ISAAC GEORGE

Venus Retrograde in Virgo/Leo – July 25th to September 6th-7th, 2015

By Isaac George
July 24th, 2015

 “One birth was given to you by your parents, the other birth is waiting. It has to be given to you by yourself. You have to father and mother yourself.” - Osho

This month we have a four planet pileup on the celestial motorway, and a fifth vehicle is approaching the scene of the accident and she is too busy texting her boyfriend on her smartphone to notice. Prepare for impact!

I’ve been reading too many other astrology posts about the Venus Retro, and so perhaps I should get that out there front and center. Instead, I’d like to take a different tack regarding astrology, the current spate of retrograde planets, and Venus in particular. 

Between July 25th and early October it’s going to be one thing after another, and since I feel to wander into the nether regions from my usual astro-babble in this report, it might still be useful to provide you with a map of the roadside attractions over the next few month or so. Try not to linger too long at any one of them though. The term “tourist trap” definitely applies here, along with cheaply made souvenirs and questionable snack foods. My focus next week will be on Uranus in Aries retrograde, and then I'll be back in mid-August with a more in depth examination of the action coming up in September.

As we begin, please keep in mind that Saturn, Pluto, Neptune, Chiron are already in retrograde motion.

For your entertainment, I present the line up between now and August 31st –

1.       July 25th: Venus at 00 degrees of Virgo stations (stopping) in preparation to go retrograde (time for review!). (Note: this is also the “Day Out of Time” in the Mayan Long Count Calendar)

2.       July 26th: Venus is now  retrograde at 00 degrees, 45 minutes at 9:56am UT (10:56 BST).  Mars at 21 Cancer trines Chiron at 21 Pisces, and squares Uranus at 20 Aries. Mercury is conjunct Sun at 6 and 3 degrees of Leo. The Moon and Saturn are almost exactly conjunct at 28 Scorpio. Uranus is stationing to go retrograde!  (Note: July 26th in the Mayan Calendar is the first day of their New Year)

3.       July 27th: Uranus goes retrograde at 20 degrees Aries.

4.       July 31st: Full (Blue) Moon at 7 degrees of Aquarius.

5.       Aug 3rd: Saturn goes direct at 28 degrees of Scorpio.

6.       Aug 5th: Venus and Jupiter at 28 degrees of Leo will be in a waning square to Saturn at 28 degrees of Scorpio. Remember – Jupiter expands the effect of this square!

7.       Aug 14th: New Moon at 21 degrees Leo, Venus conjunct at 23 Leo.

8.       Aug 29th: Full Moon at 6 degrees Pisces. Neptune conjunct Moon, Jupiter conjunct Sun.

9.       Sept.1st: Mars conjunct Venus at 14 degrees, 55 minutes of Leo, quincunx Pluto at 13 degrees, 6 minutes of Capricorn, trine the Moon at 12 Aries (Uranus not far away at 19 Aries), and Pallas Athena at 14 degrees of Sagittarius. Sun and Neptune almost exactly in opposition to each other at 8 degrees Virgo and Pisces respectively.  The Nodes are at 2 degrees Libra-Aries, and getting closer to moving into Virgo and Pisces, and the South Node is now in a loose out-of-sign trine to Saturn in Scorpio – old patterns from past lives emerge. A very active day!

10.   Sept. 7th: Venus goes direct in Leo at 14 degrees, 24 minutes. This is close to the same degree Venus was at when it entered the shadow period just around the Solstice on June 21st.

As you may surmise, the next 35-40 days are going to be quite a journey of discovery…in many guises. I would like to remind my readers that the overall tone still in effect during all of these transits is the Uranus-Pluto cycle recently completed in March. This still rings on through all of this…a fundamental note that our inner ear is listening to regardless of the noise levels in the foreground. The subharmonics to the Venus Retrograde are Saturn, Pluto, Uranus, Neptune and Chiron all retrograde as well. A change of consciousness is taking place, but is it all that we are hoping for? Here is where I may diverge from the conventional path regarding the nature and values we assign to Venus.

