Astrologicalmind

The magic of astrology explored

Tag: planetary correspondence

  • The Modern Planets: Uranus, Neptune and Pluto and their related Essences

    Uranus

    Uranus is the first of the so-called transpersonal planets. After escaping the boundaries of Saturn we encounter the chaos of Uranus, the great awakener. His role is to awaken us to the greater reality of human consciousness by shattering the old reality. Uranus is associated with eccentricity and all avant-garde, revolutionary thoughts and ideas.

     

    A Uranus experience can be likened to looking at life through glass; there is always a sense of separation and being different. The unexpected and shattering appearance of Uranus in ones life can be liken to the sound of shattering glass energetically cutting through like a sword.

     

    None of the outer planets can ever be said to be in balance, for their role is to throw us off balance in order that we see the ego illusion for what it is; that which keeps us from fulfilling our true purpose and knowing who we are. There is one disharmonious state that has an association with Uranus and that is the sense of being a stranger in the world, of not belonging, of finding yourself alienated from the rest of society.

     

    Shooting Star (Dodecatheon hendersonii) is a very Uranian essence. It is for those who feel profoundly alienated from their bodies, family and the rest of society. These people often feel that they are not from planet earth. Shooting Star helps them to overcome their sense of alienation and to perceive the purpose of their incarnation in human form. This essence gives the ability to find earthly connection and to be warmed by the caring for all that is human and earthly.

     

    Neptune 

    The next planet to challenge us out of material complacency is Neptune who is associated with illusion. While Uranus may suddenly shatter our reality Neptune almost imperceptibly dissolves it. A Neptunian experience can be almost impossible to describe as it has dreamlike quality. Neptune can inspire deep within us the sense of divinity and our connection with God, urging us towards mystical experiences.

    As such it takes us out of ourselves, dissolving the boundaries that define our identity so that we are no longer sure where we end and the world begins. There is something very seductive yet dangerously deceptive about Neptune. This is clearly illustrated in the stories of those who slipped into the realm of the faeries, only to return years later without any awareness of how long they were gone. This powerful Neptunian pull to transcend earthly bounds can lead to substance abuse and addiction.

     

    Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is a profoundly powerful essence that primarily works to balance the crown chakra with the other energy centres particularly the heart. It helps to harmonise and integrate higher consciousness and spirituality with the rest of the being. Lotus can help an individual expand their spirituality in an equitable manner. Lotus is very useful in helping those who tend towards spiritually arrogant, harbouring illusions that their brand of spiritual practice is correct and superior to others.

     

    Pluto

    Pluto is the ruler of the underworld and having recently been reclassified as a “minor planet” has not lessened his power. Pluto is deeply connected to the unconscious and the forces of planet earth. His power is akin to volcanoes and earthquakes over which we have no control. Pluto appearance in ones life brings with it the same unavoidable powerlessness that these disasters do. Pluto is the force that takes us deep into the underworld, exposing the often times painful truths we hide from ourselves. Our tools and skills are of no use in this realm.

    Death is the ultimate manifestation of Plutonic power over which we have no defence. After plutonic periods such as mourning, depression or journeys through “dark night of the soul” we are left forever transformed. Pluto demands authenticity and truth; nothing less is left standing in Pluto’s wake.

    Fig (Ficus carica) is an essence related to Plutonic issues. Of the many myth and ancient association of the Fig tree, one describes the wild fig tree as a gateway to the underworld. Pluto is himself the Lord of the underworld. Fig is an unusual essence for the fig tree doesn’t actually flower. Usually fruits grow out of the flower, but in the fig tree the flower grows inside the fruit, it is invisible from the outside.

    The essence of fig will help bring to the surface blockages and fears that are held deep in the subconscious and bring to light that which is hidden. Insight into conscious and hidden fears allows us to overcome problems that would seem insurmountable. Fig is associated with memory and helps the conscious and unconscious minds communicate. Its greatest gift is that of revealing what is hidden and thereby empowering the individual.

     

  • Astrology and Flower Essences

     

    Each of us possesses a totally unique natal horoscope which is our personal map to our soul’s journey in this incarnation. Inherent within this map of our psyche is our past, our present and our future. Like all maps it shows you where you are and where you want to go. It shows you the various roads you could take to get to your destination. It may also show you the detours or side trips you may choose to make and indicate some of the things you may encounter along the way, but what the map does not and can not show you is how you will experience your journey.

