South Florida Astrological Association: News

The Transitional Times 09/29/08

Misc | Tuesday September 30 2008 - 22:04:25
Author: INFO

The Transitional Times

n three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life:
It goes on.
- Robert Frost
(1875-1963, American Poet)

Welcome to The Transitional Times.

This is your new moon update for September 2008.

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to those you think would appreciate it. Your feedback is always welcome.

New Moon Technical Details

This new moon is occurring on Monday, September 29^th at 04:12am EDT
at 06 Libra 33’ (That’s 06 degrees Libra 33’). This corresponds to the first
decan, which is Libra (Venus) and the Sagittarius (Jupiter)
dwad. Decanates are the ten-degree divisions and the dwads are the two-
and-a-half degree divisions of the zodiac. These more technical details
add flavor to the understanding of the lunation point. For those of you who
know your charts more deeply, this lunation point is involving 06 degrees
33’ of the Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) as well as 21
33’ of the Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius). If you have any
sensitive chart points or planets near those degree areas, they will be
triggered by this lunation. For more specifics, contact me personally to
some consultation time. With the new moon (new beginning) occurring on
Monday, September 29^th, the first quarter (course correction) is on
Tuesday, October 7^th, the full moon (culmination) occurs on Tuesday,
October 14^th, and the last quarter (review progress) is on Tuesday,
October 21^st, 2008. Next month’s lunation then happens on Tuesday,
28^th, 2008.šThe Sabian symbol for this month is “A woman feeding
chickens and protecting them from the hawks”. The keyword mentioned
by Marc Edmund Jones in his book, “The Sabian Symbols in Astrology” is
“Shrewdness”. He says, “When positive, the degree is a high competence
in administering the duties of normal experience and a very special skill in
protecting the self’s real interests, and when negative, a complete
personal ineptitude in the face of life’s everyday and recurrent
complexities.”

The Element/Quality Balance

The Element/Quality balance in a chart indicates something of what could be termed the underlying ‘tide of affairs’. The Elements are Fire, Earth, Air and Water. The Qualities are Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable. The Elemental balance of the planets this month comes out like this: One planet in Fire signs, two planets in Earth, six planets in Air and two planets in Water signs. The Quality balance comes out as: Five planets in Cardinal signs, three planets in Fixed and three planets in Mutable signs. Well, this month we have a clear winner for the Quality/Element balance. It’s definitely the Cardinal Air sign (Libra). Relationship is a big key this month as is communication, integrity, decision-making and balance. The near total lack of fire this month reflects the need for a more reasoned period rather than a more passionate one.

Libra

Libra is the Cardinal Air sign of the zodiac and is quite unique in that it is symbolized by a scale or balance. This is important to note because it is neither animal nor human as are all the other signs of the zodiac. It is an inanimate object that measures and weighs things placed in the pans of the balance. Much can be learned from this symbol. Please note that the further one is from the fulcrum, or the center of the scale, the more radical is the swinging motion. The more central one is, the more moderate the motion is and more controlled. Also, a balance that is found at rest, in nature, will be found at rest in an imbalanced position. The lesson here is that balance is not found in stasis but in motion. Balance is to be found in a gentle rocking motion, back and forth across the center line. In ancient times, the primary stars that now make up the constellation of Libra were in fact considered to be a part of Scorpio’s claws. Scorpio was ‘cut back’ and Libra was formed from these stars which then separated Virgo from Scorpio.

As A Whole

The general flavor this month is Libra-Scorpio. Venus and Mars finally had their rendezvous at 15Libra17’ on September 11^th and we are now in a ‘new’ relationship cycle.š They are now in each others signs, which point the lunation chart in their direction. Venus rules Libra and is now in Scorpio, and Mars, which rules Scorpio, is now in Libra. This is called, ‘Mutual Reception’ and indicates that these two planets are linked together and thereby strengthen each other. The flip side of this coin is that Venus is considered to be in ‘Detriment’ or in one of its weakest places in Scorpio and Mars is considered to be in Detriment in Libra or in one of its weakest signs. Things are not what they may seem this month. This combination always suggests the possibility of some kind of seduction. The other suggestive possibility is called, ‘bait and switch’. Interesting times we live in! J This lunation is 135 degrees (Sesqui-Quadradrate) from Neptune this month. This aspect indicates that things may not be all that clear this month. With these planets all being in Air signs, the thought is “lots of words…but what do they all mean?” Remember that Mercury is now retrograde (as of 09/24 until 10/15)…just to contribute a bit more to this fuzzy picture! Jupiter is finishing its trine (120 degrees apart) to Saturn on 11/21/08 so we are still in a potentially productive period at the moment. Consider what needs to get organized and ‘straightened-up’ in your life and move ahead on these projects now. Both planets are in Earth signs. Saturn is in Virgo and Jupiter is in Capricorn until January 5^th, 2009 when it moves into Aquarius. Earth signs can be very practical and ‘down to earth’ about getting important things done.

