As we approach the final hit of the square between Jupiter & Pluto (exact Aug 4th), some of us have definitely developed a serious fixation on growth over the last 8+ months! But this is not the light-n-fluffy version we’ve been doing, though – this is some catalytic, subterranean shit and as such it is important to remember that not all growth takes place in the sunlight. Think: Root (chakra?) development. Some massive morphs have been taking place since this formation first perfected in late 2016, but much of it may have been occurring underground in the deepest reaches of our psyches – note this leveling-up process may have actually come about through a huge “purge” of one kind or another; something that in hindsight actually serves to lighten our energy, though admittedly it may have felt rather hellish in the moment.
Spiritually speaking, I hope this doesn’t sound too ominous because I certainly don’t intend it to; I’m merely reflecting upon the necessity of honoring Darkness in equal measure with Light. I’ve never understood people who don’t believe in “rooting down to rise up” – it’s foreign to me whenever I hear someone speak of Ascension or spiritual development as if it should be this blissful, easy, terminally positive thing that completely bypasses the ugly bits of digging down into our own internal sludge. On the contrary; my personal view has always been that one can’t have honest enlightenment otherwise – you have to fortify the root system first, which entails digging a deep and spacious hole so the root ball can grow wide and strong. To do that, you’re going to have to get your hands dirty; it’s absolutely integral to the process – there is a reason why they say “No mud, no lotus.” The lotus does not spontaneously grow from pristine waters; it arises from swampy pools rich in organic matter where the process of decomposition enriches the root system and is then carried all the way to the topmost reaches of the plant where it blooms. The current astro is very similar – if we want to develop, flourish, and blossom, often something old and outworn must be allowed to die off.
The above philosophy regarding elevating our partner has huge resonance during Jupiter in Libra; particularly while it makes repeated squares to Pluto in Capricorn (i.e. in the weeks surrounding Nov 24th 2016, Mar 30th 2017, & Aug 4th 2017). To reiterate a key point about this energy, Jupiter in Libra is a time for (mutual) growth and happiness in a union, but ever since Jupiter turned retrograde back in early February 2017, it’s entirely possible that we’ve taken for granted this will happen automatically; with no effort on our part. That’s what can make Jupiter transits a letdown – we puff ourselves up with these overinflated hopes expecting that he will just drop a cosmic goodie bag in our laps. Then when we perceive him as not delivering the goods, we become disappointed when really what we should have been doing all along was seeking opportunities from within to create the growth and happiness we hope for.
At the moment Jupiter in Libra is also sitting in a prolonged and uncomfortable inconjunct with illusory Neptune until late July (note this leads right up to the time frame of the final Aug 4th square between Jupiter & Pluto), and many may be attempting to tune out inconvenient Truths about their partner, the general state of their relationship, and regarding their own role pertaining to any disillusionment with either. There is an element of Divine Discontent conveyed by this awkward pairing that can make it difficult to put a finger on why we’re not exactly happy in a partnership. It’s not abuse – that would be far too obvious. Neglect, however, is far more insidious, eroding away happiness until partners drift away from one another. It seems innocuous at first so that we tolerate it; appearing “benign” enough that we don’t see the Truth of it in its entirety. But even small leaks can turn into a cascading waterfall. Perhaps we’ve forgotten to give our spouse a kiss before leaving for work – if it happens once, we might not think it a big deal. But sometimes this snowballs until all the love and affection has seeped out and we’re left sleeping in separate beds.
On occasion, we also might not realize that we don’t seem to have as much in common with one another as we did “once upon a time” – political and social views may have blurred our understanding of one another where we no longer see eye-to-eye and isolation trickles into the open space where there was once unity. There is also the angle that couples don’t always grow together in a spiritual sense; an uncomfortable schism can indeed infiltrate a relationship, creating a wide gulf between orthodox “faith” and the more free-flowing “spirituality”. Or maybe we simply can’t recall the last time a significant other paid us an honest compliment – whatever the case, these many different kinds of “trickles” can all have the potential to dissolve even a good union if there are enough of them.
