Shadows and revolution

The world is kind of overwhelming right now, I mean more than usual. There's a lot of negativity about, and an awful lot of intolerance. The level of anti-immigrant rhetoric, and anti-women rhetoric around is frightening, with all sorts of shadows being brought to light - the sexism of Donald Trump, the rise in hate crime following the Brexit vote (up 14% on this time last year, and that's just what is reported), an attempt to ban abortion in Poland. It's hard not to feel like the apocalypse is finally upon us, or at best some sort of creeping dystopia.

So of course, I look to astrology in an attempt to make sense of it all. For the last few years we have had Uranus, planet of revolution and awakening, squaring Pluto, planet of the shadow and transformation. Uranus in Aries seeks radical change, Pluto in Capricorn demands that the establishment, the structure of state, are radically transformed. It was inevitable that those structures, those with power in the conventional sense, based on the current hierarchy of wealth would dig their heels in, and I believe that we are now seeing the effects of that, the desperate grasping at power of those who already have it and don't want to lose it. With the Sun and several other planets (Mercury and Jupiter, and until a few days ago, Venus), it's not surprising that the polarity of male female energy has been in the news. The chart for full moon in Aries, on October 16th, shows Venus in semi square aspect to Mars - female and male energies clashing. A few days later, on October 19th, Mars was conjunct Pluto, highlighting the shadow side of male energy - "locker room talk" and individuals seeking power.

In the last few days, we have moved from the polarity and balance seeking of Libra into Scorpio energy. We are already familiar with Scorpio energy, this year - Mars was retrograde in Scorpio for much of th EU referendum campaign, until just after the vote, anger and action turned in on itself and travelling though deep waters. The Sun moved into Scorpio on October 22nd, and Mercury two days later. Scorpio is ruled by Pluto, so we can expect to see more shadows coming to light, more difficult truths to face. Pluto intensifies whatever it touches, and also takes it into the underworld, so that we feel disempowered and despairing. Who can fight tides like these?


We all can, says the same full moon chart from October 16th. The full moon in Aries was conjunct Uranus - revolution and radical change, remember?! - and increasingly, powerful voices are speaking out. Michelle Obama called Trump out on his sexism. In Poland, parliament voted against a tightening of anti-abortion laws after women took to the streets in protest. At the full moon, things come to a head, brought into the light so we can see them as they really are. And Uranus says, we will no longer stand for this, for insidious sexism and entrenched racism. Uranus says, we will call you out, we will stand for what is true, we will do what we can to make the world a better place. There is an echo of this full moon energy on the day of the American presidential election, when Mars (ruler of Aries) moves into Aquarius (ruled by Uranus).

Such times make activists of us all, not just in the petitions we sign, the letters we write to our MPs. We can work for change with every choice we make, choosing not to give in to the dominant paradigm, the one which tells us that working for the man is the only way we are allowed to live, that buying more stuff is the only thing that will make us happy. The one that encourages insecurity in women, telling us we are too old or too fat or too unfashionable to be taken seriously. The one where some people think it's ok to yell at complete strangers who are speaking an unfamiliar language on the bus.

Hope is a radical act, in times like these. Reaching out and connecting with others, gathering our courage to stand up for what we believe in. But its also a radical act to make space in our lives for the things that make us happy. Seeking our bliss, even for a few snatched minutes, is a revolutionary act in a society which encourages insecurity and discontent. Maybe even honouring this hibernation season, being gentle with our selves for a while until we feel strong enough to take our fire back out and change the world, is a radical act.
Previous
Previous

In the dark time

Next
Next

Relating beyond the human