Astrologer Bill Attride

Sun Enters Pisces (February 18, 2019)

The Gift of Imagination, The Power of Faith

Always remember this: You have all the signs as part of you, from Aries to Pisces, from Fire through Water, in Air or by Earth, somewhere there is a part of you that is illumined by each of these twelve. Each sign holds specific gifts and challenges for you. But perhaps none is more poignant, powerful and inspiring as the last. Today you enter once again the realm that holds them all, today you return to Pisces.

Here you come to the endings of things; here you gather together the fruit of your labors in all those previous chapters of your journey. And it is from this harvest, from your triumphs and even more from your so-called failures, it is here that you find and forge the lessons, meanings and seeds that you will plant in your never-ending story of you.

Yes, it is here in Pisces, it is here you come to the end, and equally you will find the promise of all your future endeavors too. Here you look back and you look ahead, because this is how it is done, you must see the whole of it, the whole of you, the meaning behind the mirrors of reality and so make better the future for you and your world. Here you look up at the cosmos and take in the wonder of it all. Here you ask the question of questions:

“Where did we come from; Why are we here; Where are we going?”

In the beginning, before Space-Time, there was the One.
Here, in the “Now”, we are the many, who are the body of the One in Space-Time.
At the “end”, of every Cosmic Cycle, we many return to be “one with the One” again.

This is the of pulse of Spirit-Life-Consciousness.
This is what is known as the Days and Nights of Brahma.
For there was no beginning, and there can be no end.
There is only the path of Becoming and Awakening for all “ones of the One”.

This is the Journey of Spirit, this is your path,
Formed by ever expanding fields of Consciousness and Creativity.
You move from unself-conscious Sparks of the Divine, fields of Energy-Forms truly,
To becoming a fully Awakened Conscious Co-Creator of Creation.

It is said that our present form of life, this “human-phase” of our journey, is most special. But why is that; what does it mean to be human? Through each step, from an infinitesimal being on up through all the Kingdoms of Spirit-Forms, why is this human form considered by creatures not yet human, and by beings above this human form, why is this experience of human so treasured?

We are told that it is special because here, precisely in this form of self-aware consciousness equally stretching itself inwardly and outwardly to the divine, that we become illuminated, we wake up through our very divinity and become “the self-re-made” by our priceless gift of Imagination. This is the Gift of Pisces.

What makes us human, and what will bring us into our apotheosis as fully awakened humans, is that we are dreamers. We encounter our world “as it is”, and then we dream of a better one for us and all those who come after. And then we try to “make it so.”

But we are imperfect; so that spilling into our dreams of the divine comes the errors of our past, our doubts and our fears, our apprehensions and misperceptions, and these become part of our creation too. That is why we have the world that we have, made in the image of ourselves, a world of light, love and of beauty, but also of darkness, fear and pain.

It is here in Pisces that you feel the pain and yet hold to the promise of your compound nature, that you are sublime yet mortal, filled with promise and unconditional love, but sometimes weighed down by fear and regret. But out of these dark echoes of the past you make the very forge for your diamond heart of compassion and understanding too. Yes, it is here in Pisces you that reveal your divinity in your very humanity.

You learn to forgive yourself as you must equally forgive one another; to create the sacred space for your own growth you must sacrifice for one another too. You see in them yourself, their joy and their pain yours. You stretch your heart and soul and feel the whole of this, compassion not just for another human, but for all of life, for all of this wondrous Creation that makes your life possible too.

You see Creation as it is, a Ribbon of Souls who are all one with one another, a Rainbow of Light and Love, and that all of Creation is alive and held together. You know and feel that this is me and I am that. It is beyond words, and you bow your head and bend your knee.

Yes, you realize that though at times you will stumble and fall, that you will be touched by fear again, you feel in your heart and you know in your soul that you have nothing to fear.

You are one of the ones of the One.

Yes, it is the Gift of Pisces to Dream, and the Power it bestows is equal to this. Because you have become self-aware, and because you are part of a host of countless great souls who form the Consciousness of Creation, you realize that you and they are the Path of Light.

You are the Living embodiment of the Power of Faith; that Faith is the Love of the One.

There is but one way, there is only one path,

Just Love one another.

The New Year – Part 5 – Donald Trump (February 2019)

Donald Trump – The test of Power

It is most often true that the future of a nation and the fortunes of its leader are inextricably bound to one another. My previous posting noted that the most significant planetary transit in the USA chart this year is the transit of Pluto over the USA Mercury. It may come as no surprise then that the most significant transit in Donald Trump’s chart, for this year and for the next, is Pluto as well.

In 2019 and 2020, Donald Trump will have Pluto forming an Inconjunct aspect (150°) to his Sun. Moreover, building in during 2019 and becoming fully manifested in 2020, Pluto will be in opposition to his Saturn. What do these two passages indicate for Trump and the Nation?

Pluto and The Triad of Spirit

Pluto is part of what I like to call the “Triad of Spirit”. Uranus is the Avatar or principle of the Higher Mind; Neptune the Avatar of Unconditional Love; Pluto the Avatar of the Will. Together, at the crown of the spiritual hierarchy they represent the Mind, Love and Will of God. For humans, we are striving to learn to wield these powers correctly, as we slowly but surely walk the path of awakening by developing freer minds, truly unconditional love and guided by ever more centered wills.

Pluto rules will-power, and through our will we strive to master ourselves; we learn that we must focus inwardly, and to use our will for greater self-control and self-mastery. The number one error (or sin) on this Earth is when we use our will and power to control, subjugate, manipulate and violate another (or others). The greatest spiritual crime is trespassing, where we violate the sacred space of another.