If we value the relationship, however, we cannot continue to ignore such issues. Neptune’s current influence upon Jupiter in Libra can be one of estrangement, so unions become more vulnerable to this pervasive-yet-vague sense of general dissatisfaction that cannot quite be named. If we’ve ever been “together” with someone and yet felt so alone, the current inconjunct between Jupiter in Libra and Neptune in Pisces can carry this same rippling sheen of sadness. Meditate on all of this now, and imagine what might happen if our Significant Other were to stumble upon a Price(ess) Charming who elevates them where we have neglected them.
Jupiter and Pluto are two very contrasting energies. Jupiter is honest and candid, while Pluto is very secretive and tends to keep its cards close to its chest. When these planets square off with one another – as they are doing now – it can open up the proverbial can of worms where secrets, filth, corruption, etc. are exposed. Some believe this is for the greater good (and indeed it can be), but what happens when digging up the truth turns into something pathological; where it becomes an obsession?
Truth (Jupiter) is rarely black-and-white. It something subject to interpretation depending upon which angle(s) we’re looking at things from. But when Pluto gets involved there can be a tendency to believe it’s all-or-nothing and we’re often so compelled to try to distill this down into something weapons-grade potent that it’s easy to lose perspective.
There are people so consumed by the quest to “get to the bottom of things”, they wind up mistaking “Filth” for “Truth”. While these *can* be one in the same, they aren’t necessarily. The problem is this can create a tainted bias where the tendency is to perceive evil and corruption everywhere one turns because that is all one is looking for – an example of this would be the conspiracy theorist who chooses to believe something is much more complex and convoluted even when a simple and honest-to-god Truth presents itself plain as day. Not only do they reject that Truth because it isn’t sinister enough for their liking, but they fail to see how dangerous and wrong this is and how it has the ability to lead to witch hunts and lynch mobs – they fail to see the true darkness actually lies within.
As Ye Seek, So Shall Ye Find.
Exposing corruption certainly has its place; I don’t mean to imply otherwise. But what I am speaking of today is the necessity for balance in our search for Truth. With Jupiter presently residing in Libra this is something crucial to consider, because not everyone doing an “exposé” style piece is right, nor does it mean they’re necessarily doing this for the “right” reasons – the Truth is, some people just love to sling mud; they don’t care if it’s at the expense of honesty. Their pathology involves convincing themselves (and others) they must be righteous if they’re getting “down in it”.
See those who prefer to wallow in dirt rather than bask in Truth for what they are; especially if/when they attempt to frame it as if they are doing something “good”.
The square between Jupiter in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn continues to tighten, and as it does so one thing we can expect from this energy is the appearance of some pretty enormous omens. Jupiter loves to magnify things while Pluto does relish having some kind of secret “code” – combine the two and what you get are huge “signs”; massive portents to be interpreted by those who understand and speak the language of the Occult fluently.
Case in point: The story I just read below gave me goosebumps of EPIC proportions!
Scientists have discovered that humpback whales are banding together in bizarre "super-groups" https://t.co/zlUUqRK0hZ
I have a really strong connection to the Animal Kingdom – I am visited by critters great and small almost nightly in dreams, so when I saw this I honestly didn’t know whether to be comforted or creeped out. Whales are supposed to be keepers of the Akashic Records; a compendium of all the thoughts, feelings, knowledge, and experiences on Planet Earth that have ever been, are, or will ever be. When scientists observe giant pods of whales “swarming” like this and don’t know why, my gut feeling tells me something gargantuan is afoot on the energetic plane.
What might it mean? While I can’t say for certain, my own feeling is the whales may be gathering en masse to remind us of our history. On one hand we have ISIL trying to erase it by blowing up all these ancient and culturally significant landmarks (such as Nimrud & Palmyra) that are a giant part of human history. On the other, we have the Trump administration attempting to re-write and/or (god forbid) possibly even repeat it with its McCarthy-era behaviors and rampant white nationalism. Perhaps the whales are congregating in order to amplify their symbolic Medicine at this time; their songs representing a dire cry within the energetic meta-narrative that we all need to take heed of.
Pay attention to the first and fourth paragraphs especially – I find them particularly relevant with the opposition between Jupiter and Uranus still operating roughly in tandem with this square between Jupiter and Pluto. It may be the whales are convening in super-sized groups to also emphasize the fact that we desperately need tolerance and inclusivity on the planet at this time.
