Astrologer Bill Attride

Sun Conjunct Pluto (December 29, 2011) Addendum:

A reader wrote back with a very simple yet profound request:

Please explain the statement:

Conversely, to the extent that you remain ignorant of your true self (and thereby of your world too), to that same extent will your life be "fated"; life will happen to you and your free will equally diminished.

I thought it would be useful to share my response:

This comes from the core teaching that we are all subject to the law of cause and effects, known generally as the Law of Karma. When we are unaware or more ignorant of ourselves and our world it will seem as if things "just happen" to us, with no explanation as to where this good or bad experience came from. If we consider it at all we may just think of it as good or bad luck or believe in "gods" who play with us mortals by helping and hurting us.

As we become more aware of our true nature and our central role in creating the world around us we can take more responsibility for our life and the world that we create. Because the truth is: every thought we think, every feeling we feel, and every action that we take goes out from us AND ultimately returns to us its author...As we become more aware of this we can begin to see that we have control over what will happen to us by beginning to exercise more self-control. We can choose to control our thinking so as to reduce or minimize fearful or bad thoughts, feelings and actions so that over time our lives will improve...as will the lives of those around us.

The good news is that you and I and all of us made the world as it is...and that means we can also change it!

If enough people begin to believe, think, feel and act in better ways then the conditions for our world will dramatically change for the better.

I have mentioned this core element of the Ancient Teachings in earlier postings, but it is always good to be reminded of it.

Sun Conjunct Pluto (December 29, 2011)

Today begins a new cycle of your innermost with the outermost; the Sun aligns with Pluto and you should take this opportunity to better understand the relationship between your pure potential or Self (Sun) and your will (Pluto). It is the combination of these two principles that creates your self-realization by bringing your potentiality into actuality.

Pluto rules your willpower which you use to define the sacred space of you, the space of your "self". By going more deeply within yourself, by obtaining more self-knowledge, you create the conditions for greater self-control and self-determination. It is through this self-discovery and self-control that you enlarge the capacity to bring into being what you will; you will experience, measure for measure, that greater degree of free will to the extent that you know you.

Conversely, to the extent that you remain ignorant of your true self (and thereby of your world too), to that same extent will your life be "fated"; life will happen to you and your free will equally diminished.

Today you can use this alignment of the Sun and Pluto to probe more deeply into the true nature of you; to plumb the depths of your innermost temple. There, in the silence, you will find an answer; you will move closer to that greatest treasure, the "pearl of great price", which is your truth, your path and your purpose.

But remember always, "Let thy will be done"...

Jupiter Turns Direct (December 25, 2011)

Four months ago you turned around; you went on an inner journey of discovery, reexamination and renewal of your understanding. Your greatest good growth was not "out there"...your path of progress was bending back, turning 'round...your advancement was to be found on those subtler planes of intuition as you re-considered the values that give meaning and substance to your life.

Today Jupiter turns direct and your plans, projects and dreams can start moving ahead! You and your dreams have benefited from those four months of revaluations...you have come to better understand what values you have, what values you wish to create and what values you will share.

There are times and seasons for going inward and times to move outwards again...now you go forward to make the future you wish to be!

Celebrate Jupiter's turning...

Be joyful, be optimistic and may your heart be filled with the spirit of generosity.

New Moon in Capricorn (December 24, 2011)

You have journeyed through nine moons this year; you have walked that circuitous pathway, lifting yourself up and up the ancient stairway that climbs the steepening mountain...This is your ascent, the unfoldment of your "self"; it is your becoming...your life after life's journey. Each lesson that you have encountered, each level and portal that you have passed, has pointed you onwards to the next, and then to the next, and then ever onwards...till...now...

Now you reach a summit, you have come to the apex of the yearly Astrological Cycle; you have arrived at your moment of truth, your destiny is now to be made more clear in the New Moon of this epiphanal dark...a darkness that conceals so as to reveal the brightest of lights, the light that shines within.

This, the tenth release of Solar/Lunar energy in the Astrological Year, is that moment that brings to a climax all the efforts to unfold and realize your potential in the yearly cycle. What began 9 months ago in Aries, was rooted and secured through Cancer and moved outward into the larger world in Libra, all of that has led to this moment...and so you must ask yourself, "Am I ready? Have I prepared the Way? What am I to do?"...

