Astral Notes
Winter, 2005 - 2006

 

   This page is a quarterly UFC supplement for Winter, 2005 - 2006. It contains astrology information beyond the monthly entries for such basic astral events as lunations (New and Full Moons) and sign changes of fast-moving "inner" planets; and the occasional rare and auspicious alignment such as the Star of David/Merkaba at the Harmonic Concordance of November, 2003, and the Grand Quintile of October, 2004. The Astral Notes cover the "middle ground" between the biggest events and the more routine ones, and chart important astral currents that are already in effect, or are coming several months ahead.
We begin with the momentous Neptune-Pluto septile that has been in effect since 2000, and we'll look mainly here at Saturn's entry into Leo, and his opposition to Chiron, in mid-summer. The next Astral Notes in December 2005 will focus on the Coming Attractions at the end of this page. Here are the main players for fall, 2005:
1. Still Running from 2005:
2000 - 2019: Neptune-Pluto Septile: A septile is one-seventh of a 360° circle, and is thus an angle of about 51°. While astrologers normally do not devote much space to septiles in reading for their individual clients or the planet as a whole, they're making an exception for the one that began in September, 2000 and will continue until well after the End of Time forecast for 2012. As Neptune, now in Aquarius, and Pluto in Sagittarius are the two slowest-moving planets in our solar system, angles of relationship between them tend to be very long-lasting, as this one is. It continues through Pluto's crossing into Capricorn (2008) and the entry of Neptune into Pisces (2011), and does not begin to fade until 2019.
Both these planets pertain to specific areas of mass consciousness. Pluto is more political, social and technological in his sphere of influence, governing mass movements, the collapse and regeneration of governments and other institutions, and such technologies as computers and encyryption and espionage systems. Neptune is more mystical and aesthetic, holding a greater sway in the realm of mass spiritual and religious beliefs. Thus Tem Tarriktar of Mountain Astrologer expects this aspect to entail “global war and blatant propaganda, with extreme polarization on many levels,” as occurred when these planets were last in septile in 1937 – 40. Tarriktar quotes a valuable take on this septile by astrologer Edward Gilliam, writing about the actions of seventh-harmonic (7H) personalities, and the premise that a seventh-harmonic person or event, like the discordant interval of a seventh on a musical scale, represents a temporary harshness and discomfort that the music may go through until it resolves into the harmony of the octave.
“This journey into the dark, the shocking and the chaotic," Gilliam believes, "appears to emerge when we examine mundane and natal seventh-harmonic charts. . . . [The] seventh harmonic . . . can be a dark and overwhelming place - full of fears, surprises, taboos, and confrontations with ‘otherness.’ The 7H individual is someone who appears to be "living on the edge" as a ‘disorderer,’ renegade, or iconoclast, or someone who prods social conscience. The 7H event (typically a shocking human act) appears unannounced and unwelcome but may be a desperate final cry, from the darkest places in the collective psyche, perhaps to ‘re-balance' power relationships and to acknowledge the rights of disowned and dispossessed peoples.” (Mountain Astrologer, Feb. – March, 2003)
We are now about one-fourth of the way through the Neptune-Pluto septile period, and we can readily imagine what some of the 7H events have been and will be. And the 7H people, including such candidates as Osama bin Laden, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela -- no wonder assassins are after both -- and, for that matter, the indigo children, who are here to bust old systems and limits, and clear them away.
Feb. 2005 - Feb. 2011: Chiron in Aquarius: For these six years, except for brief moves back into Capricorn and ahead into Pisces, the planet of the holistic healer will be in the sign of friendship and community, with all that this implies for individual health and planetary healing achieved by growing teams of like-minded light physicians. See Carolyn Brent's Shamanic Astrology website for her article "Chiron in Aquarius: The Kindness Revolution Elixir."
July 17, 2005 - Sept. 2, 2007: Saturn in Leo: As Saturn is the principle of weakness and restriction, but also the symbol of the wisdom that may come in solitude, his presence in the masculine, intellectual Sun-ruled sign of Leo represents a time when men in particular, but women too, will examine the limits of intellectual approaches to many areas of their lives, and will also retune as needed their sex roles and power roles in their relationships. Saturn is said to be “in detriment” in Leo – as he was also in Cancer, his power muted and weakened, so that his guidance may seem to come at lower volume, and be harder to hear. For some this period of two years and a little more may seem less “productive” than they would like – until they recognize that a greater abundance of ideas and work, and stronger support for them, will ensue upon new realizations about what one truly wishes to do, and for what aim.
Oct. 24, 2005 through May 17, 2006: Saturn trine Dragon’s Head: The Moon’s North Node or Dragon’s Head, moving backwards in Aries, trines Saturn, moving retrograde, then forward again, in Leo. The trine is exact on Dec. 14; and from March 14 through April 20, Saturn and the Dragon’s head are within half a degree of an exact trine. The trine finally ends on May 17. This trine is wonderfully advantageous, acting as a cosmic glue that helps hold everything together through the Grand Cross and squares that come from mid-December until April, 2006. As “positive” Saturn-Dragon’s Head combinations emphasize advantageous relationships with older persons, this time favors teaching and mentorship activities by elders,  and also the possibility of outreach and common cause with older people who until now have hesitated to explore avenues of new spiritual consciousness, but may now be more receptive.