We are heading into the second of three rounds involving Jupiter in Libra squaring Pluto in Capricorn. On March 30, 2017 this alignment perfects yet again, however its vibrations already permeate the air like deep, thunderous bass notes pulsing away in the background. When Jupiter and Pluto align there is potential for massive transformation; the problem being that we usually have to make our way through a whole lot of crap on this journey to Illumination. With Jupiter presently in Libra, major issues tend to involve the beliefs and points of view we have about the institution of partnership – under this square, any dysfunctional relationship paradigms tend to be exposed and the ugly Truth laid bare. This process isn’t pretty, but is *is* honest! If we are to totally overhaul our partnering philosophy for the better, even the most uncomfortable parts must be put under a magnifying glass.
On the personal level, one manifestation we may see regarding this energy is that it can tend to blow up any toxic, hoary old issues within relationships; particularly those that center on themes involving resentment, power trips, manipulation, or control “baggage” we might be harboring on a conscious or subconscious level. There can be a sense of a huge implosion regarding this energy; where a relationship hits some kind of “fix it or fuck it” crisis point that isn’t so much external as the result from internal pressure that has been building from within for some time. Relationships where the growth of both parties have become stifled – particularly by the stagnation bred of any orthodoxy that has us entrenched in some kind of defunct status quo – are the most at risk for things coming to a head during this square. By that statement, I mean the adherence to any kind of social convention that may have led us into territory we could broadly label as “stuck and fucked”. For example, people in long-term relationships often experience pressure to get married because culturally and religiously we are programmed to see this as “good”. This is a wonderful thing when we’re partnered with the right partner and for the right reasons – it can certainly be a blessing that increases the intimacy of that connection and vastly enriches both parties in a way that helps them grow together.
But what if we’re not partnered with the “right” person or psychologically didn’t come together for all the “right” reasons? What if there was coercion involved; say perhaps by an arranged marriage? Or what if marriage doesn’t actually serve to level up our relationship? And perhaps the most horrifying (but possibly relatable) thought of all: What if we are just killing time together; wasting time and opportunity because there’s “nothing better going on”? What if we have come to the unpleasant but honest realization that we have somehow “settled”?
Quite simply, people are apt to want more out of their relationships under this energy – especially with a now-retrograde Venus deposing of both Jupiter and Pluto. This can create enormous tension; tension that has huge potential to both create and destroy. As dire as this may sound, there is value in being honest with ourselves and others. And we must have faith in this transformational process…even when it takes us through messy, muddy terrain.
This is not the kind of astro where we see that things have slid into a long, slow, Pluto-in-Capricorn state of deterioration and then allow these relationship issues to blow up in a big way now; not if we value the union and are of the “fix it” camp, anyway – perhaps a relationship guru may be able to render some assistance through the therapeutic process. But if instead we are of the “fuck it” philosophy, then perhaps we trust this collapse will ultimately prove constructive and to be for the good of us both in the end. However, if there is a better way to end it I highly suggest doing so because things can get real ugly and real vindictive under these skies!
At the beginning of this post I brought up the potential trigger points of resentment, power trips, manipulation, and control as being particularly problematic during this square, making these themes important to be aware of within ourselves and specifically with respect to our partnerships now. I think it’s important to understand that many of the aforementioned dynamics have the same lowest common psychological denominator of suspicion and fear; possibly the result of broken trust where our faith in others was damaged or destroyed at some point in our personal history. In situations where we have lacked power in the past it can unfortunately be easy to overcompensate for this by claiming too much power in a partnership, which can result in said behaviors.
The only way to heal this, though, is to be open and honest about it; first to ourselves and then to others. What would it look like if – instead of becoming reactive and manifesting this energy pathologically – we looked at this under the lens of “I’m having trouble trusting right now because it’s triggering ______ issue”? What if we were able to see the Truth that a fear-based approach to claiming our power will poison even the best of unions? Trust is the foundation of all good partnerships – if we can’t trust someone enough to where we constantly try to wield leverage over one another and repeatedly find ourselves enmeshed in all kinds of power plays, it’s a sign that we need to take a giant step back from the relationship. Strip everything away and the root of *real* intimacy is trust, which is based upon the concept of there being vulnerability. If there is no risk, then there is no real reward – it’s that simple. How can we possibly have the whole relationship enchilada when we can’t even metaphorically take our clothes off in front of each other?