Venus isn’t just about our love life, or money, or creating a beautiful living environment. In the sign of Leo, it is not just about love affairs, frivolity or fun. Leo can also take itself too seriously, as in trying too hard to be the center of attention. Venus can be lazy and lackadaisical…inattentive and selfish. There can be a tendency with Venus in Leo to become narcissistic or obsessive with the reflection of others (“oh yes, your Highness, you ARE beautiful!). This is the archetype of the Dark Queen in the fairy tale of Snow White. Who the heck is the fairest of them all! Above all, this transit will test all of us in one particularly sensitive area – the wounded or immature Feminine within all of us, whether male or female.

I would like to illustrate this point by quoting from a recent article about  Venus Retrograde from astrologer Sarah Varcas. I was particularly touched by her following words…

“The challenge of this Venus retrograde is to bridge the gap between isolated self-reliance and nourishing interdependence. We do this by embracing those Virgoan nuances. Venus cannot live only within and remain happy, healthy and whole. She needs connection, comfort, affection and attachment to thrive. Venus fans the flames of love and brings us together to share it. She naturally reaches out to connect, not within to detach.” (Read the full post here).

With Venus moving retrograde from staid and analytical Virgo back into Leo, there may be a danger of spending too much time in self-reflection. Yes, it doesn’t help to constantly seek attention from outside of ourselves, and demand the loyalty and admiration of others. Nor is it healthy for us to feel that the only way to feel empowered and safe is to look at our outer relationships as inferior or as a threat to our independence. People will test us, and our patience, during this time; however, I would caution against making any snap judgments or taking any unilateral action to wholeheartedly embrace or strongly disengage from anyone.  Regret is not something you want to be fiddling around with come the middle of September.

There may be painful relationship memories arising, or some long lost love from the past may show up that will activate these patterns. Someone new may enter your life to complete unfinished business that looks and feels like someone from your past. Caution: is this in your best interest...or will there only be more tears?

Perhaps you are in a relationship that is teetering on the brink. Decide if it is worth staying in or getting out, but don’t take any firm action until after Venus moves direct on September 6th-7th.  Or better yet, make a plan, and don’t make it real until after October 9th, when Venus moves out of the retrograde shadow period. This doesn’t mean remaining silent till the last minute, so engaging in dialogue consciously to discover what is really in the hearts of all parties, especially your own, is certainly appropriate. Honour yourself first, but respect the feelings of others as much as possible.

I feel we are just now learning how to merge and unmerge consciously with each other. Empowerment does not include distancing from, or exiling yourself or the other. Merging does not have to mean a loss of self, at least not in the old way. However, unless you are willing to relinquish some control, you cannot even know your larger Self, or the Self within the Other. 

I wonder if some of our current focus on authenticity and empowerment is in some way caught up by our egos attempting to assert even more control. As most spiritual disciplines teach, only a reduction of ego can accompany a corresponding degree of realization of our real “self”, which is inimically connected to the entire Web of Life and all beings in it. We need to  become more aware and self-compassionate, not more egocentric.  We are in the midst of re-parenting ourselves, and we will need others to assist us in this quest for sanity. Life is not at war with itself…except in our own minds. An inner marriage will also have to have its counterpart in the outer…it must in order to demonstrate something different to human consciousness. This is how we learn and evolve…we observe and emulate from something that looks and feels better.

Ultimately, this is a quest for Love…love that is real, sustainable and fulfilling. True to the nature of Leo, it’s all about the Heart. A lion is fierce, protective, and diligent. The opposite polarity of Leo is Aquarius, so it is essential to be mindful that this work of the Self is bound up with and benefits, or harms, the wider community we belong to. What we think, how we express our thoughts and feelings, and how we act upon them in our lives touches everyone at some level. We must be just as eager to receive as to give, to be nurtured as to nurture. What that will look like and how you desire for it to show up in your life, in equality and in tenderness, is completely up to you.