We are here to master ourselves, and by our example, as well as by offering loving help and guidance to others, we help one another towards greater self-mastery and self-control. By being truly centered by the will, (and guided by Wisdom and Unconditional Love), we are more able to use whatever personal, social or collective powers we hold and to exercise them correctly; and we will serve the source of that power and direct it in the proper manner as determined by our roles and responsibilities. Ultimately, any exercise of power must be in accordance with Spiritual truth:

We are here to learn to wield our will in a Transpersonal manner; through our personal will we serve the “source” of that power so that it is never used for selfish purposes. The teaching will ever be, to remain guided by one’s Higher Self and so by the One; we resolve to serve and so remain true to the path, “Let Thy Will be Done!”

Within any hierarchy, (Family, Community, Corporation, State or Nation), the leader, (or leaders), the holder of any form of executive power is invested with the responsibility to be the prime example (the “Exemplar” or Avatar) of this spiritual truth: That the exercise of Will and Power must be held and centered, yoked to serve the purpose and intent of whatever office that leader is there to serve. That is why in many cases, a person will take a “oath”, which binds their individual will to the general good or purpose which they serve; that power is not “theirs”, but it is merely entrusted to them while they hold that office.

Donald Trump

In 2019 and 2020 Donald Trump will experience Pluto passing over his Sun and over his Saturn. What will this mean for him and for the USA? Quite simply and profoundly, Donald Trump is going to face a fundamental “test of power”. If he has wielded the powers of the presidency correctly, if he has aligned his will to the office of the presidency, then he may pass this test, though it will be a very challenging time. If he has not sufficiently and correctly sacrificed his will to the greater good of his office, if he has not understood the nature of his oath and aligned himself to the true source of the power which he serves, then he will fail and fall one way or another.

The Pluto alignment to Trump’s Sun in 2019 and 2020 indicates that his exercise and experience of power is shifting in ways that will bring about a growing sense of unease and confusion for him. He may ascribe it to forces or personages outside of himself, but it will really be the growing schism between his lower will and the higher will to which he swore an oath to serve.

This growing gap between the power of this office and the experience of his personal power eroding may create within him, at least in part, a desire to walk away from or give up this position of power as it has lost its appeal. It is no longer of personal use to him. The reason for this will because he has failed to understand and serve in the office of the President as those who came before him.

The alignment of Pluto to Trump’s Saturn during 2020 is even more challenging, as it will directly threaten his sense of position (Saturn) and the confidence he has in maintaining that role. Typically, an individual with this transit feels that the effort to wield or maintain their position is overwhelming. Authorities, who represent other realms and sources of power, are countering or opposing his form of exercising his (presidential) power.

These other centers of power may wield such a strong counter-force that he will not be able to perform his duties, or thwart his attempts to do what he wishes. He will either have to bend or break under the pressure of foes and forces that will appear unshakable and unbeatable. Again, as a result of this pressure he may wish to withdraw from his position or if he attempts to remain, he will find that his power is circumscribed or rescinded.

There are several other challenging transits in Trump’s chart in 2019 and 2020 (Neptune Square his Uranus in 2019 and Square his North Node in 2020, Uranus SemiSquare his Uranus in 2019 and Uranus Square his Pluto in 2020), and I will address these in future postings and radio shows.

But the principal challenge for the next two years will be Trump’s encounter with this test of Pluto, with this test of Position and Power.

Astrologer Bill Attride Radio Show, 2019 – The New Year Part 3 (Saturday February 2, 2019 @ 2 pm EST)

Astrological Musings – The New Year ­Part 3 – The USA & Donald Trump (February 2, 2019)

In my third show of 2019 I will continue our look at the major Astrological themes of 2019 by examining the transits in the charts of the USA and Donald Trump.

As before, I will answer your questions during the show, whether on these topics or some other matter, including personal questions about your astrological chart. If you do wish to ask a personal question, please be ready to provide at least your birth date and birth place, and time of your birth if you have that too.

If you wish to suggest a subject or topic for a future show, please email me as I would be happy to hear from you. My email is: billattride@gmail.com.

Here is the main link to Astrologer Bill Attride Radio: 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/astrologerbillattride

Here is the link to the show on Saturday February 2^nd @ 2 pm EST:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/astrologerbillattride/2019/02/02/astrologer-bill-attride-radio-show-the-new-year-2019-part-3

The phone number to call if you wish to ask a question during the live show is: (516) 531-9638.

Please join me on Saturday February 2^nd at 2 pm EST as we look at the current astrological indications and what they mean for you.

The New Year – Part 4 – The USA (January 2019)

The USA

The three previous postings for the 2019 forecast, (past, present and future) concerned the universal energy-forms of planetary conditions, known as “Transits to Transits”, that reveal and inform our journey in meanings and messages for one and for all.

Now I will consider the conditions for an individual entity and the aspects formed to their chart, or what are termed “Transits to Natal” indications. I will begin by considering the chart of the United States of America, and in the next posting consider the chart of the President, Donald Trump.

Neptune and Saturn

The principal transit in the chart of the USA in 2018 was Neptune to Saturn (an inconjunct aspect or 150°). This transit was exact from 2017 into early 2019, (although we should always look at all these outer planetary alignments as periods of time, as processes that build in over several years leading to these more exact periods of culmination).

This transit involved the challenge that any culture will face (again and again), between its present-day structures of Civil and Political Society (Saturn) and the pressure to incorporate ever more Spiritual Truths into that structure (Neptune). This was the same alignment for the USA that occurred in the mid 1850’s. That period was characterized by the struggle over the very nature of the USA, of what of kind of economy, culture and spiritual character the USA would have with regards for the principal of human equality (as is affirmed in our sacred compact, The Constitution), or turn against the tide of history and human rights and consider some as less deserving, in effect treating some as objects (i.e. slavery).

There certainly are major echoes of that struggle in our current period, with the issue of how we view the true history versus the legacy (memorials) of the Confederacy, how we treat various groups within our society, (Minorities, LGBT, Immigration, Refugees), the issue of voting rights and representation, and the continuing shadows formed by echoes of racism and the virtual genocide of the Native population.

