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Seeds of Beginning
Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.
~ Mary Oliver, from Sometimes
Greetings to my astrology clients and fellow group members—present and past, and to my open-minded friends and acquaintances whom I hope to entice into my musings on the world of Earth and Sky! It is my hope that you will find herein inspiration regarding the present concerns and needs of these Times, as well as nourishment for your own growth and transformation.
I am prompted to write this Earth-Sky Journal for a few reasons, the primary being to educate and enthuse about my dual passions for Astrology and the Earthly web of life—including where the two conjoin—in a time when I feel that we can greatly benefit from increasing our awareness of both realms. Despite the encroachment of technology and other distractions on our modern lives, our bodies remain situated here, rooted in the Earth’s clay, and beneath the constant gaze of the celestial lights. And as many now know, the Earth and we ourselves are made of the same ‘stuff’ as the stars. We are deeply interconnected.
My intent here is to promote interest in and knowledge of the language, structure, and cycles of astrology, and how it can be used for deepened understanding and guidance in our lives—even at a bare bones ‘entry level’—and as well, to explore this knowledge in relationship to the Earth and her own elements and cycles. I want also to explore, through the lens of my own small doings and being, how the Living Sky and the Living Earth can inform our lives in the here and now. Indigenous peoples and mystical forebears have held these realms sacred, and used them for guidance, for thousands of years.
I will first offer a bit of personal history before I speak to the Aquarian energy of Change—the astrological flavor of the Time, and our position in the cycle of the seasons.
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My Journey With Astrology
I began my fascination with astrology before the age of 12, reading little pocket Dell books about astrology and reincarnation featured on a spinning rack at my local drugstore. My interest persisted until I received my first “Astro Psychology” book from my brother for my 18th birthday, igniting a lifelong, avid pursuit of astrology knowledge through books, particularly as it connected to psychology. Then, about 20 years ago, I embarked on a course of study focusing on that same subject, Astrological Psychology, which deepened my understanding of the archetypes and their interactions, which had already been a fascination through my long-standing interest in C.G.Jung. Soon afterwards, my husband gifted me my first astrology software, purchased at a Bioneers conference, which moved me across a pivotal threshold—into casting charts.
Of relevance to my Earth-Sky theme is that the Bioneers conference, now celebrating its 25th anniversary, has as its tagline, Revolution from the heart of nature. Even back then, before the start of astrology’s resurgence, astrology was included in the embrace of “Nature.” Fast forward to 2022, when a series of 10 documentary films with primary contributions from revered archetypal astrologer and cultural historian Richard Tarnas, was launched by Bioneers founder Kenny Ausubel. The series, Changing of the Gods, uses the framework of archetypal astrology to explore the arc of revolutionary cycles across history and how they correlate with planetary alignments.
As some of you may be aware, astrology has in recent years been going ‘mainstream’—particularly with the younger generations. I marvel to myself that my secret, oft-trivialized passion of 50 years has now made me surprisingly “relevant!” An example of this can be seen through the trajectory of my daughter’s relationship with astrology. When she was about age 12, I began teaching her the signs of the zodiac, of which she was an eager student. She also examined and absorbed the few ‘young minds’ astrology books I gave her. But years passed, and one day she came home from a high school biology class and proclaimed, “Astrology is just a pseudo-science, Mr. Wilson said so. It’s meaningless—it’s not science!”
Sadly, this has been the realm that astrology has been relegated to for decades if not centuries—certainly throughout my lifetime. Yet the observation and study of the movements of the stars and planets has been practiced by humans since at least 2,000 BC, being a significant feature in the cultural, and spiritual maps of understanding of the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Ancient Greeks and Romans. This sidelining of ancient wisdom is not unlike how the realm of Nature (by which I mean the entire interconnected web of all life on Earth) has been relegated by the Western, industrialized, rational mentality to a mere recreational feature of existence—and worse, as something to pillage and use for its own purposes—instead of a sacred matrix of Being, of which we are inextricably a part.
But I was thrilled to learn, when my daughter was a senior in college, that one of her friend’s dads was also an astrologer, and that this was now considered “cool.” Wow, that was a turnaround. I was perhaps no longer quite such a witchy embarrassment! (My black cat—the ‘familiar’ traditionally associated with witches—had already passed away, but I did have another beloved cat, Venus, who was herself most magical. She too sadly left this world last summer. I will indulge in sharing a photo of her as I feel that living with pet companions is like inviting a touch of the Wild into our daily rounds, and thereby deserve to be celebrated (as if we don’t all love pet photos anyway!)
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Astrology's comeBack
Synchronistically—synchronicity being the stuff of which astrology and Jungian psychology are built (that is, not linear causality, but simultaneous co-arisings in a shared field)—I had just gotten to this point in my writing when an article on this very theme of astrology’s resurgence popped into my Inbox from the Bioneers founder himself! Sharing here while trusting that you will remember to return from the internet rabbit hole to finish the blog. (Sharing links always bears this risk, but I hope you will exercise the discipline to stick with me, as I will be a link-sharer!) The piece specifically addresses astrology skeptics, making an excellent case for “the data,” with which technically I’m not too concerned, as I’ve seen time and again how it “works” in my life and those of my friends and clients. However, I do like his closing comment enough to quote it here: :
What has shifted? It’s that astrology is slowly winning hearts and minds…through consistent, effective counseling that clients find useful, practical and relevant to their lives. Professional astrologers cater to working-class individuals all the way up to lawyers, doctors, politicians, businessmen, and professionals of all stripes, every day in this country. Since the field is not routinely covered in the media, many would be surprised to learn that the average professional astrologer is highly educated, socially and politically liberal, and extremely intellectual. [Hello!]
