Mending by Breaking...

Often, the youthful surge of creativity blasts into set patterns and breaks their hold on further growth...

Back on these dates (the last Uranus conjunct Saturn)

12 Feb 1988 at 30 Sagittarius
26 Jun 1988 at 29 Sagittarius
18 Oct 1988 at 28 Sagittarius

the world did have a surge of youthful Uranian creativity that transformed former Saturnian patterns (see Making The Big Leap... for an exploration of this...). Since then, we all have been working to use the creative thrust to inform a new pattern. The following dates (Saturn opposed Uranus)

4 Nov 2008 at 19 Pisces/Virgo
5 Feb 2009 at 21 Pisces/Virgo
15 Sep 2009 at 25 Pisces/Virgo
26 Apr 2010 at 29 Pisces/Virgo
26 Jul 2010 at 1 Libra/Aries

are when we have the opportunity to see clearly the new Saturnian pattern we've fashioned to hold the Uranian spirit...

After this series of oppositions, we will all be able to infuse these, hopefully, well-formed, transformational patterns into our collective social lives.

If you happen to have not utilized these aspects positively, Now is the time to realign your energies and intentions...

Let's use the B.I.D.E. Interpretive System to explore various ways to do this (please reference the Information Site for the full System and guides for it's use {also via the red link in the right panel}).

First we need the meanings for Uranus and Saturn:

Uranus
Transforming
Breaking Obsolete Traditions of
Seeking the Truth of
Exploring Fresh Ideas about

Saturn
Defining
Clarifying
Structuring
Organizing

Next, we need the Signs involved (I'll wait till we're closer to the date for Aries/Libra);

Pisces
Sympathetic Awareness
Compassionate Understanding
Universal Feeling
Visionary Initiative

Virgo
Discrimination
Systems and Techniques
Careful Considerations
a Service Attitude

And, finally, the meanings for the Opposition:

Resonants in Polarity with
Helps Realign the Situation Toward Sharing by
Creates the Energy to Become More Inclusive by
Is Reborn into a Larger Sphere of Activity by

I'm going to choose the meanings I feel best express the current state of the world as regards these functions and energies and their relationship. Note that, due to the organic philosophy of planetary-pair aspects, I'm putting the slower planet first...

Breaking Obsolete Traditions of Universal Feeling
Is Reborn into a Larger Sphere of Activity by
Clarifying a Service Attitude.

Obviously, from Your perspective, other choices may be more appropriate. Also, when the House meanings are added, the whole thrust of the situation becomes more explicit. I'll put my own House placements into that last Symbolic Sentence as an example:

Breaking Obsolete Traditions of Universal Feeling in order to Be Aware of My Worth
Is Reborn into a Larger Sphere of Activity by
Clarifying a Service Attitude in order to Merge With Others.

Yes, very seemingly abstract—quite a mouth-full—yet, for me, very personally meaningful...

I'd love to see some of Your personal examples in the Comments.........

Making The Big Leap...

This image is the current position of the New Horizons spacecraft, launched January 19, 2006, cruising past Pluto in July, 2015...

From the image, we can see that this intrepid spacecraft is between Saturn and Uranus' orbits; yet, Saturn and Uranus are now on opposite sides of the Earth...

They were conjunct on the following dates:

12 Feb 1988 at 30 Sagittarius
26 Jun 1988 at 29 Sagittarius
18 Oct 1988 at 28 Sagittarius

In the B.I.D.E. Interpretive System, Saturn's meanings are:

Defining
Clarifying
Structuring
Organizing

and, Uranus' meanings are:

Transforming
Breaking Obsolete Traditions of
Seeking the Truth of
Exploring Fresh Ideas about

Before we can understand the current opposition of these planets we need to consider the beginning of the cycle back in '88...