Though this aspect will fade now, the echoes it stirred and the present-day divisions it highlighted will continue to be one of the principal challenges the USA will face for many years to come, as we will and must continually strive to finally heal these divides between our dearest ideals and our less than perfect union.

Saturn in Capricorn

The other major theme of 2018 will persist in a modulated form through 2019, as Saturn moving through Capricorn continues to make significant alignments in the USA chart. The transits in 2018 were to Venus and Jupiter, and 2019 begins with Saturn Opposite to the USA Sun. Then throughout 2019 Saturn will Square the USA Saturn. As I noted last year, this particular series of alignments of Saturn has historically been associated with economic, and then socio-political disruptions for the USA, (in 1988-1991, 1959-1962 and 1929-32), where each time not only did strong economic challenges/disruptions occur, but these also triggered social and political upheavals.

Steering through such choppy economic waters, one would hope to have well-founded trust in a strong, steady leader and staff to help us avoid the worst economic outcomes. We can only hope that by some fortune of happenstance we will get through without too much harm, because most would agree that this necessitated form of leadership is sorely lacking now.

 

Pluto and Mercury – A Reckoning

Building in during 2019 and becoming fully manifest in 2020 is a rather powerful alignment of Pluto going over the USA Mercury. (I mentioned this in my radio show this past week (January 19^th) and will discuss it in more depth for the next show on February 2^nd, and I will also consider Donald Trump’s chart and transits).

This is a very powerful transit generally, but even more so as the USA has a Mercury Pluto opposition in its natal chart, (Mercury is at around 24° of Cancer and Pluto around 27° of Capricorn). This two-year transit will highlight a fundamental condition that has greatly influenced the character of the USA, and we may be able to anticipate by the last two alignments of Pluto to the USA Mercury what this might mean for us now.

The two previous transits of Pluto to the USA Mercury (and to Pluto) were 1981-83 and 1933-37. Those two periods mark perhaps the two most significant shifts in modern economic policies for the United States that led to two very different types of economic conditions.

During the earlier period, when the country (and world) grappled with “The Great Depression” the USA was on the “razor’s edge”, much like the rest of the world, between two paths of either Fascism or Socialism. But the USA found another way with FDR’s New Deal, and other political and economic adjustments, which created a sustainable path of growth for the next several generations (late 1940’s through the 70’s). Integral to the success of this path was that the remarkable rise in productivity and wealth was more evenly distributed among the various strata of the country.

The 1981-83 period was marked by the so-called “Reagan Revolution”, which promised that by cutting taxes dramatically, especially the top marginal tax rates, the resulting redistribution of wealth would create more growth for one and all. However, from the early 1980’s onward the share of the USA’s productive growth benefits sharply skewed to the uppermost percentiles of the population. The middle- and lower-income groups began to steadily fall behind in the degree to which they share and enjoy the benefits of the growth of productivity and wealth.

More and more people found they had to work harder and harder, as they received less and less. Other factors also contributed to this economic shift away from the more or less equal sharing of American prosperity of the previous 40 years, (the move from an industrial to a service economy, increasing automation, trade deals without enough protection or mechanisms to help affected workers, the shift to a stock market driven by the short-term profits for investment banks (the “tail wagging the dog”) as raising capital became an end unto itself rather than for productive and long-term investment, etc.). But it was the change in the marginal rates of taxation which dramatically shifted the distribution of how equitably the different sectors and strata of America benefited in the last 40 years.

What happened is that the promise of America, “of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, began to fade for more and more. This was brought to bear brutally in the second “Great Recession of 2008” wherein millions of Americans saw their dream of a brighter future for their children dissolve into bankruptcy, foreclosures, bitterness, fear and anger.

To illustrate how this shared distribution of growth was broken and created a widening gap in income gains, here is a graph of the shift in the distribution of income gains for the USA from the late 1940’s through 2017:

And this graph shows the skewing of the concentration of US Income for the 1%, which reached its highest point in 1929, and is now (ominously) approaching that same degree now, (just as it did in 2008):

Value of a Nation

The Pluto/Mercury opposition in the USA chart is from the 2^nd House to the 8^th House. The 2^nd House in the chart of a Nation is said to concern the “Wealth” of that nation and many would hold that means the tax revenue, stocks, bonds, shares, banks, exchanges, trade and commerce, national export and currency. It is the general “wealth and prosperity” of the people of that nation.

For me, though I agree with much of that on some level, I prefer to focus upon the root or true source of value by starting from a spiritual approach. The 2^nd house will always rule “values” in any chart, and in this case, it rules the “Values of a Nation”. The question then remains, how do we know and measure (or have a scale of measurement) for the hierarchy and types of value in an entire nation?

Spiritually speaking, the Land and Water, the Forest and the Fields, the entirety of what is called “natural resources” can certainly be understood by any culture to have “value”. But the understanding and relationship with that is far different for a tribal or hunter-gatherer culture versus an agrarian culture, or some other economic-cultural type.

By sticking with the fundamental question, “what is the root source of value for any Nation?”, (or any unit of human society), I would always start with the premise that our truest measure of value is and must be centered upon what forms the people of that nation. Yes, it is true that the 2^nd house also concerns the physical value of a geographic space, but what will distinguish a Nation more than anything is the value formed by and through the people of that land. Equally, and even more importantly, any society will be measured spiritually by how it treats or values those humans, and indeed how much it holds to the truth that all of life is sacred.

The Challenge

Considering this upcoming passage of Pluto over Mercury (and then the Pluto return in 2022), what we are witnessing is another critical moment where the very nature of our society is at stake. The rising stresses and schisms in our culture, society and politics are at the root a struggle over how we understand the nature of our core values as a nation.

We face a time much like of the 1930’s, and the USA must once again address this most fundamental question: How can we heal the divide that has formed between our various communities? How can we hold to our promise to be "A New Order for the Centuries", ("Novus Ordo Seclorum")? How can we restore our common purpose and live by the love, respect and value that we must have for one another?

