(Kim Emerson – Mosaic Artist)
Jupiter in Libra activates the Aries point signifying that whatever’s going on in the social/political world reflects what going on within you. The past three weeks for me have been a whirlwind of family visits, catching-up conversations, playing with the kids, celebrating birthdays, a wedding, a trip to Washington state, etc.
I experienced a painful emotional awakening (Pisces Moon square Mars) while observing an innocent exchange between my partner Michael and several of our nieces and nephews. They surrounded him just before the wedding, and he was riling them up. Their parents loved that, I’m sure.
Michael was explaining to the group of 6-10 year olds that it seemed they’d all gotten shorter since the last time he saw them – a couple years ago for some. He followed up with more assertions of ridiculousness before they were protesting and laughing, excited to discover that they might be smarter than this full-grown adult.
Testing to see if Michael was really as clueless as he seemed, one of the older kids challenged him with a basic history question. “Who discovered America?” The American Indians did, Michael said.
“No, no. That’s wrong.” They were jumping up and down yelling Christopher Columbus, and Amerigo Vespucci. “We learned it in school.” “The Indians didn’t discover America.”
That’s when the rollicking interaction took a disturbing turn for me. A wave of deep psychic pain flowed through me. It didn’t overwhelm. It just stayed with me and made it harder to fully immerse myself in the celebratory atmosphere.
It was unexpected and caught me off-guard. In retrospect I can identify it as the emotional stirring promised by the Pisces Eclipse. The Sabian Symbol for Jupiter, the ruler of this full Moon, is “A Butterfly Made More Perfect by a Dart Through It” This symbolizes a piercing of consciousness and an initiation through sacrifice and pain into a higher level of understanding.
Earlier this summer Eric Francis (astrologer/journalist) and I were discussing the merits of two different charts claiming to represent the birth of the United States. He preferred one over the other because of the strong “inheritance” factor represented by the 8th house. For him this symbolized the structural shift and conveyance of massive lavish resources from the Native Americans to the immigrating settlers. It was the core transaction that created the United States and the transaction was very messy – genocidal actually.
So here’s the part I think relates broadly to this Piscean Lunar Eclipse. Guilt about the genocide is the core element operating in the American psyche, according to Eric. We have a way of not appreciating what we have because we feel horrible about how we got it. It’s all beneath the surface of consciousness and we struggle to keep it there. That allows us to continue to take what we feel like taking while the deep psychic pain and dark distortions continue to fester and intensify.
“In keeping silent about evil, in burying it so deep within us that no sign of it appears on the surface, we are implanting it, and it will rise up a thousand fold in the future. When we neither punish nor reproach evildoers, we are not simply protecting their trivial old age, we are thereby ripping the foundations of justice from beneath new generations.”
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956
Pisces represents oil and water. I would therefore identify the political issue most relevant to what’s happening on a deeply personal levels to be the proposed oil pipeline through North Dakota’s sacred native lands and the growing protests over threats of water contamination.
Pisces traditional ruler is Jupiter, the planet of expansion that recently transited into the sign of Libra activating the Aries point. Libra is about justice and fairness. Since the 15th century the Goddess of Justice has been presented blindfolded holding balanced scales, indicating that justice must be blind and objective – not swayed by privilege, race, religion, wealth, greed, or other ulterior motives.
This Lunar Eclipse chart is a complicated one. The Virgo Sun/Pisces Moon opposition is squared by Mars and Phollus in Sagittarius. This formation is a powerful t-square of conflicting energy demanding action and an outlet. Both the Moon and Mars are ruled by Jupiter. Jupiter is angular further emphasizing its importance. And Jupiter’s ruler, Venus, currently resides in the sign of Libra as well. For all these reasons and a few more, all roads lead back to Jupiter, Libra, and issues of justice and fairness.
There are several possibilities here. You could be awakened to the fact that you’re approach in relationships encourages unfairness. Maybe you willingly engaged in lopsided relationships – professionally or personally – without standing up for yourself. Maybe you make excuses for why things can’t be fair. Maybe you retreat because you’re afraid. Maybe the injustice is monetarily beneficial to you. Maybe you just pretend it doesn’t exist.
Greenpeace sent me a e-mail requesting winter supplies for the protesters that I can drop off in Costa Mesa (a town not far from me) It’s an action I can take. I would prefer to be with the protesters in North Dakota. That’s what’s most needed – more bodies. But logistically I haven’t worked that out – yet.
So taking some kind of action to acknowledge the pain that’s been awakened within you over the past couple weeks is important. Acknowledging its source and taking responsibility to move forward with a passionate commitment to justice and fairness is the opportunity.
Pisces symbolizes compassion and sensitization. But Mars squaring Pisces brings to mind the famous Dali Lama quote: “It’s not enough to be compassionate. You must act.”
2 Comments
There is a saying among Native Americans that if you have even a drop of native blood you are a Native American. Thank you for the words on the genocide and people being passive, on my mother’s side I am Chippawa on my father’s I am Mohawk. There is a terrible pain in my heart because of what is happening in North Dakota. I am there in spirit but I cannot be there in body.
It was so nice to meet you a year ago when Anna and Andrew got married
I hope I have at least a drop of Native American blood in me. It feels like I might. The North Dakota events feel pivotal. Decisions made there will have wide ranging emotional and spiritual impact. It was nice to meet you too Bev 🙂 Waiting for the baby…it’s getting close. Great to hear from you. Holly