Oct. 25, 2005 - Nov. 24, 2006: Jupiter in Scorpio: The king is not in fury, nor is he brightly entertained in the dark underworld home of Pluto. Conspirators work in safety, and even the innocent shore up their secrets. The obvious manifestation of this aspect is the intense web of conspiracies, machinations, evasions, accusations, lies and lifeboat repairs connected with the American CIA leak case, which has implicated many officials and their media whores, all now scheming and scamming for their lives. Attempts to suppress the internet and other relatively free communications, notably in China, are relevant here too.
Nov. 13 - Dec. 14, 2005:  Jupiter trine Uranus: Jupiter in Scorpio forms the first of three trines with Uranus in Pisces between now and September, 2006. The trine is exact on Nov. 27 – 28. The celestial dynamics get hotter in the last month of 2005, and this aspect helps to cool and soothe them. While Jupiter will be an ambitious participant in the tense Grand Cross on Dec. 15, he has a much more pleasant relationship with Uranus over the next year. This kind of “positive” Jupiter-Uranus connection is considered one of the luckiest of all aspects, even favorable for profitable speculations and windfalls. You may not find over the next month a non-controlling lover or a few hundred dollars lying in the street. And you are by no means hereby encouraged to go to a casino and throw your money in the general direction of organized crime, though your local astrologer can perhaps tell you your best days to play the lottery.  The main idea here is that cooperation is easy, your intuition and that of others may be very strong, and can help to generate an abundance of good ideas that bring happy outcomes and may lead to successful new organizations. This is a time for adventure. From now through mid-December, fortune does favor the brave.
2. New Aspects for Winter, 2005 - 2006:
Dec. 6: Chiron enters Aquarius: A key planetary transition comes now, as the planet of the healer now re-enters the sign of the Aquarian Age. Chiron will remain in Aquarius – except for a brief advance visit to Pisces in mid-2010 – until February of 2011. Fortunately, Saturn no longer opposes Chiron, as he did in September of both 2003 and 2004, and most notably at the disastrous Aceh Tsunami in December, 2004. They near opposition again in February-March 2006, but do not oppose each other exactly. The welcome effect of this is that the most severe of their clashes over the next two years and more are now behind us, and we can expect that governmental and medical authorities will be less heavily determined than they have been of late to suppress holistic therapies. Spiritual medicine will have greater freedom to flow in 2006, a year that can use it.
Dec. 15: Full Moon and Grand Cross Alignment: At this Full Moon Pluto conjoins the Sun in late Sagittarius, both opposing the Moon in Gemini. At the same time a not-quite perfect Grand Cross forms among Mars in Taurus, Saturn in Leo, Jupiter in Scorpio and Neptune in Aquarius. As this is a Grand Cross in mutable signs, it marks a time of completion in which fluid new conditions will present, amid all the flux that is so painfully uncomfortable to so many, a variety of new creative choices
Jan. 1 – April 15, 2006:  Jupiter square Neptune: From the beginning of the year through mid-April, and again later in the year, Jupiter in Scorpio and Neptune in Aquarius are at an angle of 90° to each other. This is no time for long shots and risky investments, and gamblers who buck the astral rhythm may create trouble for many others besides themselves. Under this aspect even practical-minded people are inclined to the kind of wishful dreaminess that paints a vivid image of one's desire, but does little to being it to concrete manifestation. Perpetrators of spiritual scams make out like bandits now. Impressionable people will buy almost anything, and imagine visits from Akhnaten, St. Germain and others in the quiet hours of the night.
Jan. 29: New Moon Stellium in Aquarius: The Sun, Moon, Mercury and Chiron form a four-planet conjunction, while Neptune, at a distance of eight degrees a little too far away to be in the conjunction, completes the five-planet stellium. The four conjoined planets are opposite to Saturn in Leo, and sextile the Moon’s North Node (Dragon’s Head) in Aries. From now until 2011 -- though curiously not in 2012 -- there is a stellium of five or more planets in Aquarius at each Aquarius New Moon, as though to affirm the Aquarian values of friendship, equality, inclusiveness and communal consciousness that will help us steer straight in the coming years.
Feb. 13: Full Moon and Grand Cross: Just as an approximate Grand Cross in the fixed signs formed in late December 2005, another comes now as Mars in Taurus opposes Jupiter in Scorpio – though by a wide orb of almost 10° -- and the two planets square Sun in Aquarius and Moon in Leo. Neptune in Aquarius conjoins the Sun and opposes the Moon. This will be a crux point in the year, when those who are in fear will keep checking to see that they have a clear path to the lifeboats, and those who live in love mist be inventive in finding new ways to hold frequencies of serenity and love when celebrities panic, and influence those whom they fascinate.

