Read more of what she has to say at The Oxford Astrologer.
Astrology of Now: Mud Wrestling
For most people, the ongoing U-Plu (Uranus-Pluto square) has not gone smash-bang and changed everything. It's felt more like a massive arduous grinding shift; a huge stone cog that judders along, sending out sparks every now and then, and mashing up anything that gets in between. It's been kind of... tiring... and frightening if you happen to be in the wrong place.
Well, this summer, may, and I stress the word may drizzle a little oil between those cogs. That's because of a very strong positive formation in the sky in July, the vaunted Grand Trine in Water. The U-Plu is between earth and fire, so a little of the wet stuff won't go amiss. But I suspect it's far more complex than that.
This isn't just any old Grand Trine: it's between three heavy-duty planets, Jupiter in Cancer, Saturn in Scorpio and Neptune in its own sign Pisces, which makes it the strongest planet involved. This kind of thing does not happen very often.
For most of history, Jupiter and Saturn have been the heaviest hitters in the solar system. They are the two kings: the generous king in his prime, Jupiter, and the old king, Saturn, carrier of traditions - and they are both supporting the king of the sea this summer, like ladies in waiting holding the queen's train, just to bend some gender.
Now one thing all this wetness could mean is tears, so far Neptune in Pisces has delivered those – I'm thinking of the Middle East – and another thing could be cleansing. A lot of dirty linen has been washed since Saturn went into Scorpio - so much sex abuse has come to light - and Neptune in Pisces. The dirt comes up, so it can be washed clean.
These are not the only planets in water signs though. The Sun, Venus and Mars will all be in Cancer this summer. Most importantly perhaps, Mercury, the mind, the messenger, will be spending an unusually long time in Cancer because of going retrograde on June 27th.
Mercury dived into water on the first of this month and won't shake himself dry until he reaches Strand Leo on August 7th. That's an awfully long time for us all, collectively, to be thinking about things Cancerian - like children and childhood, food and cooking, home and family, memories sweet and sour, mother and country. Cancerians are collectors: souvenirs or trophies?
It would not be a bad time to do a little therapy. This is a time to examine emotions and try to understand them. When I started writing this, Mercury was opposing Pluto, the planet that likes to tell the truth, ceating a kite in the sky, linking Neptune, Saturn, Mercury, Pluto. The demonstrations in Taksim square are all about who is allowed to speak, and right now they are ending with tear gas and water cannon. those are Neptune's weapons.
Cancer has been one of the signs that has suffered most in recent years, under the cruel attentions of Pluto, a planet which demands ruthless stripping away. Anyone receiving this opposition to a personal planet may have felt flayed. Now it's as if two powerful hoses are aimed at Cancer to soothe the open wounds. Venus is spreading balm too as she sails through the sign of the crab.
We should remember that Jupiter expands what it contacts - and that is not necessarily a good thing. Since Jupiter will be opposing Pluto in Capricorn – it could be quite dangerous. The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, when nuclear war was narrowly averted, took place under a triple-hitting Ju-Plu opposition. There were also massive floods in central Europe that year. This opposition also takes place three times over the next year. The first hit is on August 7th. In the last 50 years, the other triple hitter was over 2000-2001. Here's hoping the Grand Trine ameliorates this opposition rather than facilitating it's expression, because of course, when Jupiter opposes Pluto, he squares the planet of revolution, Uranus this summer. Now that's an explosive mix.
Uranus is rebellion, revolution, change. He's in hot-headed Aries, the sign of beginnings. He squares open-handed Jupiter in Cancer, the sign of nurturing, and Pluto, the enforcer, in the sign of the boss. These are all cardinal signs, of course, and that means they are all trying to be in the driving seat. There's real conflict in this T-square, especially when aggressive Mars goes into Cancer in mid-July.
Oxford Archives
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