We can if we remember that our very well-being, "Our Happiness", depends upon one another. We should remain true to our founding document, our Declaration of Independence, that “…we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor”. For it is most certainly true that none of us can be truly happy if we do not strive to make it possible for each person in our country to achieve their Self-Fulfillment.

Our individual self-fulfillment depends upon one another. We must restore our common purpose to help one another, for we have come together, as the most vibrant and diverse mixing of peoples and cultures guided by the fundamental Spiritual Truth that we are all "ones of the One".

Our pledge to one another is reaffirmed in our motto, and together they will always point the way and hold us to our path. That motto, "Out of Many, One", ("E Pluribus Unum"), reaffirms that our very diversity is our true value and strength.

Yes, we are the future; we are a people of all peoples, cultures, creeds and faiths.

Out of Many, we are One.

Next, The Chart of Donald Trump

Sun Enters Aquarius (January 20, 2019)

The Way of Happiness

Do you know the purpose of your life?
Why are you here? And, where are you going?
What are your Hopes and Dreams?

Today you leave the space of Capricorn and enter the realm of Aquarius. The last 30 days have been about understanding the purpose of your life. It is from this understanding that you are able to assume your responsibilities and take your proper place in your community and the larger world. And, by “doing your duty” you are equally able to enjoy the rights you may claim by the fulfillment of those responsibilities.

You are part of a great Hierarchy of Spirit-Life-Consciousness, where you find and fulfill yourself in a vast and interdependent structure of caring and being cared for. You are here, in life after life, to reach deeper into yourself so that you may reach a little higher in each life, as you slowly but surely approach self-mastery through an integral balance of wisdom and humility.

Along this path of purposefulness, it does not matter “where” you are going; but it very much matters “why” you are going there. You will find that your journey is not about being “successful”; it is about being true to who you are so that you remain on the path of Self-Fulfillment.

But, of course, you do not, you cannot, walk this path alone. You could not be you or become what you will be without a host of other souls who walk this path too. You are human, and so you are formed and forged by all those with whom you walk on this path of becoming.

This is the Truth of Aquarius, that you are here to be someone special, to shine and sparkle with the light of Individuality. But the very materials you form into that individual that is you, that special essence that shines through as “you”, are formed by those building blocks that come from all with whom you have shared this life (and many lives before). What you have, (your feelings, thoughts and spiritual sensibilities), and what you share with all with whom you journey, comes from your parents, siblings, classmates, friends, colleagues and of course, most heartfelt, from those dearest to your heart too.

You are all mixed up in one another, and your true Happiness comes from this being one who is part of many other ones too. You are part of many circles of life, and they are in you, and you are most certainly part of them too. Here is what I wrote in my 2019 Forecast – Part 3 about the nature of the “Age of Aquarius”:

The principle of Aquarius is Fellowship, it is Brotherhood and Sisterhood, it is Companionship and Community and the Spiritual Truth that we are all made of and by one another. We cannot be, Life cannot be, without blending, mixing, combining, and then sharing and growing together. Life, Consciousness and Spirit are forged and formed by Interrelationship, Diversity, Complexity and our essential Interdependence with one another and all Life-Forms. Every Particle of Creation is a Spark of the Divine, formed in its core by its own Quintessence. Every tree and every leaf on every tree, every being and each cell forming that being, everything is formed by "ones" formed into a greater One. All of life is part of something greater, yet it is preciously and wondrously its own unique instance of that Greater Whole.

Aquarius is all about the One and the Many, and we are each a precious part, a unique one of a “Kind”, but formed and held and made possible by that Kind, by that whole, and then the next greater whole, which ultimately forms the whole of this entire Creation or the ONE.

We are made of one another, and we see ourselves in each other, as we share our love for this life and for one another. We cannot be happy by ourselves; that is just not possible. That is most simply but profoundly because we cannot be ourselves, we cannot be or become human without one another. Our true Happiness (our smiles and laughter) are essentially human and social experiences; we shine with the light of spirit as we share and show our love for one another. Our hopes and dreams are made of and by one another. And our well-being, our true Happiness, comes from being with our fellow-travelers in this amazing Journey of Spirit.

Yes, your Happiness comes from your Self-Fulfillment; but you can only and truly experience this when those whom you love and care for have their Self-Fulfillment and Happiness too. You find and extend your happiness by helping one another to preserve your way of life in your family, through your community and out into the larger world too. Then you turn your attention to your dreams of a better life, as you join together to improve your world and one another. And then you look even higher, and you dream of what might be, and you look to that far horizon and say, “Let us strive to make a new Golden Age, let us build that Shining City on a Hill, and let us live and love and laugh as we make a better world for one and for all.”

This is really the deeper message of Aquarius: That until we create a world where self-fulfillment is possible for one and for all, none of us will be fully or truly happy.

This is the dream of Aquarius, this is the faraway look you see in an Aquarius’ eyes, (and in your own Aquarian nature that each of you has somewhere in your chart). Humans are dreamers and creators, and we yearn to live (once more) in a golden age where the value and worth of each individual is celebrated, honored and fulfilled.

We know and feel in our sacred center and by the light of our highest self, that we are here for this: “We are all for one and one for all”.

Your Happiness, our happiness is found in one another. We feel it in our smiles and laughter. Because what makes us happy is the happiness of our family and friends.

And our life is good, true and beautiful when it is lived with and for one another.

For this is why we came, this is what we are here for.

You are what you are because of love.

And all you have to do,

Is Just love one another.