3. Coming Attractions for Spring, 2006:

March 29: Total Solar Eclipse at New Moon in Aries: The Moon-Sun conjunction at the New Moon in Aries is also conjunct the Moon’s North Node (Dragon’s Head), and is trine to Saturn in early Leo.

Every New Moon represents a beginning, just as every Full Moon is a moment of completion. This is doubly true when the New Moon is in the first zodiac sign of Aries, and thereby takes on the assertive Aries drive toward the creation of something new. The other planets and major zodiac points in the design help indicate what kinds of new developments we can expect. In this case the Dragon’s Head, which embodies karmic issues shared by large groups and communities, joins Sun and Moon in a favorable angle with Saturn, thereby bringing a time when established political institutions and traditional religious authorities will both be persuadable by those who know how to temper their fire for just the right amount of warmth and light.

April 16 - 1une 2: Jupiter trine Uranus, and Grand Trine with Mars: Jupiter, moving retrograde through mid-Scorpio, forms another trine with Uranus in Pisces (see above Nov. 13 - Dec. 14, 2005). This new trine is exact on May 5. It may prove much happier than the other two in this series – see also Aug. 10 of this year – because a grand trine forms in water when Mars moves through Cancer, especially May 2 – 14.
The weekend of Cinco de Mayo through May 7, when the grand trine is exact, will be excellent for gatherings and entertainments, including those involving new showcases of video and other electronic art works. This phase also favors organization, teamwork and conflict resolution, and its burst of Mars energy can move many projects and plans, from marriage engagements to new business enterprises, to swift, successful progress in other areas.

Please help support the Universal Festival Calendar and Hermes 3.

If this site has so much value for you that you've been reading it for years --

is it time yet for you to give something back by sending a contribution? Many thanks.

The UFC comes in a convenient e-mail Newsletter for $25 a year, $50 for three years. A lifetime subscription is $100.

Click here to subscribe, or donate to the work of Hermes 3.

Copyright 2005 Dan Furst. All Rights Reserved.