The Turning Wheel - Astrology for rEvolutionaries by Rhea Wolf Autumn 2008
Take a moment to reflect on the last six months. Chances are this has been a time of extraordinary activity for you and your loved ones. You may not even recognize the former landscape of your life. Acknowledge how far you’ve come—the ways you bravely take action to halt oppression, to make someone else’s life better, to alleviate suffering. Feel the dreams you’ve been carrying—the ways you’d like to live, to love, to work—and then see how you are manifesting those dreams every day in small steps toward your own liberation.
The astrological indicators for the next three months show us following through on those themes that have been center stage. If the energy of the upcoming elections is exciting to you, you may feel the pull to tap into that spirit of change. But regardless of your political leanings, this is definitely a time to act on your beliefs and take your ideals to the next level. If you’ve been waiting for something to clear your path, it’s time to see that the machete is already in your hand. Start bush-whacking. If the August eclipses in Leo-Aquarius taught us anything, it is that we have to be courageously honest in expressing our inner-fire. Hiding behind excuses and fear will not bring us any closer to healing our world. Battles may not be apparent in our streets, but they are raging nonetheless. In our hearts, in our beliefs, in our daily choices, we have to face the music, preserving what is still healthy while burning away what is dysfunctional and sick.
In October, we can move closer to a philosophy of compassion if we remember that we tell the stories that shape our world—changing history and our shared future at the same time. Winston Churchill said, “History is written by the victors.” Consider this as you untangle the lies you’ve been told and see the real success accomplished by ordinary people working for justice. Reclaiming power from the media, from politics, and other authority figures means deciding where you want to put your attention. How do you gather information? Does it feel empowering or overwhelming? What are other ways you might seek to know your world outside of the field of sound-bites and experts?
On Election Day (November 4), the planetary energies kick off that old-school bout between conservatism and change—with staunch Saturn and radical Uranus in exact opposition. This opposition has been pulling on us for a couple of months, and part of the challenge of this Saturn-Uranus aspect is recognizing the limitations of authority and breaking through naïve cynicism in order to find the will to keep fighting and loving for real change. The pressure to clench up our fists and minds on Election Day will be strong. But whoever gets elected, our work remains the same: expressing our core values by working in local coalitions and reaching out to the global community for inspiration and support.
Whatever side you may lay claim to, consider that there are plenty more than two options. We all want to believe that we are taking care of the world—whether that means providing job security, stopping violence, growing more food, or raising healthy families. Those generic qualities of life are pretty central to all of us, but how we seek to accomplish those goals is often vastly different. This is a time to experiment with believing that those we call “other” are also right. This may be tough to swallow, as compromise can often look like caving in. But if we are going to break out of an either/or, x/y, dualistic world stage, it will only be through this kind of willingness to see beyond simplistic labels and actually cooperate.
We may feel reality come crashing around us in November, especially when Pluto re-enters Capricorn on the 26th. Moving through despair or hopelessness is vital to our ability to cope with the pressures of our complex times. Like fording a rushing river, we have to go into the dangerous waters to get to safety. The autumn months are about tapping into the darkness and the feminine collective in order to find harmony that transcends our personal ego limitations. The collective can be oppressive—like a nation-state walling up its borders and demanding allegiance. But it can also be healing and enlivening as we discover how to be more than the sum of our parts.
Rhea Wolf is a professional astrologer, writer, and workshop facilitator residing in Portland. She is available by phone and in person for readings. To schedule a reading or sign up for her free Full Moon reports, email her at [email protected] or go to www.turningwheelastrology.com.