Of course you are ready...your preparation was the journey...and you must do what you must do!

This is your time of Capricorn; it is your time for Duty, your time for Fulfillment...your time to be Responsible. Now at the New Moon you can and should re-dedicate yourself to the ever-renewing, timeless traditions that have always been there to guide your journey. You stand upon the shoulders of many, many lives that have brought you to this time of consequence, who have labored long and hard to unfold the potentials of this great spiritual journey. There is much to appreciate, honor and be thankful for. And, as it has always been, much of what was won must and should be passed on to those that follow you...

But the winds of change blow stronger every day...The foundations of your world seem to bend and break as the challenge of the ever-resurgent, living spirit seeks to extend the spaces of freedom and so crashes against the old orders of your world. It must do so, it will do so...because the one and true constant of this journey of spirit is growth and change.

And so you must ask yourself at this New Moon, "What am I to do?"...and the Sun and the Moon (and the stars) will provide an answer, (as they always have).

You must do your duty; and you establish that sense of duty by your dedication to walk the path of spirit. You must fulfill yourself; and that fulfillment you understand is to always seek to grow closer to and release your spiritual truth. You must be responsible; and that responsibility is ever guided by your awareness that you are part of a great river of life, a spiral of Life-Consciousness-Spirit that extends behind and ahead of you...And so you know and feel that Truth, that you are never alone, not ever, and that as much as you can extend your hand to help those beneath you, so too will hands above reach down and lift you up...always.

As you reach this epiphanal Moon, as you mount the heights of that greater understanding, you must get down and touch your home, this Earth...get down upon your knees and acknowledge and be grateful to every and all that have come before.

Reaffirm and dedicate your life to the spiritual path..."May thy will be done"....

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

Peace to one and all...

Sun Squares Uranus (December 22, 2011)

The Sun has just begun to walk those hallowed halls, to stroll through the ancient temples that proclaim, preserve and pass down your traditional values. The Sun is moving through those sacred spaces where Capricorn rules when, all of a sudden, he encounters the planet of contradiction, independence and revolution himself, Uranus...Oh boy, this is going to be a bumpy start to Capricorn's month...

The Sun in Capricorn seeks to guide you now upon the pathways of preservation, of fulfilling your purpose as defined by the reality around you. You do your duty because it is the right and proper thing to do...but this square says you face a challenge, you face a choice...

Uranus squares the Sun and says, "Are you being you? Have you freely chosen this task, this role, this duty? And, whom do you serve?" These are good and necessary questions because you can become part of a system that has lost its way, enmeshed into performing your duty in a reality which has become increasingly devoid of meaning, that is, in effect, spiritually "dying"...and if you continue to act within such hollow roles your own light will become diminished too...

So, Uranus comes along, like a breath of fresh air, (or more likely a strong gale), and challenges that status quo and the assumptions that underlie it. Uranus in Aries proclaims the necessity of striving for independence and originality; it challenges the hierarchies of the status quo and raises the flag of new pathways and freedom.

Here the Sun stands for tradition and order and without these there would be nothing to stand upon; Uranus stands for the individual spirit that must challenge a broken system, the spiritual path of self-unfoldment and liberty.

Both are speaking truths, both must be honored...So you must find that higher path of blend and balance...you must walk the syncretistic pathway of the spiritual warrior where you can be both preserver and reformer, responsible and transforming too.

The way of spirit is the way of balance and wholeness, of neither too much this or too much that. Today you must try and find your way between the ancient and modern, between tradition and the undiscovered...

You are always learning, always seeking for this middle path...and it is found today by being traditional and transformational...together.

Sun Enters Capricorn WINTER SOLSTICE (December 21-22, 2011)

Three seasons have come and gone...through Spring and Summer and Fall...and you have marked each according to its purpose, you have lived and learned anew...

And, within each season you have passed through 3 stages, moved through three ways of being-time: a time to begin, a time to hold, and a time to let go...You have come through three seasons and three ways of being...you are three times three...

For nine months you have journeyed, much as you waited nine months to begin this life...nine times you have crossed a threshold; nine times in nine signs you have entered a new realm of spiritual discovery...and now...

Now you face the silence, now you face the greatest darkness, and so you must huddle together with loved ones, finding strength in one another...for the light has pulled away, the shadows have descended, and darkness consumes the light...