Further, with a retrograde Venus as dispositor of both Jupiter in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn this energy seems like it could have a “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” feel to it when growth, faith, and all that is good and holy within a union threatens to be choked off by the black tentacles of restrictive strangulation. This does generally seem to create an “open invitation” environment for some kind of intrusion to occur regardless of whether an affair is consciously or subconsciously sought out. Hush-hush types of opportunities can certainly be a hallmark of any Jupiter-Pluto alignment; especially when it’s something BIG being kept on the down-low. The problem is Jupiter will also tend to “out” these things, as this planet is pretty terrible when it comes to being secretive. But if one is truly hoping for the demise of a situation underneath it all, it certainly is a means to an end…literally. With Venus retrograde in Aries, we might not be brave enough to admit this is what we want. Or perhaps we are uncertain or confused about our true desires. Mind you, this should not be interpreted as justification, but it goes a long way in understanding true underpinning of the dynamics from all angles.
The current ongoing square between Jupiter in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn has been a doozy from what I’ve been observing in consultation and also going on around me! Round one of this square seemed to hit with a wallop due to the fact that it took place on a very sensitized degree of the zodiac; one that was recently traversed by the final alignment of the Uranus/Pluto Square on March 16, 2015. The Uranus/Pluto Square was a status quo buster, but its younger sibling the Jupiter/Pluto Square so far seems more sinister; like the darkness of its anchoring Plutonic core is exponentially multiplying. At least with the Uranus/Pluto alignment, there was the potential for the shocks that came to be liberating. I wish I could say the same were true of the Jupiter/Pluto Square (and perhaps it will be the next time it perfects in March, as emancipating Uranus will be more closely involved), but right now I have been given the sense of a great, spreading darkness that seems to be descending upon people and generally undermining their sense of hopefulness. I’ve had 3 separate instances alone recently where I’ve had to dig down deep to give what I consider to be perhaps *the* most intense pep talks of my life; attempting to buoy those sucked into the undertow of this energy and call them back up toward The Light.
Adapted from a work by artist Denis Loubet.
To me, this vibe has the feel of something malignant growing and spreading – I touched upon the “pernicious belief” facet of this square in a previous post and while this square is active (we have two more hits of it to get through during 2017, FYI) I do think it’s going to be very important NOT to let any exaggerated shadows in our life overwhelm us. I don’t mean to imply they aren’t real, because with Pluto in Capricorn we’re likely to have substantive evidence to the contrary. But what I mean is we have the power to decide whether to propagate that blight with more negativity or not; whether we’re going to cut off the juice to it or let it snowball into something bigger. Because what we believe (for good OR ill) carries great influence now, and it is time to root out any destructive philosophy or dogma like the weed it is. We need a balanced perspective; to also empower ourselves with things like faith, hope, and trust even when it seems a great darkness threatens to engulf us.
And I don’t just mean with things like bullshit platitudes, either – we have to believe very deeply in the power of positivity rather than trying to “affirmation” our way to a better today/tomorrow without addressing the underlying beliefs that may be sabotaging things under the surface. To this end, the therapeutic process is highly beneficial during the Jupiter/Pluto Square – for example, if we’re going through financial challenges we can write ourselves all the abundance checks we want, but how effectively this manifests results for us depends on how deeply we’ve psychologically addressed any embedded root philosophies that may be corrupting our alignment with abundance. The same can be said of any area of life, whether it’s relationships, health, work, etc.
I have always been a big believer that we can’t just metaphorically stick a band-aid over a cancer. You have to fully understand the pathology behind it and treat at a cellular level if you want to eliminate the spread and send it to Hades into remission. During the ongoing square between Jupiter and Pluto, the key is to uncover those pernicious beliefs and unravel them at their source to transform them into a more empowering philosophy. And to resurrect our faith to uplift us even when storm clouds gather.
