“And could it be… that my lopsidedness has more integrity than trying to fit into a mould that wasn’t made for me…?” HELEN TREMEER
‘Grappling’ seems to a be the word for my initial experiences of 2018, but then I have just passed through my second Saturn return (see more on that below) ;)! Added to the time spent looking after myself during the latest viral ‘thing’, I now have a problem with Word documents (no copy and paste, no way to insert photos – and no advice from the people I pay to use their services)! This section will be short and sweet and followed by recently shared posts on social media (which I’m having to type out long-hand to get onto this google document – we’ll see how it goes – lol!)
Integrity – a good, solid, Saturnian word! And Saturn rules Capricorn, which is where the sun resides at this time of year. It occurred to me, following the writing of my ‘Reflections’ below, that my former integrity is likely to have been based on how ‘little’ of me was here (thinking about how much soul loss we’ve all suffered and how the last few years of my life have been a time of healing, recouping and reintegrating parts of myself that I didn’t even know were lost thanks to the deep shamanic healing work of The Three Ravens College of Therapeutic Shamanism) – and decisions based on my old ‘centre’, therefore, need to be viewed with compassion rather than judgment. I still go with that sense of ‘lopsidedness’, though (see my own words above), as trying to fit into somebody else’s norm doesn’t work for any of us.
If you’re interested in working with me, I have a special offer running (due to finish on 6th January, but as it’s taken me longer than expected to get this newsletter off the ground, I’ll extend it to 13th January, 2018) of five 60-90 minute consultations (in person or via Skype) for £150.00 in advance or £35.00 each session (the first to be paid for by 13th January) – all five to be completed by the June solstice, 2018 (more info on what can be included in the package on my website). There’s also a workshop day looking at the aspects from an Astrology & Healing point of view on 10th March, 2018 (could be included as one of your five sessions and usually costs £45.00 – only 6 places available on this).
I would also appreciate your letting me know whether you’re happy to receive interim news of dates for workshops separately from the monthly newsletter, so that I’m not using newsletter space for that?
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We had a full moon on 2nd January (Social Media musings follow below):
I’ve been looking at the chart for tomorrow’s full moon in Cancer (2:25 hrs GMT at 11degrees38 Cancer/Capricorn). Lots of planets in earthy Capricorn (Saturn, Venus, sun and Pluto) balanced by a number of planets in water signs (Mars and Jupiter in Scorpio, Neptune and Chiron in Pisces and the moon itself in Cancer of course) – a fertile combination! My computer programme even shows a ‘kite’ formation (Grand Trine combined with an opposition – there’s a chart included in the thread of ‘Helen’s Astrology & Healing Page’ for those who are interested), but perhaps not quite close enough to ‘exact’ for the purposes of a full moon chart (let me know how you find/found it)?
A ‘kite’ sees a 360-degree flow of energy (this one has Mars, Neptune and moon in water signs), which harmonises, eases and ‘be’s ;), anchored by another planet (sun in this case), enabling it to ‘manifest’. High water energy in constant flow can feel rudderless, with the sun in Capricorn (in this case) providing a way to steer, perhaps?
Using the closest aspects only, we have a solar/lunar opposition with the sun conjunct Venus and Neptune trine to the moon and sextile to the sun, bringing an ease of connection between sun and moon through the poetry and compassion of Neptune, perhaps (but, as always, watch out for the rose-coloured glasses 😉 )?
Venus in Capricorn might be a lover of rules and integrity, but Black Moon Lilith’s ‘true’ position (the glyph on the chart shows the ‘mean’ position) is between Venus and the sun, bringing in the possibility, perhaps, of embodying more of our authentic wisdom and stepping into our ‘eldership’ in a truer, ‘wilder’ way?
(Photo courtesy of noomhh at freedigitalphotos.net)
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My reflections on Saturn’s ‘returns’ (below):
At my first Saturn return I was oblivious to the intricate patterns of a natal chart and the interweaving of the planets as they triggered the natal blueprint of our lives. At this, my second Saturn return (exact on 24th December, 2017), the symbolism of astrology is interwoven with everyday life and helps make sense of it.
On deciding to look back at the chart of my first Saturn return in 1988 (to compare notes), I found that it coincided with an exact conjunction of Uranus to this point (first degree Capricorn), as well as making three passes over the point (whereas 2017’s return is a one-off) with Saturn meeting Uranus again in their retrograde phases during June of the same year (in late Sagittarius), before passing over the degree of my natal Saturn again in the November.
Saturn, Lord of discipline, responsibility, integrity and time conjoined with Uranus, Lord of rebellion, shock, upheaval and truth (both rulers of my rising sign which falls in Aquarius)! A time to begin to integrate the planet which sits on my Descendant (that being Uranus for me), perhaps? It was a time which was coloured by all of the words listed above and there followed a year where I left my hometown for the first time – to live in another place.
Libra was rising in the above chart, making Venus in Aries the chart ruler, suggesting the themes of other vs. self, compromise vs. acting on my values and balance vs. risk-taking – and there was a close square between Mercury (retrograde) in Aquarius and Pluto (retrograde) in Scorpio, suggesting hidden truths, perhaps – or, equally, the power of words, depth of communication, expressing what was taboo?
An astrologer would have seen the themes clearly and been able to shed some light, but what happened in my life during this time makes sense in retrospect too – in terms of the astrology of the moment of that first chart (I haven’t ventured as far as the other two 😉 ).
Stephen Arroyo talks about the Saturn return being as ‘difficult’ as we are distant from our ‘fundamental’ selves. If we’re on track, Saturn gives us confirmation and a ‘pat-on-the-back’ as it were (there’s still work to do – there’s always work to do 😉 – but we’re getting there).
In 2017, I’m now practising astrology and healing, with the chart for my Saturn return having the very last degree of Cancer rising (a sign associated with family, nurture and care – and the sign of the first full moon in January, 2018 – see above). Uranus is not making any direct aspects in the chart and the Solstice coincided with Saturn’s ingress into Capricorn, reinforcing the themes of integrity, responsibility, patience and hard work.
With Cancer rising, the moon is ruler of the chart and the moon passed over Neptune (in Pisces) earlier in the day and made a close square to Mercury in Sagittarius. Again, an emphasis on communication, but the chart brings Neptune (compassion, delusion, transcendence and confusion) into focus rather than Uranus, and I’m also in the middle of a Neptune transit to my Mc/Ic axis. Back in 1988, the closest challenging transit was of Chiron (wounded healer, acceptance of what can’t be changed, disillusionment, working through the pain) to my natal sun.
Arroyo also talks about looking at the natal chart to see how Saturn is placed to give an indication of how we might fare during his transits and returns. It helps that my Saturn falls in his own sign of Capricorn, for instance, and that he sextiles (60 degrees) my natal moon and my natal Neptune (lunar ruler). The challenges come from his relationship to my natal Mars (Libra) and the nodal axis (Aries to Libra). There are so many indicators in my chart that relationship was going to be challenging – lol!
(Photo courtesy of vectorolie at freedigitalphotos.net)
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Thank you for bearing with me – I’m hoping to have made some inroads into using this googledocs programme by next month! And do check out the Working with Astrology group on Facebook!
Love and blessings,
Helen x
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