     

    When you look at your astrological natal chart, your personal map, you see a mandala of symbols, which is in fact an imagined snapshot of the cosmos from the particular point in time and space. Your natal chart illustrates the unique facet of cosmic intelligence that is imprinted on your body, soul and psyche as you inhaled your first breath. Each planet in the chart represents an aspect or core urge of your psyche. The zodiac signs the planets are in represent how you express those urges. The study of your chart can tell you where you are likely to go out of balance and fall into dis-ease and how you can reharmonise your life in order to regain health.

     

    What are Flower Essences?

     

    Flower essences are a form of vibrational medicines that bring together the four elemental building blocks of life: earth, water, fire and air. They are made from the flowers of plants bound to the earth, releasing oxygen into the air, fed by the fire of the Sun and the water of the atmosphere. Flowers are the ultimate and most creative expression of a plant and carry the positive patterns of conscious living energy of that plant. These patterns are captured in a liquid medium, water and potensized by the Sun. They derive their beneficial powers from the inherent life force within the plant and convey its distinct imprint or etheric pattern.

     

    Flower essences address directly the subtle realm of the human psyche where thoughts and feeling emanate. They are one of the few direct methods of therapy that directly work of the soul. Flower essences connect us directly with the balancing wisdom of nature, the same balancing wisdom of the soul.

     

    When you contemplate a flower, you see its physical composition; experience its scent and beauty that may trigger a feeling or sense of knowing within you. This is when you are connecting on the level of creation, because the same energy that runs through you, runs through that flower. All life is in constant motion looking for balance. There maybe something about your unique connection to that energy that vibrates in synch or in sympathy with that particular flower.

     

     

     

     

    How are Astrology and Flower Essences related?

     

    Astrology is a symbolic language that describes a living energy pattern, which is manifested in the bodies and movement of our Solar System (star system). This living energy permeates everything in our universe; it is the living force, the creator’s will, the quintessence, God consciousness, Divine law. It is called many names and has been recognized by mystics throughout the ages. It is that which binds the Universe and connects all things seen and unseen.

     

    All roads lead to this mysterious and all encompassing power. Everything in the Universe is a reflection of this living force that is constant and yet never expresses the same way. The patterns in the sand, the shape, colour and growing habits of plants, the movement of the planets, the cycles of life and the human psyche as well as the symbols and archetypes we have conjured. Our creative power comes from the same source as that of the Creator.

     

    An oak tree is composed of thousands of leaves each carrying the basic form we recognize as oak-leave. Yet no two oak leaves are the same, each is a unique expression of oak-leaf, which in turn is an expression of oak tree, of vegetation, of earth, of solar system, of universe, and so on till we get back to the Divine source.

     

    Similarly, each human being is a unique expression of the Divine life force. This is evident in our physical form, as well as our relationships, experiences, thoughts, emotions, imagination and dream life. This is what can be seen and reflected back to us in our astrological birth chart. The symbols held within a chart are powerful expressions of life energies to which we are personally influenced and connected.

     

    Like with the oak-leaf, all astrological charts have recognizable similarities: the same planets, signs and house will appear, yet no two will be exactly the same. And because we exist on multi-levels the combination of influences shown in the natal chart is endless.

     

    The chart, as a representation of our unique connection to the living force, works whether we are aware of it or not. We are like small and yet infinitely complex cogs in a larger wheel. The cycles continue to move and influence us; it is only our personal ego that stays unaware of the part the bigger picture plays in our life.

     

    By working with astrology we gain an awareness of the energies with which we are personally made and connected to. A conscious knowing enables us to avoid certain ego tendencies or at least lessen their hold over us. But we exist on many levels, most being unconscious. Flower essences can come to the rescue as they function on that purely energetic level there is no need for the thinking mind to be involved.

     

    Living with certain plants will also gives us a harmonizing boost of which we may never be aware. Like astrology, plants work with or without our conscious awareness and like astrology they are in a constant state of motion, through their growth and death cycles. This is why different essences are needed at different times. Flower essences work whether we are aware of them or not, but we empower both flower essences and astrology by choosing to consciously work with them.

  • How the Traditional View of the Planets Differs from the Modern

    The way in which the planets were viewed and understood by the ancients differs fundamentally to the way in which modern astrologers approach them. The actual meaning of the planets has retained some of the traditional essence though much has been distorted through mistranslation and interrupted transmission. As the modern planets; Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, have adopted attributes once worn by the visible planets our understanding of the meanings and association of the classical seven has been watered down.

    Modern astrology understands and works with the planets almost exclusively from the perspective of their “universal” or common significance. Any Astrology book will provide extensive lists of words associated with and describing each planet. Such as Venus being the planet of love and representing our values, Mercury the planet of communication and representing our rational thinking, Saturn the planet of responsibility and restriction, Jupiter being associated with wealth and expansion et cetera. In traditional astrology the common description of a planet is far briefer.