Let us be courageous as is possible. Don’t fear Love, for Ecstasy is our natural state of being. But first, we will have to be surrendered to it.

With love,
Isaac

(I give a nod to Diva Sarah McClachlan for the inspiration of this blog title)

New Moon in Cancer - July 16th, 2:25 AM BST London, United Kingdom​ (see chart below)

Well, this is another in a series of lunations that seems to hold so much energy for change at fundamental levels. And this one will go into the record books because of the flyby of Pluto that is revealing so much new data.  Our data banks are getting triggered too…read on.

The Sun-Moon in Cancer is all about Love, Nurturing, and warm fuzzies. It is also about SECURITY and the desire for strong, comfortable and stable situations, relationships and surroundings. As you may have noticed, events both personal and planetary seem to fly in the face of real security lately. There are ongoing crises in Greece, the continued destabilization of the Eurozone, of Syria, the Middle East, and other hot spots around the globe. As we focus on the themes of this New Moon, I also would caution against getting too carried away with yourself, or your utopian visions. The polarity of Cancer is Capricorn, and there’s the rub. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, and this New Moon loosely trines the ongoing Saturn in Scorpio retrograde. It will be an easy flow of feelings coming up…some from the present moment, but mostly from the past, but with a strength and poignancy that may surprise you.

No matter how one wants to paint this New Moon, the fact is that there are four major players in retrograde right now – Pluto, Saturn, Chiron and Neptune. Uranus and Venus will join the throng around July 25th-26th, and add extra punch to the burn off of extraneous ego stuff. This is where we will really need huge doses of self-Love and self-acceptance. Nothing about our ego needs to be killed off or excluded (just turn down the volume), and all it takes for us to navigate these energies are massive doses of compassion (Sun-Moon in Cancer). The desire to heal and integrate our pain (Chiron) and the strength of the evolutionary impulse (Pluto) will help us to persevere (Saturn) and reach a new level of maturity and interdependence (Uranus). Our vision (Neptune) will become clearer and more easily grasped by this autumn, as each of the outer transpersonal planets gradually returns to direct motion. Saturn is first, on August 2nd, followed by Pluto in mid-September. There will be Love, and after the tears we will understand what all of this was for.

The Sun-Moon square to Uranus and the dwarf planet Eris will stimulate our desire to finally begin the process of jettisoning any structures or forms we have felt enslaved by or beholden to. If it doesn’t feel like fun, it probably isn’t, so time to move away from that which no longer floats your boat and has started to feel like an obligation without end. We all know what happens if we sit on a dime for too long…the Universe, or your own Soul, will drive the point home a bit more emphatically, or rearrange things so that it becomes imperative to change the situation…or leave it. Sometimes a shift in perspective does the trick, but in this case, the evolutionary calling is to dissolve most, if not all, of the old forms.  What is being called for here is what is sustainable, not for what is just profitable.

Finally, Venus will enter Virgo briefly, make a weak aspect to the Nodal Axis, and then go underground (retrograde) for 40 days in Leo. The Venus retrograde is a review about our values and connections with personal relationships. Or, our values might be something as mundane as considering to redecorate a room in your home, or do some landscaping in the garden. However, interpersonal relationships will be on the brain and in the heart, whether there is something tangible going on not.

Hard to pin this one down, but if something needs to be ended, it will end. If something needs healing and reconciliation so that moving forward together is then possible, it will occur now. If something karmic is up, it will find expression. And, something new may possibly show up that was unexpected! However, under a retrograde, a new relationship may become a real challenge or take you on a roller-coaster ride before flinging you overboard. Be cautious – there may be some shady characters that show up to teach you a real lesson in discernment! The retrograde ends around September 6th-7th, but the shadow period won’t be over till October 9th when Venus re-enters Virgo.