But, first, we need another set of meanings from the B.I.D.E. System, Sagittarius:

a Broad Viewpoint
Philosophical Appraisal
a Top-Down View
an Idealistic Awareness

The final set of meanings necessary to analyze the Uranus/Saturn conjunction is the set for the conjunction itself:

Begins a New Cycle of Actualization by
Engenders New Possibilities by
Lets the Past Meet the Future by
Closes One Cycle and Opens Another by

So, according to the way these meanings are combined into Symbolic Sentences in the B.I.D.E. System [see the Information Site (red link in the right panel) for guides about using the System...], and only using the first option in each set of meanings, we have this possibility for:

Uranus in Sagittarius
Conjunct
Saturn in Sagittarius

Transforming a Broad Viewpoint
Begins a New Cycle of Actualization by
Defining a Broad Viewpoint

Seems we can't do a proper job of transforming until we do some defining... But, to add more depth to that interpretation, I'll change Saturn's meaning to the second option and Sagittarius' meaning to the last option:

Transforming a Broad Viewpoint
Begins a New Cycle of Actualization by
Clarifying an Idealistic Awareness

If you were alive and conscious back in 1988, I'd love to see Your Comments on that interpretation for the Uranus/Saturn conjunction or your Own choices from the B.I.D.E. System. Something else that would be great to see in the Comments are Your Symbolic Sentences with the House meanings added...

Here are the dates for the current Uranus/Saturn Opposition:

4 Nov 2008 at 19 Pisces/Virgo
5 Feb 2009 at 21 Pisces/Virgo
15 Sep 2009 at 25 Pisces/Virgo
26 Apr 2010 at 29 Pisces/Virgo
26 Jul 2010 at 1 Libra/Aries

We'll explore the potential meanings for this important opposition in the next post...

Cycles

Cycles are the backbone, lifeblood, and purpose of astrology.

Astrology was born from an awareness of cycles; three in particular: the yearly cycle of the Earth around the Sun (or Sun through the seasonal zodiac), the monthly cycle of the Moon's relationship with the Sun, and the daily cycle of the Earth's rotation (which moves the zodiac through the Houses).

There are 44 other important cycles in astrology: all the other pairs of planets, similar to the Sun/Moon cycle.

I've claimed that this blog exists for two important reasons: serving as a laboratory for exploring the multitudinous ways the B.I.D.E. Interpretive System can be used and a source of feedback from You that I can use to help shape the next ten volumes of Astrological Repair Manual.

So...

Following will be three versions of cycles using the first option in each category of the B.I.D.E. System (see the Information Site {red link in the right panel} for all the options...).

First the cycle of Signs, then the cycle of Houses, and, finally, a special aspect cycle (a Planet Pair cycle): conjunction, semisextile, sextile, square, trine, quincunx, opposition, then the Waning continuation of that progression. [Note: the B.I.D.E. Full Aspect Cycle has 36 aspects, so this is a subset of the full cycle...]

Just before I display these cycles, keep three things in mind:

* every phase of each cycle has three more choices in the B.I.D.E. System...

* you can learn one heck of a lot by studying these cycles' meanings and seeing how they're Similar and how they're Different...

* the cycles, naturally, don't end at the end of the lists below; they continue around again...

» One Version of the Sign Cycle «

Aries
Individual Awareness
Taurus
Personal Resources
Gemini
Diversity of Ideas
Cancer
Emotional Security
Leo
Dramatic Concern
Virgo
Discrimination
Libra
a Harmonizing Attitude
Scorpio
the Urge to Blend Perspectives
Sagittarius
a Broad Viewpoint
Capricorn
an Objective Attitude
Aquarius
Humanitarian Considerations
Pisces
Sympathetic Awareness

» One Version of the House Cycle «

1st House
Focus on the Present
2nd House
Focus on my Resources
3rd House
Be Aware of My Immediate Environment
4th House
Anchor Myself
5th House
Dramatize My Concerns
6th House
Be of Service
7th House
Begin (or, Refresh) a Relationship
8th House
Deepen Relationship
9th House
See the Broader Perspective
10th House
Make the Situation as Objective as Possible
11th House
Make My Social Position Secure
12th House
Realize the Oneness of Life

