Four Moons Astrology- Donna Woodwell, Austin, Texas

On November 13, 2009, the movie 2012 will be released in theatres. This quintessential, special-effects-charged disaster flick chronicles mayhem and destruction of apocalyptic proportions.

Of course, the movie is Hollywood fantasy.  The Mayans didn’t actually predict the end of “time” in the year 2012, rather the end of one calendar cycle and the beginning of a new one.  But we have clearly entered a paradigm-shifting time.  Old structures and ways of thinking, unable to meet the challenges we now face, are breaking down both on personal and societal levels.

The movie arrives just two days before the major astrological event of November: the first of three Saturn-Pluto squares taking place in 2009 and 2010 (the second two occurring in January and August 2010).  Saturn is the planet that governs the structures of our lives; with things like responsibilities, and boundaries and time, he makes us “get real” with ourselves and our world.  Pluto is the planet of transformation and transmutation; whatever the god of the underworld touches emerges changed from the encounter.  A square between these two planets occurs approximately once every 14 years; it always tells us that the time for change is now.

Like the movie’s metaphor, change can feel as if our world is shattering.  But it is at these crossroads the most profound healing occurs; the old gives way to make room for something new.  The secret to thriving in such times lies in embracing change, in letting go with conscious awareness and intention.

Find the support that you need for your own transformative journey.  Nourish your body with healing herbs and practices.  Open your heart to friends and community.  Above all, be gentle with yourself; like a tender plant breaking through the surface, you too need space to grow.

Anais Nin once wrote: “There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”  August is a time of blossoming…

Since last fall, we have felt the heightened contest between Saturnine order and Uranian change.  Saturn symbolizes that which binds us into physical manifestation. His counsel: be realistic, pragmatic and grounded in tradition to be successful in this world.  Quirky Uranus urges us to individuate, innovate and free ourselves from constraints that limit our potential.

The third of five oppositions between these two planets occurs in mid September. Like the game tug-of-war, oppositions are about living with creative tension. For a time, one side may win, then the other; eventually we realize that two states may be true simultaneously and we find our balance again.

But in August, a third actor shakes up the game: Mars.  The Red Planet crosses the midpoint between Saturn and Uranus, first squaring Saturn on August 10 then Uranus on August 18.  Passionate Mars leaps before it looks, impelling us to take action, to break through tensions, to open and grow, even if we don’t yet know what we shall become.

Mars also brings us courage; he’s too impatient to be afraid.  He seizes the day.  August is an excellent time to make changes that require an act of will power. Just do it, and don’t look back.

Fireworks! A shower of glittering stars above and below as planets touch, separate and touch again.

In celestial square dance, graceful Venus and lusty Mars promenade through the early morning skies, marking a summer of Love and War.  They are joined on stage by the more stately pas de deux of Jupiter and Neptune, who meet in the heavens for the second time this month. With all these actors on stage, expect high drama the first week of July.

The summertime music of the spheres climaxes with a threefold embrace of the Sun and Moon:

And the conjunction of our lips
Not kisses make, but an Eclipse.
–Henry King (1592-1669)

Eclipses — the alignment of Earth, Moon and Sun — portend the ending and beginning of cycles. Three eclipses loom on the horizon: a Full Moon eclipse on July 7, a Total Solar Eclipse on July 21, and another Full Moon Eclipse on August 5.

The Solar Eclipse falls in the last degree of watery, sentimental Cancer; this is the time to release old wounds to which we have clung.  “It’s hard to let go anything we love. We live in a world that teaches us to clutch. But when we clutch we’re left with a fistful of ashes,” writes Madeline L’Engle in A Ring of Endless Light.  Hold that which you love with an open hand.

Eclipses usually occur in pairs. Three in a row heralds an especially sacred moment, a cosmic ceremony in which our personal healing is also planetary healing.

“Once I sat upon a promontory,
And heard a mermaid, on a dolphin’s back,
Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath,
That the rude sea grew civil at her song;
And certain stars shot madly from their spheres,
To hear the sea-maid’s music.”

Shakespeare, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act II, Scene 1

Sigh, deep and contentedly. After months of turbulent skies, June brings a chance to kick back and relax.  Savor it! Watch a movie in the park, treat yourself to your favorite ice cream, or have a picnic under the stars with your friends.

Some of the best astrological days of the year are coming up this month, particularly in the second half of June.  Now is a great time to start new projects or commitments. The longest day of the year, the summer solstice, is on June 20.   Breathe in the midsummer magic. Dance!

“I sing of Poseidon, god of the deep
O Shaker of the Earth, tamer of horses
Be kindly in heart and help those who voyage in ships!”
~Homeric Hyms, 4th Century, BCE

Pandemics and pirates, poisons and pardons. This month the planets Jupiter and Neptune, gods of the land and sea, with the centaur Chiron, divine healer, begin a summer-long dance.  Jupiter heralds hope and expansion, but also excess; Neptune solace, but also confusion; Chrion healing, but also wounding.

This triple conjunction in the humanitarian sign of Aquarius is a gift.  Like waves crashing on the shore remake the coastline, so too are we remade by the tides of history.  The cosmic message: Surrender and have faith.  Set your sights on a star, and navigate your seas with integrity and courage.

Pluto returns to Capricorn! On November 26, Pluto — planet of revolutionary change — will re-enter Capricorn — sign of big governments, business and the environment. Last time Pluto resided in Capricorn, humans launched the industrial age and the American and French Revolutions. In the same way, we can expect the choices we make over the next decade to reshape the landscape for the next two centuries and beyond. This time when Pluto moves into Capricorn, there are no retrograde planets, suggesting the Change Express is barreling full-steam ahead. Pluto remains in the sign of the Sea Goat until 2023. Pace yourself!

Have whirlwinds of change left you wanting to hide in your closet? You’re not alone! This month, the planetary powerhouses Saturn and Uranus are lining up for a once-every-45-years cosmic tug-of-war… and we are the rope! Saturn rules tradition, experience, authority and rules, while Uranus heralds progress, innovation, rebellion and change. The last time these two faced off was the mid-1960s; for the next two years we can expect a similar period of intense social questioning, reaction and change. Look out! The first of five exact oppositions falls on Election Day 2008.

This is an excellent time to break out of habits and patterns that no longer serve you.  Take a breath, seek an overview of your world, and focus on the essentials.  Reach out to other people; they will remind you that you’re not the only one on this crazy ride.

This year the Autumnal Equinox falls on September 22, followed by Mercury turning retrograde two days later. Equinoxes signify times of shifting balances; at the fall equinox, seasonal energies begin to pull inward. In conjunction with Mercury retrograde, this equinox heralds a time of introspection and contemplation.  Step back from life’s whirlwind and take stock of where you are and where you’re going.