But you are at a Turning...and so here at the beginning you must bow your head and stand still...you must watch and wait for the sign, for the promise of rebirth, you must wait for the light...to return.

Today is one of the four Turnings, four moments when you move into a new season of being. At equinoxes, in Spring and Fall, you are at moments of equal day and equal night, light and dark are balanced. At solstices, Summer and Winter, you are at the moments of greatest difference, the longest day or the longest night, light and dark as far apart as they can be...

Today the Sun "Stands Still" and it will rise and set at the same point, at dawn and dusk for 3 days it will not move, and the world will wait, and you will hold your breath and pray for the Sun to return...and on the third day, on December 25...the Sun will begin to move, your Sun will shine a little brighter...and light will return to Earth.

You have turned a corner, one of the four sacred corners of the Zodiac. You enter the realm of Capricorn and new experiences and lessons await. These Four corners, the Four Cardinal Signs initiate the four seasons of life. Each has its purpose; each points you to the four ways of relating.

In Aries you were directed to find your presence in ideal intentions. In Cancer you were directed to find your foundation in centered feelings. In Libra you were directed to find your other in conscious relationships. And now...now at the Fourth Turning in Capricorn you are directed to fulfill your destiny in purposeful responsibilities.  

Capricorn is about mastery...to be the best of the best. To move through Capricorn is to move through accomplishment, achievement and the creation of lasting testaments to what you are and what you stand for.

But the one and true mastery is your mastery of your own being, your Self-Mastery.

Capricorn is about tradition...to honor the gift of those who came before. To move through Capricorn is to act so as to preserve, protect and pass on what was achieved by many.

But the one and true tradition is the wisdom of the ages, the Ancient Teachings.

Capricorn is about Responsibility...to fulfill your role in society. To move through Capricorn is to extend your hand, upwards and downwards, seeking help and offering help in the spiral journey of Life-Consciousness-Spirit.

For the one and true responsibility is to the spirit within you, the spark of the divine that lights your way homeward, the light that will not fail...ever.

Shine on!

Venus Square Jupiter (December 20, 2011)

Just after Venus arrives in Aquarius, she bumps (squares) into Jupiter. Though these two are called the "benefics" in Astrology, too much of anything is still too much! When planets square one another, their combined effects can lead to each going to a more extreme expression. So be careful tonight so as not to overindulge or go to excess...about or with anything or anyone!

Squares always pose challenges and choices; they seemingly force you into the position of having to choose one thing or another. Here you think you must choose between what Venus is asking for, or to choose what Jupiter is standing for. As always, the right and true path is the middle road, the pathway of integration.

Venus is attracted to what is beyond the ordinary now...if it is different, unusual or exceptional it must be good. Jupiter in Taurus raises the reminder of a "but"...different and unique is fine, but Jupiter asks is your relationship worthy, lasting and sensible too? It seems as if you must choose between the sparkle of exceptionalism and the comfort of the reliable...but you can (and must) have both. How? Easy, you must believe that it is possible...and then it is!

Remember, this is your reality and your own self-made dilemmas are what you encounter...and so you can change them by being true to the whole of you. Really, both ways are true and necessary...measure to measure they should balance, support and inform one another. For what was exceptional once will become the expected; and what is now expected will always attract a refreshing visit from the exceptional.

Venus and Jupiter are merely reminding you that in order to live a life that is true, you must believe in and then live a life of oneness, not of division and denial...

You must be true to all of yourself...and equally to one another. For only then will you secure for you and yours the bounty of life and love, to have your "Bread and Roses" too.

Venus Enters Aquarius (December 20, 2011)

Venus turns toward her gregarious side for the next 3 weeks as she leaves the formal, dutiful realms of Capricorn for the contrarian, friend-filled playgrounds of Aquarius.

While Venus was in Capricorn it was all about the status quo, tradition and practicalities...these were the measures of worthiness, this was the way of love.

Now it is time to move upon that "path less taken", to celebrate your individuality, independence and to take delight in eccentricities.  Why go with the ordinary when you can be extraordinary?!

The planet of love is moving in Air now; your heart and mind are entwined with and entertained by companionship and fellowship...you are motivated by idealism and by the sharing of hopes and dreams...by being among your friends.

