ON BENDED KNEES

Saturn's Rings as seen from Cassini

New Year’s Greeting Beloveds! I hope this finds you catching the slip stream of new beginnings as the Julian calendar tips into 2018. Astrologically and seasonally, there is nothing significant about December 31^st at 11:59:59PM, however humans have been celebrating it for several millennia as a turning towards the New, so we tap into that energetically for ourselves. January becomes a time to renew our homes, health, schedules/routines and the like, as well as revisiting and reviewing our life purpose. 

To prepare myself for this new year, I listened to Dr. Michael Lennox’s Astro Overview for 2018 and it was  L O N G  as in there is a lot going on. I am going to condense it here as best I can. Realize that when any astrologer looks at an entire year taken within the context of wheels within wheels, cycles within cycles, he/she could throw a rock in any direction and hit a major vein of energy on which to focus. It takes an experienced, intuitive astrologer to catch the biggest story and for me, that is Dr. Lennox. Where he chooses to place his attention most often matches my own choices. If you follow an astrologer (AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO) (BUT ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON), find one that matches you energetically so that you can receive intuitively. 

There are two big stories for 2018 and they are 1) Awakening in the World of Form (3D) courtesy of Uranus moving into Taurus and 2) Saturn (yes Saturn is going to be on your last nerve until you shed the body) (wish I was kidding) DEMANDING that you build the forms and structures that support you achieving and maintaining the highest possible vantage point available to you. Let’s break that down.

Uranus is the Great Awakener, and uses any means possible to bring that awakening; your house burns down or you win the lottery - both will equally transform your relationship to the material world. Uranus moves slowly – it’s been in Aries for the past 10 years. Aries is all youthful fire, leap first/question later, “Let’s burn everything down RIGHT NOW OK??!!” Think businesses failing, marriages failing, governments crumbling, social structures disintegrating. Change and transformation all over the place. In May Uranus enters Taurus which is grounded Earth energy that takes all that Aries exuberance and says “Ok, we’re here, shit’s all burned down, now what? How do we integrate these transformations into our physical world? How do we contain and hold what’s emerging now?” We take the concept of Awakening out of the fiery, almost-out-of-control, action orientation into the slow, steady, grounded pause, into inquiry and finding the best way to proceed. And the best way to proceed is best seen from the highest+widest vantage point available, which brings us to #2. 

Saturn.

Saturn is our Great Teacher, the bringer of lessons which leads us to fulfill our karma (righting+releasing past actions) into our Dharma, the energy we incarnated to bring onto the planet, the one we embody when we are fully realized. Saturn has been in Sagittarius - all fiery transparency and authenticity, allowing for no wiggle room. No more faking it or phoning it in. We must be who we say we are or we’re going to get nailed. (See how this worked so beautifully with what Uranus was up to in Aries? It’s all one great big system with incomprehensible genius and precision.) Saturn moved into Capricorn in December and will be there until 2020. Capricorn is an Earth sign that teaches us how to achieve our goals, how to create and maintain the structures that will get us up that mountain in a grounded, real way. No woo woo here. Capricorn puts it head down and does its work no matter what. We’re going to need those Capricorn blinders because the world is going increasingly mad. The ‘crazy’ we’re with now is going to ratchet up steadily, hitting one peak in January 2020, when shit really erupts. This year and next are all about preparing ourselves for the world of 2020. We are going to need to be at the top of the mountain, our highest+best vantage point so that we have some distance off the crazy, so that we can hold the line for what is good, for what works, for how love acts and shows up. In this way we will be part of the solution rather than contributing to the crazy. 

And how do we get up that mountain? Cue the broken record.
BY HAVING A DAILY SPIRITUAL PRACTICE. At this point in the human evolutionary journey, we simply cannot grow into our highest and best potential without one. It does not have to be long or complicated. It just has to be a daily touch-in with your own eternal nature. Decide what it is for you and do it - even for five minutes if that’s all you can manage. JUST DO IT. EVERY GOSH DARNED DAY. Meditate, do the kundalini practice I sent last month, chant, do pranayama exercises, whatever, JUST DO. No more wiggle room, no more excuses. The energy is going to get more and more divided in the 3D, which means the heavy pull of gravity at the negative end of the spectrum of experience will become even heavier. You must have a practice wherein you experience the light, neutrality and wholeness at the positive end of the spectrum of experience. When you are hanging out there, life is your school and rather than freaking out when the shit hits the fan, you have the wherewithal to pause and wonder “Why is this in my movie?” You are the writer/director/producer of your movie, and I guarantee you put that shitty thing in there for a reason, so find it. Find and receive the gift – and thereby fulfill your karma, stop the f’in cycle of suffering and start delivering on your Dharma. The world is begging you, on bended knees, forehead to the ground, to deliver your best. 

Here are very brief overviews of how each sign will interact with the two big stories I’ve outlined above. Read for your Sun, Moon and Rising signs.

Aries: Will not be challenged by the Uranus changes – you thrive on the new. You will however be leveled by the demand to be responsible to goals (square to Saturn). Saturn will be all over your shit around being grounded, responsible and deliberate in your actions, particularly around a spiritual practice.

Taurus: Brand new, lightening strike of awakening, YAAY YOU!! You will also have a harmonious experience around the demand for responsibility as you are in a good relationship with the Great Teacher.

Gemini: You will be forced to act upon the coming changes in a pointed way; you must follow the fork in the road, taking a NEW PATH, making a NEW CHOICE. Pass this test – it’s vital.

Cancer: Changes are ones you can work with, you’ve got the info and wherewithal. The Saturn in Capricorn angle is confrontational for you – do your best to overcome being overly emotional, which clouds the field. Find neutrality.

Leo: Will face a similar energy to Gemini although softer; you’ve already made most of the changes and the fork in the road is a gentle course correct.

Virgo: Will receive the greatest benefit. Incorporating changes and responsibility will be easy and in your highest good.

Libra: You will also have a fork in the road – TAKE IT! You will explode into a new consciousness on this new road. Your journey will be uncomfortable but clear.

Scorpio: Your experience will be explosive, confronting. Imperative to become responsible to a daily practice – the energies ensure it will be very effective and offer great long-term outcomes.

Sagittarius: Similar to Scorpio, especially with regards to responsibility around practice.

Capricorn: Mighty responsibility however you’ll receive energy and changes harmoniously.

Aquarius: Very disruptive energy – square with Uranus brings instability but also fun and excitement. Ground, ground, ground. 

Pisces: You will receive the energies of shake-up/changes and responsibility in a very productive way.

Hope this helps. Buckle down, get your shit lined up, it’s time to work.