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It’s been a big week, no doubt, but this is one of those moments when we can look to the stars for guidance – not because the stars made stuff happen, but because the stars can help us navigate out of the anxiety and angst which arises in the midst of big upheaval.
We already know about Uranus moving into Taurus – shaking stuff loose in ways that are not always comfortable – and about Mercury Retrograde in Pisces (more on those in a moment).
But wait … there’s more.
For the next month, Pluto is sitting in conjunction with the South Lunar Node, a hypothetical point in the sky which looks to the past, in the sign of Capricorn where shit gets super real.
It’s a potent invitation to dig up old ways of being, old patterns and habits, even old default whole-of-self belief systems which are no longer useful. Capricorn insists that we take that deep clean-up into tangible, ambitious reality. Capricorn is the practical magician, the mystical pragmatist. Thoughts and prayers are not enough. Actions and initiatives are needed, also – in order to set the scene for a new kind of future.
That’s not to say you HAVE to go digging for dirt.
Obviously.
But if there is something personal there for shifting, you’ll know.
Our biggest clue for where to dig – the metaphorical detector for Plutonian change and growth – is shame.
If you have felt shame around something, then it’s time to drag it into the light. Only then can you do the work needed so that outdated crap can let go of its clutches around your ankles, revealing the pathway to freedom.
But this is not necessarily something you have to do on your own. And you don’t have to do it all at once.
If the thought of doing the work terrifies you; or if you know there’s something there but no idea where to start; or if you are afraid to start in case it’s too big or overwhelming – get some support. Your favourite coach, your therapist, a calm compassionate witness who won’t get caught up in the drama of the situation.
Me, I was fortunate enough to have both Jacqueline Gates and Lisa Hayes in my corner for this one.
But Pluto is an outer planet, so it’s not just personal.
The US scandal around bribes for academic admission is a perfect example of something shameful coming up for change. Paying for a spot in school, when all the rhetoric around academic achievement is based on merit and fairness, has everyone throwing up their hands in shock.
Yet plenty of us also recognise that this is the tip of an ugly iceberg, when the world of academia has a long and problematic history with people buying good results and easier access. The scandal has dragged the embarrassingly ever-present class system, still at play in most countries of the world, out into the light for addressing and changing.
Incidents like this make us squirm when they make us confront how the rhetoric of our supposedly egalitarian societies doesn’t match the inequality still thriving in all its ugliness in the world. Similarly, if we have something personal and private which is a mismatch between our outer persona and our inner hidden self, that squirmy energy of shame is the clue to ‘work to be done here’.
The good news? That horrible discomfort is, in itself, an essential step in the cleaning out and processing of this deeper change.
The key with this kind of Plutonian change is to remember two things:
- it doesn’t happen overnight, so you don’t have to ‘get it right’ or ‘get it done’ in an instant – you just need to make a start
- once the first difficult piece is done – putting it into words and facing up to what needs changing – it gets easier, and the outcomes are usually way better than we can see from the perspective of ‘before the change’
And remember we still – for the next seven years – have Uranus moving through Taurus, shaking up old ways of managing our relationships with our bodies, the planet (students striking for climate change awareness), money and core values.
We also have Mercury Retrograde in Pisces, a difficult placement which asks us to rethink and reassess our relationship with the sense of connection to all. The question here might be ‘how do I effectively BE my own unique individual Self, while also embracing my connection to the Universal all-that-is?’.
I don’t think it’s coincidence that we are seeing a huge upsurge in non-Muslim people pro-actively visiting mosques in order to express their support and compassion; that we are seeing students claiming their future by striking about climate change; that we are seeing over a million signatures on a petition to remove a far-right Australian politician from his position of power.
Change is frightening to our ancestral human brains.
Our bodies and our neurology can sense that change is afoot. Free-floating, generalised anxiety can be A Thing at these times, for all of us. Some will respond by lashing out with violence, but most will not. We might not know exactly what to do with our angst and our anger.
But it’s okay. You are not your brain, you are the boss of your brain. You can handle this.
There is a part of you which is NOT your neurology, that part of you which connects to the Universal all-that-is.
Call it spirit, or Source, or cosmic presence, or your eternal Self, or consciousness.
I call it my Star-Striding Immensity.
On days when life seems too hard, I tap into my own sense of agency and possibility, by tapping into that part of myself.
I’ve even found an image of it, personified by the Eagle Nebula, [courtesy of NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)].
That ineffable part of you remembers the truth: that you are an intangible being, dwelling in a bone-and-meat body made of star-stuff, steering a course through this adventure called human life.
It remembers that in the end, as Dame Julian of Norwich reminds us, all will be well and all will be well and all manner of things will be well.
With so much up for change, at the personal and social levels, remember we live in a vibrational universe.
Steer the ship via your focus.
Be deliberate about where you point the way you want to focus the changes, for yourself and for the world.
Feel your feelings, allow them to flow so they don’t get stuck, and then …
- let outrage point you towards love & connection. That might include finding ways to love and connect to those whose behaviour you despise, while still being crystal clear that the behaviour itself is unacceptable. I won’t claim I’m there yet, but I am pointing myself in that direction as much as I can.
- let anger point you towards the actions which will create a fiercely compassionate and inclusive world. Violence towards those practising and calling for violence doesn’t work here; but speaking your truth, turning your face towards transcendent grace, pointing your focus towards practical compassion, and recommitting to inclusivity all have huge potential for change.
- let fear or despair point you towards reclaiming your power to do good in the world. If it helps, look to those already stepping up to engage with their own unique personal power, and see what it can inspire for you.
- let shame point you towards any personal work that you know, deep down in your bones and in your heart, needs to be done. Make amends, if you need to. Seek support, if you require it. Remember that vulnerability is a sign of strength and sovereignty, and asking for help even more so. Just be picky about who gets invited into that particular party.
Above all, practice the same kind of love and compassion you wish for the world, directed towards your own self. You don’t have to get this bit perfect. You just have to be willing to do it as much as you can.
Our brains might be having a tricky moment, with so much change swirling around. Our spirits can help us focus that change towards love, peace, compassion and positivity.
And by the way – if you find yourself struggling with chronic, generalised anxiety, there could be some neurochemical aspects to it. If so, consider my special Vibration Rehab technique as a way to help you handle it.
Janette Dalgliesh has a simple mission in life – to help every person unlock their capacity for resonant joy, and live it. A keen student of astrology, brain science, chaos magic, law of attraction and positive psychology, she serves her people through astrology consults, coaching, teaching and writing. Her international clientele raves about her wildly accurate, individualized readings, but she doesn’t do general weekly predictions – for those, Janette recommends Kim Falconer (www.goodvibeastrology.com) and Mystic Medusa (www.mysticmedusa.com). Find Janette on Facebook or via her website – or you might like to pick up her free brain-rewiring resource, Identity Shift 101 here.
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