The New Year – Part 3 (January 2019)

The First "Earth Rise" for Humanity - Apollo 8 mission - Our Beautiful, Blue Home

 

Whence – Where – Whither

Part 3 – Whither

So, let us now cast our gaze forward to the years that lie ahead. As I have already noted, there are several planetary influences that are remaining in place now, some for quite a few years, yet their influence will be constantly influenced and modulated by alignments and transitions of other planets too. The Universe is formed by these undulating rhythms of Constancy amidst constant Change; for the underlying essence of Spirit is formed by these Eternal Truths. which play out in these worlds of Being as the profoundly moving resonances of the cosmos, the eternal Songs of Spirit.

As I mentioned in last year’s look ahead, we have now, (after Uranus moves into Taurus to stay for seven years on March 6^th), Saturn, Uranus and Pluto all moving through Earth Signs. It is perhaps a fitting and final chapter in this “Age of Earth” that we have been moving through since the 1840’s, as indicated by one of the signature cycles in Astrology, the conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn every 20 years occurring in one element after another.

Astrologers have always paid very close attention to this series of alignments, each one defining a period characterized by a definite spiritual-cultural resonance, the “tone of the time”. I have named the last 3 elemental passages, and the upcoming 4^th as:

Water             1425-1663 (The Age of Faith) previous was 571-809

Fire                 1663-1842 (The Age of Explorations) previous was 809-1047

Earth              1842-2020 (The Age of Manifestation) previous was 1047-1226

Air                  2020-2219 (The Age of Idealization) previous was 1226-1425

 

This is known as the “Great Mutation Cycle”, the series of Jupiter/Saturn conjunctions taking place in the Four Elements one after the other, (Water, Fire, Earth, and Air). The complete series is formed by 40 conjunctions around the zodiac, which is divided into roughly 4 periods of about 180 to 230 years each, or an entire series lasting about 800 years.

What this means is that we are on the cusp of some very important shifts as we move from this Age of Manifestation (or Materialization) into an Age of Idealization (or what I call Etherealization). Perhaps, our passage will mirror that of the 1200’s to 1400’s, and that this New Age will equally bring forth a “little Renaissance”, (or something even more profound)?

It will begin as 2020 ends, as Saturn moves into Aquarius and Jupiter joins it on the very day of the Winter Solstice of December 21, 2020. Then in the year 2024, Pluto will leave Capricorn and likewise enter Aquarius. And yes, there are some who believe that these shifts, along with other indicators, point to the true beginning of what many have called the Age of Aquarius.

This much longer cycle of Astrological Ages, (which is also known as the Precession of the Equinoxes) is formed by the Earth’s position as indicated by the North Pole being aligned to a series of Polar stars over the course of about 26,000 years, (or about 2,100 years per sign). As these alignments unfold, the first day of Spring rotates backwards through the Zodiac, (from Aries to Pisces to Aquarius…). It forms the difference between what Astrologers know as the Tropical Zodiac (moving) and the Sidereal Zodiac (fixed) which were aligned at 0 Aries around 254 BCE.

We are said to be at end of Pisces and the beginning of Aquarius, though the transition between one to the other is not definite, and there are various dates for when the Aquarian Age will begin (or has already begun). There are serious (but also wild and rather silly) theories about what this Age of Aquarius will bring. I hold that we can more clearly understand what may be coming, by looking to the most significant theme of the past 2,000 years, or what was the root issue that formed this Age of Pisces. It is from this that we may be able to discern what may lie ahead for us all.  

Though volumes have (and will) be written about the 20 Centuries we have just come through, the most salient feature to me comes from the center that forms the Sign of Pisces. I like to say that Pisces, being the last sign, (and from a strictly “human” perspective of course), is the summation and completion of the journey in spirit that we humans are all engaged upon.

What drives our story as human is not our wonderful “opposable thumb”, (though certainly it has spurred the development of our tool-making nature and the growth of our self-consciousness). Or, some would point to that feature as the key to forming our capacity to make tools, and it was this which led to our defining feature, to our “self-awareness”, which then forms the key to what makes us human, and we are certainly closer to the “truth” with this it seems.

But I am fond of saying, that in the end it all comes down to this, and looking to this last sign of Pisces, (and we all have Pisces somewhere in our chart and nature), what truly makes us human is our Capacity to Dream, to look at the world and one another with wonder. We are endowed with Imagination, and so our greatest gift is formed and held by the very heart of Spirit, we are Creators.

We dream, we imagine and so we create…and then we dream again. We encounter the world “as it is”, and we dream of a better one. We have and find our way through this Living Faith as Creators, and we understand, because we know, that we can form a better life, and a better world for us and for those who follow.

We are not so much “human beings” as much as we are “human becoming’s”. It is precisely from this essential quality of Spirit, of being “Creators”, that we have brought about remarkable changes in our very nature, and in the world around us. But now our “Ring of Power”, (our Imagination and Intelligence, our Curiosity and Creativity), threatens to undermine our very existence, as well as fundamentally change the complex hierarchy of fellow Life-Forms on our Earth.

Yes, into our “Creations” we have poured our hopes and dreams and revealed the awesome gift of our Imagination and Dreams. But we are also imperfect, and we have neither the requisite wisdom nor humility, as yet, to use our power with true understanding and compassion. So, the tragic result has been that we inevitably wove into our creations the anxieties, doubts and fears that have shadowed our journey of awakening.

Yes, we had dreams and visions, and we had inventiveness, curiosity and critical thinking and we acquired more and more knowledge. But both the Dream and this Knowledge were imperfect and woefully inadequate. We literally opened “Pandora’s Box", and set so many things in motion that we now threaten to overwhelm ourselves and the lifeforms that share this world with us.

When we examine the history of life on Earth, scientists have determined that several Great Extinction events have occurred. Today many observers are noting that what they are calling the “Sixth Great Extinction” is taking place all around us now…and the reason for this tragedy is quite simply us. 

For the human part in this Story of Life we have come through several key turning points: What is known as the Cognitive Revolution 70,000 years ago, and then the Agricultural Revolution 12,000 years ago, and most certainly since what we know as the Scientific Revolution 500 years ago.But never have our future prospects (and the world’s) been so shadowed by the fear of what may be unfolding now and by what lies ahead.