» One Version of the Planet Pair Cycle «

Conjunction
Begins a New Cycle of Actualization
Waxing SemiSextile
Creates a New Pattern for Action
Waxing Sextile
Increases Awareness of More Inclusive Considerations
Waxing Square
Provides for a Break with Past Compulsions
Waxing Trine
Brings a Sense of Future Fulfillment
Waxing Quincunx
Induces Reflection on the Path to Fulfillment
Opposition
Resonants in Polarity
Waning Quincunx
Expands Social Horizons
Waning Trine
Induces Insight into the Needs of Society
Waning Square
Increases Dedication to Social Transformation
Waning Sextile
Instills a Desire for Aiding Social Organization
Waning SemiSextile
Enables Deep Evaluation of a Process

* Don't forget: there are three more options for each phase of each of those cycles in the B.I.D.E. System (see the Information Site).

* And, please remember: Your comments or feedback are graciously welcomed!

Saturn and Cycles

More from the 6th chapter of my freely downloadable book, Astrological Repair Manual:

"So, now that Father Time is all spaced-out, I’ll reveal another major truth about astrology: no single symbol or function or planet or sign or house (we’ll meet signs and houses when we get closer to Earth) — none of these factors has any meaning all by itself. I can say Saturn means Structure, Limitation, Clarification, Organization, etc. but it gains its meaning from its cycle as it relates to other cycles. How could structure even be defined if there weren’t things that needed to be structured?

"One of the backbone sources for the meaning of any function in astrology is the length of its trip around the Sun. For Saturn, it turns out to be real close to 30 years with the half-cycle at 15 and quarter cycles around 7 years. When I was young it was common to hear: 'Ya can’t trust anybody over 30'. Oh, my! I wonder if those saying it were under thirty and probably not averse to a rather disorganized and freewheeling lifestyle?

"Right around thirty is when most of us have finally 'found ourselves'. We usually find it necessary to stake a claim for the pattern of self we’ve decided to be—lay out the pattern for others, organize our time in society to accommodate the clarity of self we now feel.

"And now I hear some people saying, 'Oh yeah? Thirty was hell!'. But do they realize that whatever difficult or negative period they were experiencing might have been there to clear the decks so they could claim a stronger place for themselves—make a clearer pattern of living?

"The half-cycle of Saturn is just as important for Identity Formation (Key Saturn phrase there). But, at fifteen, we’re putting out (for all to see) 'who we are' in terms of who we were born to and how they raised us. We’re also finding out what others think about that identity pattern and, possibly, trying to either hide it or flaunt it even more. The transition at thirty is qualitatively different. We’ve been through one whole cycle of identity formation and we’re trying to squeeze out whatever doesn’t really belong to the real self—condensing, confirming, clarifying, defining.

"Now, while we're circling this symbol of patterns and organization, would be a good time to lay out one of the most important structural concepts in astrology: the Squaring of the Circle. Every cycle, whether with one planet or two, has a beginning. It has a middle and an ending, too. Simple, eh? Yet many astrologers forget this view of life. They look at the position of a planet in a birth chart and freeze it there, trying to milk it for more meaning than it can give.

"We’re born with the planets at certain positions determined by our time and place of birth. The important thing to remember though is that the planets keep moving and so do we. Life and people evolve. These motions in astrology are called Transits and Progressions and are two topics that must be left for you to discover in the references recommended at the end of this book (and, in the revised and expanded edition of this book to which this blog dedicated). Way before you attempt learning about all the meaning possible with moving planets, you need a firm grounding in the field they move within—the circle or cycle. Each cycle has its moment of beginning when things are new and fresh—either exciting or scary. Each cycle also has its ending, which is the same moment as the beginning of a new cycle. But rather than thinking of this evolution of meaning as an old phonograph record, spinning endlessly, we should concentrate our positive minds and see each ending and rebirth happening on a new and higher level—a spiral of ever-ascending and fulfilling meanings.

