“Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
I am amused by the new usage of “adult” as a verb — it’s so descriptive. As though this whole business of responsible living was a cloak we could put on at need, then take it off when that responsible stuff is all done and let our inner child (or inner cat, as the case may be) out to play.
The sign of Capricorn is all about adulting and responsibility and parenting and making things manifest in the world. But it’s no mere cloak. We all have Capricorn and its stern ruler, Saturn, somewhere in our charts, and we need its steadying, work-focused influence as an ever-present part of our lives, or our inner child will have no safe and nurturing place to play.
The New Moon in Capricorn (January 9, 8:31 pm EST) joins Pluto and triggers that dratted Uranus-Pluto square that is not quite done with us yet, so we’ll get plenty of opportunities to decide just what we choose to be responsible for in the month ahead.
With a retrograde Mercury also in Capricorn, this is the month to get some organizing done, and catch up on those adult and responsible things you blew off over the holidays. All the Capricorn planets are working well together with Jupiter and the North Node, making it a good time to figure out what’s working in your life and what’s not, then developing practical, well-grounded plans for change.
Pluto is a planet of spiritual evolution and it is prominent in this chart, suggesting that we will be presented with opportunities for expanding our spiritual awareness. Yet there will be tremendous temptation to ignore the evolutionary call in favor of immediate “practical” solutions to perceived problems. It’s important to remember that there is no solution that does not have a spiritual component and is not influenced by forces of consciousness.
This is the true “adulting” — to remember that Source is not just a word we can toss around when we need an ecumenical term for “God”, but that there really is a source, the ground of our being, All That Is, all that we are, have been, could be. Source is Consciousness in all its infinite manifestations, and our own personal consciousness is an active, creative part of it — of the whole, of the Tao. To grow to maturity means to take full responsibility for our own influence in the world, to acknowledge that we are, always and inevitably, co-creators of our existence. No matter how much we try to disengage, each one of us will always have influence on our world, and we get to choose how we use that influence. We have the magic of consciousness and choice.
The trine between Jupiter and the New Moon with Pluto gives us a fine opportunity to bring our visions down to earth, and to recognize that any truly effective solution cannot be built on a foundation of ignorance and betrayal of our personal ideals. All solutions are ultimately grounded in ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. If those underlying thoughts and ideas are not solidly tied together, if there are weaknesses such as greed or malice woven in, then the solution will ultimately fail, because when we fail our souls, we fail ourselves.
Those who deliberately hid the scientific evidence of global warming back in the 70s as a practical solution to the financial health of their companies may now regret the world they are leaving their children…or perhaps not. But no matter their current financial, mental or emotional state, they unquestionably failed to understand the true power they had, and caved to fear and greed instead. At some point, they will face that failure.
We don’t all have this kind of power and agency, but we all have some. Making choices that are aligned with our soul means we step into our own power, and can create lasting change in ourselves and in our world. Sometimes, those choices are difficult, but you make them anyway, because you are listening to your soul. It’s the magic of adulting.
The New Moon chart for the USA (cast for Washington, DC) has Virgo rising, which puts an emphasis on the health and service professions in the month ahead, including military and law enforcement. Scandals in these areas are not unlikely. There will also be strongly-worded public conversations about our collective vision for the future, particularly as it regards the land and the environment. Weather and environmental problems ahead for the country, probably involving extreme cold. Look for sudden changes in the real estate markets. The fifth house emphasis suggests an emphasis on the sports and entertainment industries, as well as children, schools, and art, particularly theater. Some record-setting athletic achievements are a strong possibility.
(A few things other than the obvious in this chart that astrologers and students might want to note: The circle of dispositorship between Mercury, Saturn and Jupiter. The tight quindecile between Jupiter and its co-ruler of Pisces, Neptune. Mars strong it its own sign of Scorpio, dispositing Uranus, co-ruler of the sixth house.)
These past few years have been deeply challenging for almost everyone, as the Uranus-Pluto square insisted on transformation and awakening, or else. The more aware you are of what needs to transform, where you need to awaken, the better you can steer towards your personal goals. Bring your dreams down to Earth this month. Spend plenty of time grounding and centering, and as much time as you can outdoors, in Nature. Clean and connect with all of those rocks and crystals you have scattered around on various altars. Check in with your soul.
If you want to know what your own chart says about how you need to transform right now, and what awakenings are in store, contact me for a consultation.
Happy 2016 to you!