I have hope, that we will find a way to use our amazing gifts, to Dream and Reason, to be guided by our Spiritual Intuition, Compassion and Wisdom, and that this will lead to a New Age in the years ahead. Perhaps this is what this Age of Aquarius will bring. That it will be witness to the next great step in Human Awakening, and we will come to a Greater Understanding through the core experience of Aquarius.

The principle of Aquarius is Fellowship, it is Brotherhood and Sisterhood, it is Companionship and Community and the Spiritual Truth that we are all made of and by one another. We cannot be, Life cannot be, without blending, mixing, combining, and then sharing and growing together. Life, Consciousness and Spirit are forged and formed by Interrelationship, Diversity, Complexity and our essential Interdependence with one another and all Life-Forms. Every Particle of Creation is a Spark of the Divine, formed in its core by its own Quintessence. Every tree and every leaf on every tree, every being and each cell forming that being, everything is formed by "ones" formed into a greater One. All of life is part of something greater, yet it is preciously and wondrously its own unique instance of that Greater Whole.

Aquarius is all about the One and the Many, and we are each a precious part, a unique one of a “Kind”, but formed and held and made possible by that Kind, by that whole, and then the next greater whole, which ultimately forms the whole of this entire Creation or the ONE.

Let us make this pledge to one another, in the spirit of Humanity, with Love for one another and for all of Spirit-Life-Consciousness:

May we listen to our Higher Self and find in our hearts the Wisdom and Love to approach this Story of Life on Earth as our responsibility to protect. May we turn our Dreams and Intelligence to purposeful preservation of Life in all its magnificent Diversity. May we become ever more Conscious Co-Creators of this beautiful blue Ark of Life. May we take care, and think of our children, and our children’s children, and all who will come after us. May we rise and shine as the Stars in the heaven’s above and be truly Conscious Co-Creators of this Creation.

Let us hope, when we are all long gone from this world, that our descendants will look back upon us and say that we rose to our challenge, that we faced our fears and found our faith. That we made common cause among ourselves and with all who would follow us. We listened to the Winds of the Spirit, and we passed the torch of Light, Love and Will for the generations to come.

May it be so.   

Next, The Chart of the USA

Astrologer Bill Attride Radio Show, 2019 – The New Year Part 2 (Saturday January 19, 2019 @ 2 pm EST)

The Andromeda Galaxy - Our nearest neighbor and thought to look much as our own Milky Way.
It is predicted that our Milky Way and Andromeda will meet and merge in about 4 Billion years.

 

Astrological Musings – The New Year ­Part 2 – What lies ahead (January 19, 2019)

In my second show of 2019 I will continue our look at the major Astrological themes of 2019 and beyond as we consider what may lie ahead in the years to come.

As before, I will answer your questions during the show, whether on these topics or some other matter, including personal questions about your astrological chart. If you do wish to ask a personal question, please be ready to provide at least your birth date and birth place, and time of your birth if you have that too.

If you wish to suggest a subject or topic for a future show, please email me as I would be happy to hear from you. My email is: billattride@gmail.com.

Here is the main link to Astrologer Bill Attride Radio: 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/astrologerbillattride

Here is the link to the show on Saturday January 19^th @ 2 pm EST:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/astrologerbillattride/2019/01/19/astrologer-bill-attride-radio-show-the-new-year-2019-part-2

The phone number to call if you wish to ask a question during the live show is: (516) 531-9638.

Please join me on Saturday January 19^th at 2 pm EST as we look at the current astrological indications and what they mean for you.

The New Year – Part 2 (January 2019)

Whence – Where – Whither

Part 2 – Where

The Astrological calendar for 2019 appears to be somewhat less eventful than recent years, but appearances are often not what they seem. What are the Astrological conditions that will prevail this year?

2019 will be like many other years. We will have three periods of Mercury retrograde, (March 5—March 28, July 7—July 31, and October 31—November 20). There will be three Solar Eclipses (January 5, July 2, and December 26) and two Lunar Eclipses (January 21 and July 16). Of course, there will be New Moons and Full Moons each month, and the yearly passage of the seasons and signs that mark your journey through the stars. But what are the most important elements that will inform your journey this year?

Uranus in Taurus – Transformation of Value

Many planetary factors that were true for 2018 will continue with modifications in 2019. The only significant shift of sign position will be the final move of Uranus into Taurus on March 6^th, where it will remain now until July 2025, (it had moved into Taurus on May 15^th, but it turned retrograde and re-entered Aries on November 6^th, 2018).

The previous times for Uranus in Taurus were 1935-1942, 1851-59 and 1768-75. In each of those periods, the effect of Uranus (The Awakener) moving through the sign of Value (Taurus) witnessed significant shocks and conflicts, leading to cathartic transformations, as differing value systems within and between cultures, broke the bonds of meaningfulness that hold societies together. Without a strong consensus, lacking a significant agreement on commonly accepted values and virtues, the “center cannot hold” because it seemingly (or actually) does not exist.

For example, in the United States the most recent passage in the late 1930’s formed the lead up to the “War of Democracies versus Fascism” or World War II; the 1850’s led up to our defining conflict, “The Civil War” (1860-65), and the 1760’s-70’s witnessed the breakdown between the American colonies and England, leading to our “The Revolutionary War”. The history of those three previous periods should certainly give us reason for concern as to what may lie ahead for us.

It is very apparent that our own period is building to a spiritually necessary and cathartic crisis from differences over, and conflicts between values once again. There comes a point when the divide within a people, or between one people and another, becomes so great that only a fundamental shock to those systems will provide the rebirth needed to set things right again. Uranus ever serves the cause of Individuality and Freedom. The fractures and clashes that Uranus elicits will always serve to steer the human story towards the enduring light of this fundamental Truth:

Until we create a world where all are free to be and be self-fulfilled, then none of us are truly free.