    In modern times whole books have been written about individual planets, exploring every aspects of their meanings and providing thorough analysis of their expression through the signs, houses, aspect and cycles. From the psychological perspective our understanding of the planets as urges of our psyche has given us a model in which planets are seen as equal, though some may challenge us more. Saturn represents authority, father figures or restriction in everyone’s chart. How well we deal with these things will depend on Saturn’s aspects, sign and house position in our individual chart.

    The standard way of presenting the planets is in order from the Sun outwards, except for the Moon that is commonly placed after the Sun, indicating her equal status as one of the luminaries. Following the Sun and Moon we have the inner or personal planets, Mercury, Venus and Mars followed by the social planets, Jupiter and Saturn finally arriving at the trans-personals, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. This order seems logical and clear yet bears no relation to that used by our astrological forefathers.

    Before considering how the ancients understood the planets we must exclude the so called transpersonal: Pluto, Neptune and Uranus. Planets were referred to as “wandering star” and had to be, by this definition visible like all other stars in our sky. Focusing on the traditional seven planets without competition from their younger more glamorous siblings, allows some of the qualities attributed to these younger members our solar system to be reclaimed by the seven senior planets: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury and Moon.

    The planets were presented in this order, referred to as the Chaldean order. This order is very important and forms the backbone to our astrology whether we know it or not. It reveals the genesis of how planets relate to each other through aspects, reception and house position. The planets were ordered according to their speed, from slowest to quickest. The “outer” planets consisted of Saturn, Jupiter and included Mars for they were beyond the orbit of the earth. The Sun was, as should be in the center followed by the inner planets; Venus, Mercury and the Moon.

    One of the most beautiful images using this order is that of the descent of the Soul from the realm of the fixed stars through the planetary spheres or gates, beginning with Saturn and finally arriving on earth through the Moon: the Moon being the only planet existing wholly both in this lower world of material generation and the upper world of divine spirit, a beautiful symbol of the Soul. You will notice that Saturn rules Capricorn and the Moon rules Cancer, this is in line with the Solstices. In the earlier times the natural wheel of the Zodiac began with Cancer, the point of earthly birth.

    The ancients understood planets through their essential nature: hot, cold, moist and dry. Though they talked of benefic and malefic planets, it was understood that any planet close to its essential nature would behave well and any planet far from its nature could behave in an exaggerated manner causing trouble for the native.

    The qualities that best promote life are hot and moist, but too much heat with no moisture is not conducive to fertility. Cold and dry are the most destructive to life of all the qualities, but cold with moisture can still create growth. The so called malefic planets: Saturn and Mars, are both overly dry or hot, Saturn is extremely dry and cold, Mars is burning hot and dry. Both inhibit growth.

    The benefic and malefic status of the planets is reflected in the signs they ruled, their relationship to the luminairies, the givers of life and the doctrine of aspects. Traditionally Saturn rules both Capricorn and Aquarius, both these signs oppose Leo and Cancer, the signs of the luminaries. Mars traditionally ruled Scorpio and Aries these signs square Leo and Cancer. While Venus and Jupiter rule signs that are in sextile or trine to the domain of the Luminaries. The only planet to defy this scheme is naturally Mercury, the trickster of the gang who is always out to fool us. He rules the signs on either side of Leo and Cancer so therefore has no connection with either.

    The planets were seen as players in the drama of the native’s life, and these players were versatile; they could take many parts and often share roles. How well they fulfilled their role was dependent upon their celestial and mundane condition, in other words how they related to the unchanging realm of the divine; the zodiac and the ever moving mundane world; the houses which hinge on the horizon and the MC/IC. The planets were understood to have both specific meaning in an individual chart as well as universal or common meaning.

    In natal astrology it was the specific significance or meaning that was most important to the judgment of a native’s life. Jupiter may signify riches and wealth but this means nothing if Jupiter is not the significator of these things in particular chart. Jupiter’s role as universal significator of wealth could assist by being well aspected to the specific significator of wealth; the planet best placed to act as “the bringer of riches”.

    The traditional understanding of astrological judgment and chart delineation meant that you couldn’t deduce anything by just taking one planet in isolation. As I have said the planets played varied roles and interacted with each other in a fashion unique in every chart. A weak planet could make way for a stronger one (through reception, aspect and rulership) to fulfill or at least assist in its role. The strength of a planet would be judged by their essential dignity (rulership, exaltation, triplicity, term or bounds and face) or lack thereof. The ability of a planet to deliver its promise depended on its accidental dignity and debilities: house position, position relative to the Sun, retrograde, speed. The strength and ability to act of a particular planet would indicate how well that aspect of life would unfold.