Though the Moon wanes down to nothing this week, it is hardly a time of falling action.  This intense week sees Mercury station retrograde in a near-perfect square to Mars on Tuesday morning, Venus get tangled in the Saturn-Neptune square for several days, and the Sun join Uranus and Pluto’s long standing squabble.  Not wanting to be left out of the action, Jupiter stations this week, beginning his annual retrograde phase.  Finally, things come to a close on Saturday with the New Moon in Capricorn.

The celestial events of the week activate the standing waves of longer term configurations, and thus speak to larger issues- themes which exceed the span of a week, month, or even season.  Therefore, consider this week an introduction to several of 2016’s challenge.

The week is dramatic, and the ride a bit bumpy, but there is solid ground on the other side of it.

(more)

****

This is Saturn season, the time of the year when the Sun spans the signs of Capricorn and Aquarius — both Saturn ruled. Capricorn is the descent of spirit into matter; Aquarius is the ascent of matter back to spirit. When we’re working through these two signs, it’s all about the physical world — commitment, ambition, success, authority — as well as translating our experiences back to something greater through through humanity and the collective.

When we move from one calendar year to another, we assess the past and we make resolutions for a better future. Maybe it’s going to the gym. Maybe it’s getting organized. Maybe it’s being more open and present. If Capricorn is reality, then Aquarius is hope. So, what do you resolve for the new year? Where are you looking forward?

If we’re looking to Saturn in January, we can’t look any further than Sagittarius. It’s the sign that Saturn has been residing in since September 2015. What is our faith? Our truth? What do we believe in? Where are we willing to look outside of ourselves for answers? We’ll be pondering these questions and more this month.

(more)

***

Esoteric Astrology ~ Rudolph Steiner

In Astrology, Steiner elaborated a unique system which gave birth to the concept of Spiritual Astrology. This division of esoteric astrology did not concentrate on the date of birth, but instead, it considers very particular elements of nature as the main interpretation line for an individual horoscope.

Steiner enlarged the spectrum of understanding of the zodiac, utilizing all the constellations, instead of only the twelve regularly accepted ones in the modern Zodiac. He included the understanding of lunar nodes, Fixed Stars from the Zodiac, asterisms and extra-Zodiacal Fixed Stars. He concentrates his astrology studies over the comparative parallels between the destiny of civilizations and the life path of individuals. He was the first one to codify the relations between esoteric astrology and the laws of reincarnation.

****

Capricorn Keynote
“Lost am I in light supernal and on that light I turn my back.”

Esoteric Capricorn

Hence, Capricorn receives the visioning, dreaming nature of the previous sign Sagittarius, moulding and manifesting it into a concrete structure; this is Capricorn’s forté and why it is so successful in the material world – as the boss of a company, a manager of resources and money etc. Capricorn is an “Executive” in the material or spiritual world. Also, in Sagittarius essential principles and philosophies are encoded and manifested into earthly laws in Capricorn.

Capricorn also taps into Neptune as the esoteric ruler of its opposite sign Cancer – in terms of this visioning process. Visualisation is a key to meditation, engaging the “feminine” imagination to blend with the “masculine” mind – here is where the true higher tantra takes place. Neptune is deeply related to Capricorn esoterically (as described in another newsletter). In Western Esotericism, one of the names of The Christ is Neptune – and His message is celebrated at Christmas: Goodwill to all (wo) men, kindness, giving, sharing.

In Capricorn, the Cancer polarity is brought into play through family reunion, affirmation of the family unit (Cancer) that works within the state or nation (Capricorn). New Year’s resolutions are made in Capricorn for the year ahead – but probably have their origin in Sagittarius – they simply take on a more concrete, less nebulous form in Capricorn.