Building uponmy last post discussing Jupiter in Libra square Pluto in Capricorn, another theme that keeps resurfacing in my head in relation to this energy lately is this concept of “Dark Blessings”. Have you ever been through some kind of majorly unpleasant or even traumatic life event and then later turned around to use that experience to better relate to others; say someone who is/was in a similarly difficult circumstance? Or as awful as things may have been, were you perhaps able to back up and get perspective to see that no matter how bad that experience subjectively was, there were certain factors that *could* have made the situation exponentially worse?
This is what I mean by “Dark Blessings” – it might not exactly be a silver lining, but the ability to salvage *something* (relatively) positive out of the situation is at least an appreciably lighter shade of grey, surely. Gilding the turd of a shit circumstance however we can – perhaps even through black humor – is certainly better than taking nothing positive at all away from a profoundly terrible experience, yes?
Over the next few weeks a square approaches between Jupiter in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn, perfecting its influence on November 24, 2016. This is only the first round; there is a second on March 30, 2017 & a final bout on August 4, 2017. The effects of this energy are broad, but one manifestation of it will be to slowly breakdown our relationship dogma over this roughly 8-month long period in order to make a lasting transformation to our partnering philosophy. This is a time to upgrade relationship consciousness for the better; particularly if there are any negative/dysfunctional (perhaps even old-school) relationship paradigms inherited from our parents. Pluto’s influence is psychological and Jupiter concerns belief, so what we really need to be drilling down to and illuminating now are the philosophies and perspectives we may have subconsciously internalized regarding love and marriage. Is it possible that in some respect we might have things just a wee bit….twisted? Have we normalized things that are actually kind of…well…fucked up, to be honest? Please understand this is not a judgment; it simply means if there is some kind of archaic “demon” sabotaging our happiness in relationships – perhaps even a warped framework/role model à la Al & Peggy Bundy – then it is time to perform a banishing ritual/exorcism!
During this square partnerships where (individual or joint) growth has stagnated are particularly in jeopardy, for Jupiter’s is a restless type of energy and the name of the game is always mutual elevation when it is found in Libra. Unfortunately, Pluto’s influence can bog this down in a big way! This Plutonic vibe revolves around the theme of something degrading over time – for example, constant or long-term pressures created by career, responsibilities and/or carrying all the “weight”, the aging process, our parents, or even parenting may threaten to undermine the sanctity of a union and can have some of us feeling as if we are growing apart rather than together. Psychologically, there may be a sense of outgrowing a relationship that we perceive as being from a dying era of our lives; perhaps one that has seemingly been frozen in time/stuck in slow-motion and is a big drain in some way. Instead of throwing more energy in, we may come to the conclusion that we’d rather conserve it for someone who lifts our vibe and generally makes us happy.
On another level, relationship growth can also be undermined by fearful or defensive psyches. Whenever we endure some kind of trauma or negative experience in life, we tend to build up psychological “scar tissue” and add on these thick protective layers, sometimes making the perimeter wall between ourselves and Others a bit extreme. This can be magnified by the stressor of relationship, as even good ones can trip off a trigger and thus create an overblown/disproportionate reaction within us….perhaps in response to demands for greater intimacy. In such cases, despite the unpleasantness of this we must get perspective to realize when the person/partnership is actually quite beneficial for us and then honestly address any baggage that may be sabotaging growth and happiness within the union, because otherwise we risk taking a huge loss. Not just immediately, but potentially with regard to our happiness in future unions as well.
We still have a few days left of that gorgeous mutual reception between Venus in Sagittarius and Jupiter in Libra, meaning if there has been any negativity with regard to our relationship beliefs we still have time to reset our stance to optimistic. There is no room for cynicism when these two benefics exchange energies; focus on aligning your energy and philosophy to reflect upon the beautiful, beneficial side of relationships, because we really do “receive what we believe” now. Venus energy works on the principle of attraction, so raise your vibration for best results because others on a similar energetically elevated level will be drawn to it. Have hope for love. Believe in the goodness of Others. Trust. Open up to intimacy and challenge yourself when you feel the time and person is right. This is an 8-month long Jupiter/Pluto tango we’ll be doing, so start off with your A-vibe in partnerships to hold the energetic high ground.
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