As I stress on my (newly redesigned) website, I don’t subscribe to using astrology for prediction, but for deepened understanding of ourselves and others, and as a set of ‘celestial instructions,’ much the way indigenous shamans would read the signs in the weather and the earth for deeper knowledge, and for effecting healing “magic.” Knowing our natal imprint and how the current planetary cycles in the sky are affecting us helps us navigate so that we can make the best choices, time our actions (and periods of retreat) well, and grow in both consciousness and effectiveness in our lives. If aligning ourselves with the seed pattern of our chart is magical, then this is indeed shamanic work.
But it’s exceedingly practical too. I am a very practical Sun sign Virgo—grounded in the Earth element—and am thereby wired to integrate the various aspects of experience and knowledge into a useful, livable synthesis. Be aware, though that our Sun sign is but the quality of the ‘fuel we burn’ (to coin a phrase of astrologer Daniel Giamario), and by no means indicative of the full picture of why we’re here, and what lies beneath and before us. There are many other facets of an astrology chart to be considered. (The one below, for the upcoming Full Moon, includes in addition to the planets and luminaries (Sun and Moon) four asteroids and a few ‘chart points’, many of which I don’t include in my readings as I prefer to keep things simple so as to be able to drill down in; but this offers a taste of what we astrologers learn and talk about amongst ourselves!)
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Trending Now
So, what of the astrology of Now? The energy of the current Sun sign, Aquarius is the dominant vibe of the time, and will continue to be a strong signature this year, as the “transpersonal” planet of transformation, Pluto will be leaving Capricorn and entering Aquarius this March. Aquarius energy, in its positive manifestation (all astrological archetypes have both postive and negative, or centered and off-centered manifestations), is asking us to step into our uniqueness, our authentic self, especially the parts that may feel different, ahead of our time, or just “out there.” It also asks that we consider altering old routines and habits, and try on New, particularly in the areas where Aquarius and transiting Uranus hit our chart.
After almost three years since the pandemic struck, with the outer stages of social, political, and ecological life devolving into greater and greater disarray, the Aquarian archetype beckons us to detach from fears and competitiveness, and step into what we can offer the newly forming, very much in flux, state of “reality” (which, with Aquarius is entirely up for grabs!). Ideally we venture forth with something that carries that which is our unique genius or gift, perhaps well-honed (or honed enough, if you’re a perfectionist), tempered through many trials, and importantly, in service to the greater good.
Underscoring this Aquarian theme, the transpersonal planet Uranus—one of the two planetary rulers of Aquarius (the other being Saturn)—has recently gone direct (after 5 months retrograde) making its energy newly available after a long period of inward pulsing. And, for further emphasis, Uranus will be squaring both Sun and Moon on the Leo Full Moon of Feb. 5. (The Aquarius Sun will oppose the Leo Moon, both at 16°41′, with both squared by Uranus in Taurus, forming a T-square.) A square is a 90° angle that creates an inner tension between conflicting energies, and a T-square (a planet squaring two opposing planets) ratchets things up. This could evoke sudden surprises and shifts, spontaneous insights, changes of heart or mind, the ‘shock of the new.’ Good time to pay attention and “keep your knees bent!” The effects on us personally depend on whether we have planetary positions within a roughly 5 degree orb of 16° of the Fixed signs Leo, Aquarius, Taurus, or Scorpio.
We are also now positioned at a change point in the cycles of the Earth, as February 2 is the potent cross-quarter day of Imbolc (meaning in the belly), being the first day of Spring in the Celtic year, also corresponding to Candlemas and St. Brigidh’s Day. This midpoint between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox in our Gregorian calendar marks the beginning of the return of the Light in a subtle way, when a quickening can be sensed. Some of us already do feel the spring energy, such as here in California where, despite the recent persistent cold, blooms are sprouting — flowering plums and quince boldly leading the charge. In Qi Gong (a Chinese mind-body-spirit practice I work with) Feb. 3 marks the “Beginning of Spring,” as well.
But before we leap too quickly into Spring, perhaps the persistent cold is reminding us that we are indeed still at least somewhat embedded in the embrace of Winter. And with this, the energy of stillness, of hibernation and incubation, which are vital to the creative cycle of life. Energetically, winter is affiliated with the Air element; and likewise, the sign Aquarius is an Air sign in the zodiac (along with Gemini and Libra). Air signs love abstact ideas, communication, and social connection, and are skilled in these areas. Like “the breath of life,” Air energy can also dwell in the archetypal realm, where ideas are first seeded before 3D manifestation can ensue—this is particularly so for innovative Aquarius. So it’s a good time to keep dreaming deep as we birth the New in the year ahead.
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All photos copyright Diana Badger 2023