Though it may be painful to experience these shocks that Uranus delivers, it brings about the necessary next step we must take to create a world of freer minds and lives.

 

Saturn in Capricorn – The Test of Responsibility

Saturn continues to move through Capricorn in 2019, and although it will enter Aquarius on March 20, 2020, it will retrograde back into Capricorn on July 1, 2020, and then re-enter Aquarius on December 17, 2020. This means that the planet known as “The Teacher”, will continue to challenge every individual, community, and culture as it tests and so reveals the essential character or worthiness of the various hierarchies and institutions that we have formed to meet our needs for one another.

Whether we consider the most fundamental structural unit of the family, then on up through more encompassing communities formed by geography, interest or belief, or corporate structures, or state and national political institutions, it is through and by means of all these hierarchies that we have incorporated our values and formed the enduring legacies of our ways of meeting one another’s needs. This Hierarchy of Institutions form and serve to fulfill the realized (or crystallized/materialized) relationships of each of us to one another. From them we create our titles and roles, and we undertake our responsibilities so that we can claim our rights within the social order that we have made with one another.

But it is precisely this Institutional Order that is being broken down and transformed by the passage of Pluto in Capricorn (from 2008-2024), just as it did in the late 1700’s and in the early 1500’s. Now joined by Saturn in Capricorn, we see this challenge to our Institutional order facing extreme stresses and strain. Each of us, with Saturn moving through Capricorn needs to be asking, “What is my purpose here?” What is the responsible way to act in a world turned upside down? What is our proper role and what is the truth that will guide us as we face this “end of an age”?

Of course, I maintain that the answer must always be that these critical moments require a return to the ever-lasting values that have guided our footsteps from the very beginning. The answer is always the same: we must hold to the Spiritual, Philosophical and Scientific truths that form the foundation of the Human Story.

But, in each crisis of transition throughout history, there have been three necessary, different and yet integral responses and callings depending upon the individual and their community:

There are those who are called to preserve, who will seek to maintain what is good and true, to hold fast to that which still has value and meaning.

There are those who create, who look ahead, as they seek to build a new model of meeting needs and fulfilling responsibilities for the new age that is dawning.

There are those whose role is to destroy, to be the very breakers of the old idols and icons, and though they are often seen as purely negative and without a sense of responsibility or honor, they also serve to bring about the new age.

Moreover, (and I will comment more about this in the forecast for the United States), I noted last year that this passage of Saturn through Capricorn has historically been a rather challenging time for the USA. That is principally because as Saturn moves through early to mid-Capricorn degrees, it forms an Opposition to the Venus, Jupiter and Sun in the United States’ chart.

In previous Saturn passages, (1988-91, 1959-1962 and 1929-32), the USA experienced strong if not severe social, economic and business challenges. These disruptions were followed by cultural upheavals and political upsets. We can now see that although 2018 started with rosy forecasts, the clouds of doubt (and fear) came to shadow the economic landscape as 2018 ended. It will take thoughtful and wise measures to prevent even further upsets and losses in 2019.

Yes, 2019 will be a challenging year, and you may be forgiven for wishing that you lived in a quieter, more harmonious period of history. But you must know, that all who live through such troubled times have wished for this too. But they found a way through and helped to bring about a new age, as you will too.

You are here because it is your sacred duty and honor to create a newer and better world for your loved ones, community, and society. The problems and challenges we face are for the most part self-made; we are the Creators and we made the world that is.

The great and good news that we should take from this is that we also have the very Intelligence, Love and Will to make a better world too. It is really a choice you must make, each and every day, to stay true to the path of Light and Love. And remember this is often made so through the smallest acts of kindliness and consideration, and by this you will help one another to turn back the shadowing clouds of doubt and fear and build a better tomorrow.

Whenever you find your mind is troubled or fear is growing within you, remember the ancient Invocation that can help you hold to the path of Light, Love and Will:

THE GREAT INVOCATION

From the point of light within the Mind of God

Let Light stream forth into our minds

Let LIGHT descend on Earth.

From the point of love within the Heart of God

Let Love stream forth into our hearts

May LOVE increase on Earth.

From the center where the Will of God is known

Let purpose guide our wills

The PURPOSE which the masters know and serve.

From the center which we call Humanity

Let the Plan of Love and Light work out

And may it seal the door

where evil dwells.

Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.

 Next, “Whither are we going?”

The New Year – Part 1 (January 2019)

Whence – Where – Whither

Part 1 – Whence

As we attempt to discern the spiritual themes of the coming year, it is helpful to consider what we have just encountered in 2018. It is most certainly true that the tests faced, and the lessons learned in any one year may continue into the following year (or several years), as the unfoldment of one day into the next is certainly driven and informed by energies and experiences that wax and wane over many weeks, months and years.

Pluto in Capricorn - The End of an Age

For Earth as a whole, the most important planetary influences remain in place, with some variations on a theme we have been faced with for some time now. Certainly, the passage of Pluto through the Sign of Capricorn, (2008 through 2024), continues to provide the primary heartbeat of our spiritual challenge. I have called this once every 250-year cyclic period the “end of an age”, which was clearly so for the previous passages in the early 1500’s and the 1700’s. In those earlier periods, and I would think most by now would agree it is true for our own time too, the world seemed to fall apart as Political, Economic and Cultural disintegrations reverberated through all realms. But these spiritual earthquakes also heralded each time that a new age was dawning.

A new world is coming, but that requires that an old order give way. Of course, the fundamental nature of what it means to be human, our needs for food, shelter, companionship, love and security are ever-present, but they are also evolving/transforming, seemingly (or actually) at an exponential rate, which is in large part due to what is known as “the scientific revolution” that began several centuries ago.