The energies this week will begin to settle by the weekend, so don’t lose your cool or your heart. I highly recommend extreme self-care during this next three to six weeks. When I say “self-care” I also include in that the choice to be vulnerable enough to ask for support from others, including nurturing, hugs, and a good set of ears. Also, diplomacy now will go a long way towards healing and renewal of love and affection later. We are all in this together, and its all a bit bigger than us too. Kindness counts.  Sometimes we need space, or we need to give others the space. Sometimes closeness will be more in step with what is needed. Above all, with Pluto, Chiron and Saturn in the framework, telling the truth to ourselves and others, without blame or without expectation, will be the wisest course.  A sense of humor and some laughs goes a long way as well.

Till next time, be gentle...

With love,
Isaac

P.S. Here’s a little ditty to help smooth things along...

by Isaac George
July 4th, 2015

“Welcome to the new normal!” This was a favorite quip of a friend of mine that I first heard after my kundalini awakening got under way in the spring and summer of 1994. Such a prophetic and timeless phrase, and perfect for these timeless times as well. What is the “new normal”? Well, that depends on the day of the week now, as it is ever –changing.

I know it’s been a while since my last post, but I’ve been inside of one of my ‘transformational’ episodes. And I had my birthday this past week. No, it doesn’t matter which one, but I do find it had significant astrology backing me up. The Jupiter-Venus conjunction in the evening skies, which has gotten a lot of attention in social media and elsewhere, was happening right on my birthday (June 30th). The Sun is a wake-up call, shining a light on things. The Moon is a reflective thing, uncovering the shadows. The Jupiter-Venus thing is like a hot date with loads of heart energy. Well, I’m ready to rock and roll I reckon…but what shall my heading be? With Mars next to my Sun degree, and Pluto and Moon all cosy together over in Capricorn, and all of it squaring the Nodes of the Moon…I feel, well, a bit like a pirate heading out on a new adventure. I sure would like to have Captain Jack Sparrow’s magic compass. Oh yes, mateys, THAT compass! Savvy?

You see, I’m a movie buff. I feel movies contain messages, as do books, fine art and music. Poetry has loads of messages...amazing stuff.  But movies are quite my favorite art form for a number of reasons. In any case, the compass in this particular set of films symbolizes something each and every one of us deals with. Those somethings are “desire” and “choice”. Ahh, desire.  According to the Buddha, that cause of all suffering and pain in the human condition, this constant craving that K.D. Lang sings about, the unrequited hunger that is the fuel for the ego’s ambitions. But without the Desire, there wouldn’t even be an “us”, or a Universe, or this planet. The nature of desire had to come from somewhere and from something, don’t you think?

Here’s another way to look at it. Instincts are what the animals have, and we have them too. Over thousands of years we’ve tried to repress or suppress them, tried to civilize ourselves. In the process we’ve trained ourselves not to trust our instinctual natures, and this has probably led to all sorts of psychological issues…and the burying of them en masse. Clinical psychology began as a way to understand primal urges and delve into the first layers of the subconscious mind. As a science, it’s still in its infancy. The latest findings in neurobiology is showing us that our conscious minds aren’t as all powerful as we have previously imagined, and the subconscious and the superconscious levels are at the root of our decision-making processes. Even our interpretation of the external environment affects us in more ways than we realize. For more information, read these articles just recently published: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-06-consciousness-believed-theory.html and http://www.lifetrainings.com/Your-unconscious-mind-is-running-you-life.html.

Where I’m going with all of this is that in order to desire and actualize a new world, a new Earth if you will, we may have to alter our spiritual rules and perspectives about what our humanness is all about, and what our role within the framework of Nature might be. Curiosity helps, as does a willingness to jettison belief systems that are now an encumbrance rather than an asset. We need a new magic compass. We need to become the Pirates of Consciousness, willing to sail intrepidly into the unknown. This Compass is our intuition and instinct, and by merging consciously with it we return to the proverbial primordial state, but wide awake this time. To do this, our compass needs to be guided by our intelligent empathy, not the old “business as usual” left-brain drive and planning.