Love is focused upon recognizing the specialness of the other and creating a space and style of being that encourages each and every to be more of that, to be more of what you essentially are...to experience the freedom to be oneself in and through your relationship with one another.

Venus in Aquarius welcomes you to the experience of love that asks simply that you be...yourself!

Sun Conjunct Galactic Center (December 18, 2011)

Today is a special day for another, more hidden or esoteric reason. It is always around this date that the Sun, our home star, aligns with the center of our Milky Way galaxy. From that center, great flows of energy come and go, like the beating heart of a great being...which, of course, the Milky Way is!

The picture above is a model of what this looks like. Our solar system and Sun are slightly above the Galactic Plane and the white band from top left to bottom right is...The Milky Way, which is formed by us gazing into the heart of our galaxy. Exactly six months from now, you will be able to look up at the night sky and see the Milky Way much like this spread across the late spring sky.

Today, Sunday, (the Sun's day!), the Earth, Sun and the Milky Way's center point, our wheels wheeling within wheels, align with one another. The Milky Way is about 100,000 Light years across, and we on Earth are about 27,000 Light Years from that center point. The Sun and our solar system make one complete revolution around the Milky Way in  about 235 million years...which is our Galactic "Year".

So turn towards the Sun today and know that you are turning towards the first "laya center" of your galaxy; you are looking towards the mystery, to the heart of your cosmos...

From that center, long, long ago, a pilgrimage began...an involution of Spirit, which moved across the "Waters" and so there was "Light". That journey, this unfoldment of Spirit-Matter is the pilgrimage of all the ones of the One...and it is your journey in Life-Consciousness-Spirit...

And it is beautiful!

Venus Square Saturn (December 18, 2011)

Venus is climbing through Saturn's sign of Capricorn; Saturn is still looking for his partner in Venus' sign of Libra. Today, today they meet up again in a square aspect...ouch! This is going to hurt, yes it is; but you only pay attention, learn and grow when the energies of the universe bring about these confrontations. These encounters pose the questions and challenges that serve to quicken your journey, so you can find and follow the pathway of spirit, the Middle Way...For, after all, you are here on Earth to unfold, learn and grow, and so become so much more... so let's see what this message of the stars is asking of you today...

Yes, it is time again, time for another encounter between "Beauty and the Beast", between Value and Reality, between Love and Responsibility. Whenever Venus encounters Saturn in a "hard" aspect, you are usually at a low point in self-worth or self-love. It brings about a re-assessment of yourself, of your values and possessions, of your love and relationships...and not all will pass the test.

Of course, it is just a "phase" you are going through, but it is true for that time...You have reached an inflection point or decision time as to how to reconcile or balance the two planets and the energies they are working with.

Venus is in Capricorn now, so the expression of value, beauty and love is centered upon classical ideals and forms, traditional lasting qualities that have proven themselves by their ancient lineage. Yet oftentimes a hierarchy of values will become crystallized, ossified, devoid of spirit, and so end up serving to maintain rigid and privileged structures at the expense of spiritual growth and truth.

So you should be thankful that Saturn in Libra is here to challenge, reaffirm and remind Venus that Order (Saturn) must be Just (Libra); that any claim of privilege and position within a hierarchy must be matched through the fulfillment of your responsibilities to one another. There are many types of social orders and hierarchies in your world, but the fountain-source, the root cause and determining factor in all is the one true Hierarchy of Spirit.

You turn your gaze forward, upwards and see the Great Souls who have gone ahead, who offer you hope by extending their good thoughts, unconditional love and willing support as you strive to become more like them. You turn your gaze backward, downwards and see all the other souls who trail behind you, and you extend your hand and thoughts, your love and will to them...because, because you know and you feel that it is right...because one and all are ones of the One.

Saturn lays down the challenge to Venus, to your values, to your love and asks, "Are you worthy?" For if you wish to enjoy your values, to claim your rights and your privileges, you must be able to affirm that you have equally met your responsibilities...for that is what the word Responsibility simply means, it means "your ability to respond"...and what are you responding to? Why, to the needs of any and all in your circle of life.

Because each and every, one and all are part of this spiral journey; each and every unfold, grow and develop their capacity to respond to one another through this wondrous, hierarchy, this spiral of being, of giving and receiving that is Life-Consciousness-Spirit.

Let us give thanks, thanks be to Saturn...the Teacher, who keeps your feet upon the pathway of Light!