"The first half of any cycle is all about taking the new materials we have to deal with and shaping them according to the vision we (hopefully) had at that magic moment of rebirth. If we aren’t facing our astrological cycles and our very lives in this way, we’re shortchanging ourselves!

"The exact middle of any cycle is the time when the vision of the beginning can flower and fruit—come to its highest personal consummation of expression.

"From the middle to the next rebirth is the time to share the fruits we’ve garnered with others—to make the function(s) valuable in others' lives.

"The two quarter phases—halfway from beginning to middle and halfway from middle to rebirth—are times we can use to firm up our directions, shift gears, if necessary, to get back on course, make sure our roots are firmly planted (personal or social), and gain strength for the push to the color and magic of the middle or the raking of leaves and the seed-tending of the time near rebirth. You're going to find that The Instructions and its system of interpretation [at the end of the free-to-download book] don't deal with these moving functions. Like I've said before, this book is all about giving you the right Perceptions so that any further studies you might engage in can be positive and profitable. If I'd never mentioned this important concept of the General Cycle, I would have been shirking my duty..."

We've finished the first consideration of concepts in the 6th chapter of the book. Once I've covered all 14 chapters, we'll go back and consider things in more detail. Hopefully, you'll be leaving your comments as we go along so I can consider where and how to reconsider these basics of astrology...

The Leap from Uranus to Saturn...

We've been considering Uranus recently and we'll soon be moving in toward Saturn on this trip to the center of our astrological solar system (just like the reader in my freely downloadable book, Astrological Repair Manual {which I'm currently working to revise and expand while using this blog to solicit your thoughts and feelings...}).

We've already considered, briefly, the realms just beyond Pluto, Pluto itself, Neptune, and Uranus. If you've just arrived here, I recommend going back through the last nine posts (this is a new and tender blog and the posts are bite-sized...) and seeing where we've already been...

It is significant that I'm taking a pause from posting about the book right after I related some of the material from the chapter about Uranus and just before we move on to Saturn. The reason is that we all are in the middle of a Saturn/Uranus opposition—the time when those planets are looking critically at each other (please understand that the "looking" is totally metaphorical...) and revealing "messages" from our unconscious minds to our very small ego-minds—messages that resonate with Change and Transformation that we can bring to the sometimes overly organized realm of day-to-day material considerations...

I've been spending time recently in a few astrological forums, AstrologyWeekly (which has sadly been experiencing server problems the last few days), Astro.com, and Skyscript and the discussions about the Saturn/Uranus opposition are becoming extremely interesting!!

I'll put the dates for the current Saturn/Uranus opposition and the previous Saturn/Uranus conjunction below but be aware, the conjunction was the beginning of a cycle of the transformation of organized processes and procedures and the current opposition is a time of reaping the fruit of the conjunction (even if you weren't even born yet when the conjunction happened. {this is a good place to remind my readers that I cherish comments in this blog from people that have no idea what I'm talking about...}).

We had the beginning of a Saturn/Uranus cycle on these dates:

12 Feb 1988 at 30 Sagittarius
26 Jun 1988 at 29 Sagittarius
18 Oct 1988 at 28 Sagittarius

We're in the middle of the culmination (opposition) of this cycle. Here are the dates:

4 Nov 2008 at 19 Pisces/Virgo
5 Feb 2009 at 21 Pisces/Virgo
15 Sep 2009 at 25 Pisces/Virgo
26 Apr 2010 at 29 Pisces/Virgo
26 Jul 2010 at 1 Libra/Aries

I hope I get a multitude of comments about this post...

Even if I don't, the next post will cover the chapter in the book about Saturn—one of the most misunderstood planets in astrology...

Go ahead, leave a comment. I dare you! Remember, the only stupid question is the one we don't ask...