Four Moons Astrology- Donna Woodwell, Austin, Texas

This is the second in a series of articles on Green Astrology, originally published in NCGR Enews, February 9, 2008.

A few weeks ago when Pluto entered Capricorn, I embarked on a garage cleaning odyssey. So, during this Mercury retrograde in Aquarius, I’ve found myself sorting boxes to donate to Goodwill, packing up stacks of cardboard, glass and plastic to take to the recycling center, and pondering the relationship between the archetypes of Pluto and Mercury.

Modern astrology links Pluto to the practice of Alchemy. Since the Middle Ages, the Latin dictum solve et coagula, to separate and join together, has guided seekers in their practice of the alchemical art. Alchemists saw in nature an ongoing dance of creation, destruction and (re)creation. Astrologers recognize though Pluto destroys, it also heals.

Before Pluto was discovered, Mercury was the planet most associated with alchemical transformations. The winged messenger who cycled between heaven and earth was a logical catalyst for the alchemist’s holy grail, the transmutation of lead into gold.

Turning lead into gold is an apt metaphor for today’s challenge of creating a sustainable society. We’re teetering on the brink of planetary ecocide because we’ve forgotten how to embrace the cycle of death and rebirth in our material endeavors. We’ve used things up and thrown them away without thought of the consequences.

As Pluto entered Capricorn, Mercury was slowing to begin its thrice-annual retrograde, suggesting it’s time for us to rethink our actions. We must become Green Alchemists.

As we’ve all heard said: Mercury retrogrades are for doing things that start with the prefix re-  It’s a perfect match for what’s been called the three R’s of the environment: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  These re- words, guidelines for making greener consumer choices, are joined by a number of others:

Refuse – Can you do without it? If you must buy it, just say no to the extra packaging or plastic bag.

Repair - Can you fix it? Repairing items can often be cheaper and more environmentally friendly than tossing them.

Reuse – Can you buy it used rather than new? Or can you use it for something else?

Rebuy – If you must buy it, can it be made entirely or in part of post-consumer (recycled) products?

Recycle – If you must buy it, can it be recycled?

Just looking around my home office, I can think of many ways I can apply these green keywords to my astrological practice. A few ideas:

• Reduce travel by working from home
• Switch office lights to CFLs; set thermostat lower in winter, higher in summer
• Turn off computer when not in use
• Replace broken hard-drive and recycle old one
• Offer digital recordings of readings and send via email
• Provide notes and reports electronically, or print on paper with part recycled content
• Buy astrology books used; donate or sell used books and magazines; get a library card
• Cancel subscriptions for unread periodicals; request electronic editions
• Recycle office paper, toner cartridges, batteries and other e-waste

The three Mercury retrogrades each year provide a great opportunity to rethink how we live and work. When Mercury stations retrograde, take some time to look around and see if there are a few changes you could make to live a greener lifestyle. Then, after Mercury turns direct, spend the next few months turning those changes into green habits.  Next time Mercury reverses, add a few more changes.

The actions of a single individual may be small, but small changes made collectively do make a difference. If we make the practice of Green Alchemy a retrograde ritual, then change itself becomes a habit.

And maybe one day, even my garage will get cleaned out.

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 9th, 2008 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Green Astrology.