A friend and fellow stargazer refers to this potential new way of being as “yintegrity”.  His perspective is that our new sense of needing community (Age of Aquarius) needs to be balanced with our emerging “yindependence”; the valuing of self for Self’s sake. This cannot be realized as a naturally empowered state at the expense or cost of isolating ourselves from each other, Nature, or the wider Cosmos. It is a huge shift from competition to cooperation. The past on this planet has been all about power games…who has the most energy and how do I get some of that? Rather parasitic in practice and a no-win for everyone concerned. That’s what keeps the Karmageddon game going.

Hey, back to the cinema for a moment. On my birthday I saw a new flick entitled “Tomorrowland”. This film is a must-see I feel, because it encapsulates all of the great problems and crises we currently face, and addresses how it is useless to become aware of our problems and go into despair and dystopian outcomes. In the story we see the optimist balanced against the pessimist within all of us, and in a classic twist of the old “end of the world as we know it” genre, provides some novel perspectives of how we can and should change our current trajectory. As the old adage goes, if you don’t change your direction, you’ll end up where you’re headed.

"Tomorrowland" aptly demonstrates the power of the individual (Yintegrity +Yindependence) when coupled with the community at large, creating interdependence and mutual benefit. This was most uplifting for me when I saw it, because although we all need to feel powerful and sovereign as individuals, we also have a need to share that power and our gifts with those around us if we are to have any meaning and purpose to our lives.

Power is such an issue these days isn’t it? I feel that our current concept of power is driven by fear, not Love. We feel we need to reclaim our power over our experience, or from others, and yet, when I look up into the vastness of the Cosmos, I feel that we don’t really understand the ramifications of what power is really about, or where it resides truthfully.  I mean, really, we are all part of one power, one Life. You can’t “own” your power, because ultimately, you can’t own anything. This doesn’t mean you are owned by anything either, unless you allow yourself to be. Perhaps we will discover the true nature of power in a similar way to the Jedi philosophy from the Star Wars films. In that tradition (thanks George Lucas) the Force is a universal cooperative, intelligent and benign energy that emanates through all of Creation as it creates it. A Jedi merely learns or remembers to align with it, and then as he or she comes to direct it, it is symbiotically directing the individual too. The distinction between doer and deed blurs until there is a seamless flow of unity between cause and effect, problem and solution.  It is a spiral of evolution through cooperation, not entropy through competition and predation.

Recently someone sent some channelled information about the current conditions on our planet, and that unless there is a big shift soon we’re essentially out of time and luck. While there was an exhortation offered to engage in a positive thought process at a particular time and day in the near future, I feel that just meditating about a solution, or attempting to transcend the issues, doesn’t really cut it any longer. I used to think this stuff mattered and worked, and now I don’t think it so. If our intentions aren’t actionable, and translate into something tangible, it’s like wishful thinking and it will garner wishful results…in other words, not much really changes. Time we took our blinkers off and took a good hard look at our belief systems and see if they’re really useful any longer. If we keep doing the same thing over and over again in the hopes that something will change, and so far I don’t see how it’s really been changing things that much, then that is insanity. (Click here for the truth of where that concept came from) Positive thinking is just one component, and it will take a whole lot more than just that to shift the river into a new course. Remember, our power and our decision-making processes are still barely conscious!

How does Jack’s Magic Compass figure into my theme? Well, if we are truly inheritors of limitless potential, and we align with our truest nature and desire, then our ‘compass’ – the guidance system at the core of our heart and Soul, will always point us towards the highest experience and outcome that is possible. A win-win for all concerned, as it were. When we follow our spirit, like Captain Jack Sparrow, we align with the Force, and therefore we can cooperate with a power that is greater than any single individual. When we engage and utilize this power to uplift others, find solutions, and discover what we haven’t yet dreamed of discovering, then anything truly becomes possible.  If everyone aligns with their spirit, soul and heart, then…what might happen? 

Yo ho, me hearties!

With Love,
Isaac


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