Copernicus, Bacon, Galileo, Newton among many other “lesser knowns”, questioned assumptions passed down from time immemorial. This quickening of the human capability to know and alter our world has endowed humanity with powers that have seemingly outstripped our wisdom to wield them, whether in Physics = Nuclear weapons, or Biology = Bio-engineering.

Much that was will continue in some form of course, but much more of our social, economic and political structures will be reformed/transformed into new modes of expression, and they will certainly be informed by new ideas (or old ideas renewed) and meanings. The question remains, will we develop enough wisdom and humility to wield our “ring of power” (Intelligence) with unconditional love and compassion.

Uranus and Neptune - Individuality vs. Communality

Contributing to this shift of historical patterns last year (and the year before), was the first major alignment of Uranus with Neptune after their historic conjunction in 1993. From 2017 on through into the beginning of 2019, we have been influenced by the Uranus/Neptune SemiSquare which is the first significant aspect in their 170 cycle from conjunction to conjunction.

Uranus rules “Individuality”; I call Uranus the “Awakener”, as it is the Avatar of the Higher or Freer Mind that forms one of the three aspects of Spirit. Neptune rules “Communality”; Neptune is the Avatar of the Energy-Form that holds the whole of Creation as One, the one abiding force that binds all to all, Universal or Unconditional Love.

The integral relationship between these two reveals the paradoxical truth behind the mystery of the Universe’s constitution. Everything, every particle and every “Being” in this Universe is an individual that is a unique instance of spirit informed by its own Quintessence; yet all of these “ones” are One in Spirit and fundamentally indivisible from one another. Throughout all kingdoms of life, in age after age, there is an ever-shifting balance between these two principles, between the One and the many.

The tension between the Individual and the Community waxes and wanes in any culture or civilization. Whether we look at human “types” like Hunter/Gatherer, Farmer/Craftsperson or Rural/Urban (among many possible distinctions and differences), there will be found differing mixtures and balances (and oftentimes like now, imbalances), between these two great Energy-Forms that determine the degree to which Individual Freedom and Communal Harmony does or does not co-exist.

The recent past has seen a worldwide upheaval, marked now by the extremes of anarchic individualism and suffocating communalism, which signals we are at a most critical stage, where the old model of balancing Individuality/Communality has broken down, and the yet to emerge new model has not been fully formed nor understood. This world-wide confusion has produced a crisis of order and meaningfulness for the many who yearn for a life and world that is “Fair and Free”. Without a significant majority of people who hold to and act through an accepted integration of these two energy-forms, we are living through a period that is like an “in-between world”, where extremists are driving and dividing us further from one another.

How we hold these principals of Freedom and Community together within ourselves, and between one another, is part of our Spiritual Journey which can only be formed and forged by holding to an Integral Way of Living. We are on a journey from unconsciousness to full spiritual awakening, and as we remake ourselves and our world, we must strive towards ever more encompassing ways of holding together our “paradigms of understanding” and our “ways of being”.

From the physical through the spiritual, from the simplest to the most complex entities and systems, we must always strive to live a whole life, a good and beauty-filled life, which can be found and restored by remembering that there is a way to do this. That way can be found by remembering that these crises have come before, and at each moment our ancestors found a way by holding firm to the greatest truths, those precious jewels of spirit which never fade or falter. We need to remember that these luminous truths were discovered and passed down to us from the very beginning of our journey.

The Way

Whenever you are in doubt, you should turn (and so return) to the eternal truths of the Ancient Wisdom that continually re-emerge in age after age. This is so because Truth is equally within you as it forms all the worlds that surround you too. These Spiritual Truths are to be found everywhere you look, but most importantly, those very answers that you find “out there” will resonate within you because your higher self, your intuitive-knowing-self, will gently whisper “this is true”. This is because these Ancient Truths form the very substance of your heart and mind too.

At the true core of any Religion or Philosophy, within what is known as the Esoteric as distinct from the Exoteric forms of understanding, the Perennial Teachings are revealed and illuminate for you the one essential path. The Great Ones, the teachers who form a luminous river of truth about life and love, all of them came to serve this cause of spiritual integrity and truth, and they were guided in their heart and through their soul by the fundamental precept that there is “no religion higher than truth”.

As you look back now to the year that was, and turn to face the year that is dawning, take comfort from those who showed you the way long, long ago. You will be filled with a renewed faith, and you will know that you will make a better future for yourself and for one another. Remember you are never alone, and you walk the same path of the Great Souls who came before you, and they struggled for their self-mastery which you will achieve one day too:

Be guided by the Wise Ones, who know there is no religion higher than Truth.
Walk the path of the Great-Souls, who practice the Wisdom of Love.
Find inspiration in the Lonely Ones, their Willing-Sacrifice honored by 
the Angels and Devas above.
Listen for the Voice of the Silence, attend the gentle whispers in your Heart,
And you will find “The Way”.

 

Next, “Where are we now?”

Astrologer Bill Attride Radio Show, 2019 – The New Year (Saturday January 5, 2019 @ 2 pm EST)

Astrological Musings – The New Year ­– A Look Back and Ahead (January 5, 2019)

In my first show of 2019 I will review the major Astrological themes of 2018 and examine the Astrological conditions we will meet in 2019.

As before, I will answer your questions during the show, whether on these topics or some other matter, including personal questions about your astrological chart. If you do wish to ask a personal question, please be ready to provide at least your birth date and birth place, and time of your birth if you have that too.

If you wish to suggest a subject or topic for a future show, please email me as I would be happy to hear from you. My email is: billattride@gmail.com.

Here is the main link to Astrologer Bill Attride Radio: 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/astrologerbillattride

Here is the link to the show on Saturday January 5^th @ 2 pm EST:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/astrologerbillattride/2019/01/05/astrologer-bill-attride-radio-show-the-new-year-2019

The phone number to call if you wish to ask a question during the live show is: (516) 531-9638.

Please join me on Saturday January 5^th at 2 pm EST as we look at the current astrological indications and what they mean for you.