Saturn Begins Opposition to Uranus

Saturn opposes Uranus on 11/04/08…election day in the USA, at 18Virgo/Pisces57’. I bring this up now because we are already beginning to see in the headlines some of the early manifestations of this important planetary cycle. These two planets will continue to dance in and out of exact opposition from November of this year until the final exact opposition occurs most powerfully on July 26^th, 2010. In a sense, the bell will ring five times between November 2008 and July 2010 and the sound will get louder with each occurrence. An opposition is like a full moon in regard to the specific planets involved. Here are the upcoming dates:

Date	Saturn	Uranus	GMT Time
11/04/08	18Virgo57’	18Pisces57’	13:37 GMT
02/05/09	20Virgo39	20Pisces39’	10:57 GMT
09/15/09	24Virgo42’	24Pisces42’	12:52 GMT
04/26/10	28Virgo46’	28Pisces46’	23:24 GMT
07/26/10	00Aires25’	00Libra25’	17:08 GMT

The reason for the importance of this planetary combination is also bound up with the fact that at the time of the last opposition in July 2010, Pluto will only be 2 degrees 57’ from forming an exact square (90 degrees) from Saturn and from Uranus at the same time. This is called a T-Square. The release point being, Pluto…death and rebirth, decent and return, caterpillar – cocoon – butterfly. The beginning of any planetary cycle is measured from the time any two planets come together in the sky until they come together again…so, the beginning of the current Saturn/Uranus cycle was when they came together (conjunct) most recently. Those dates are:

Date	Saturn	Uranus	GMT Time
02/13/88	29Sag56’	29Sag56’	00:59 GMT
06/26/88	28Sag47’	28Sag47	17:04 GMT
10/18/88	27Sag49	27Sag49	13:28 GMT

The seed of the cycle is sown on the conjunction…in 1988, and the potentials of that new seed come to fruition at the opposition…2008 thru 2010. As if to just push this whole planetary agenda to its next level of intensity currently, we now have Pluto, (planet of transformation, death and rebirth) at the same spot in the sky where the current Saturn/Uranus cycle started. This certainly indicates that we are in for one heck of a ride now…with the first of the Saturn/Uranus oppositions occurring just as Pluto moves over the very spot where it all got started anyway. This upcoming US Presidential election is being highlighted as very significant in the ‘opening volley’ of what is about to unfold for us all on a collective level over the next several years. Oppositions are always a bit tricky, especially with outer planet involved because most people will find themselves polarizing on one side of the opposition or on the other. In this case, the tendency is to polarize onto either the Saturn side (conservative, orthodox, corporate, political) or the Uranus side (liberal, radical, out-of-the-box, un-orthodox). The real key is to recognize that it’s not about them or us…it’s about recognizing that it’s all us. That’s the awareness that embraces both sides of the opposition as an internal conflict, rather than collectively project it into another ‘them or us’ paradigm. š The beginnings of the infamous ‘Savings & Loan Scandal’ began to emerge in 1988. Now we are moving into the fruition of what was sown then. Also of interest in 1988 was the Soviets were starting to withdraw from Afghanistan. We truly live in interesting times. So, what was going on in your life in 1988? Are there any threads you can see in your own life that connect this time in your life with 1988? Take some time this month and contemplate what possible connections do you see between then and now? This dramatic planetary picture will be discussed many times in upcoming editions of this newsletter, so I wanted to introduce it now. Stay tuned for another major aspect of this whole configuration next month on the upcoming Uranus/Pluto square (90degrees apart).

Mercury is Retrograde

The planet Mercury appears to stop and move backwards in the sky on a regular basis. This motion is called, ‘retrograde’. Every planet except for the Sun and the Moon periodically go ‘retrograde’. When a planet, like Mercury, is retrograde it indicates that the earth and that planet are actually closer to each other in our respective orbits. Astrologically, planets that are retrograde are stronger and more internal in their natures. Mercury goes retrograde about three times per year on average and each time it is retrograde for about three weeks. Any Mercury retrograde is about re-organization. Look around in your life, be honest and admit to yourself where you need to do some re-organizing…and make a start. Once a start has been made, making further progress is just an extension of the effort already put forth. Mercury retrograde periods are also good for writing as well. The big benefits begin to show up after Mercury has gone direct again. The following suggestions may prove helpful during these periods of the year.

Mercury Retrograde Suggestions

- Re-confirm all appointments.
-     Leave telephone numbers where you can be reached.
-     Keep all sales slips: You may need to return items.
-     Bring a map: Detours and traffic jams are possible.
-    Use carry-on luggage.
-    Check all safety equipment. Regarding your car, check tire pressure and all fluid levels.
- Ask questions to clarify about the time, place and purpose of upcoming meetings.
-   Keep a notebook handy and write down information so you remember the details.
-    Read the fine print on agreements and contracts.
-     Research facts and check the background material.Ø      Examine your goals and re-evaluate future plans.
-     Restart a diet or exercise program that has been neglected.
-     Go back over your records of the past few months and re-contact customers and clients who failed to respond, or give them information that was previously not available.
-     Finish projects that have been hanging around for a long time.
-     Get your filing done.
-    Edit and resubmit writing or proposals that were not previously accepted.
-    Back-up all important files on your computer now.
-     Leave with extra time to get from one appointment to the next.

Upcoming Mercury Retrograde Dates

This time Mercury is retrograde from September 24^th, 2008 until October 15^th, 2008. The ‘Post-Retrograde Shadow’ period extends it until October 30^th, 2008. This is the final Mercury retrograde for 2008. The following Mercury retrograde periods will be from January 11^th, 2009 until February 1^st, 2009. The following one will be from May 7^th, 2009 until May 30^th, 2009. Then Mercury goes retrograde again from September 6^th, 2009 until September 29^th. The last one in 2009 is from December 26^th, 2009 until January 15^th, 2010.

Cycles of Growth

Those of you born in September 1920, October 1949, March and July 1950 and August of 1979 are now experiencing your Saturn Return. Saturn returns to the position it was at your birth every 29.5 years. This is an important time of self-evaluation. Where have you come from and where are you heading? It’s time to review your life goals; this is a time of endings followed by new beginnings. Clean house on whatever level you need too. You're setting the tone for the next 7 years, so stay awake. Additionally, those of you born in January of 1949, December of 1960 and December of 1972 as well as November 1984 are experiencing your Jupiter return. Jupiter returns to the position it was at your birth every 12 years. This is the time when opportunity can come knocking, so be ready. This can be a time of expansion and growth, take advantage of it.

Tip of the Month

There are in simple terms, two aspects of relationship. The first is our “Vertical” relationship( | ). This is the relationship we have with ourselves, with our “Higher Self” and with God (however you conceive God). The second aspect of relationship is our “Horizontal”( ─ ) relationship(s). This is the relationship we have with others, especially significant others like mates, family and friends.

Perhaps the actual ‘bedrock’ of any relationship must hinge on ‘open honesty’…and that means both openness and honesty. The view is that this is the ground upon which all else depends. Without some sense of open honesty, there is nothing solid to even begin to build relationship in any positive sense. With this essential quality in place to some degree, the fertile seeds of trust, belief and respect can begin to germinate, take root and grow. This is clear in our relationship with others as well as ourselves. Building on these foundations is unwise until these qualities are solidly in place. The wider and stronger the base of the pyramid, the higher and more securely it can be built.

In Closing

Stay tuned for next month’s edition of The Transitional Times on Tuesday, October 28^th, 2008. J As always, I’m available for private consultation by appointment. If more specific information is what you’re looking for, please contact me (Jeffrey Brock) directly for a personal consultation by calling me at 305-279-2569 or e-mail me at

brock120@bellsouth.net

to schedule your appointment. You may also contact me by visiting my website at

http://JeffreyBrock.com

Copyright 2008 Jeffrey P. Brock, all rights reserved.