Play or Penance?



This may have been a tricky weekend for many. The Sun in Virgo is urging us to focus in and get things done, while Neptune sitting opposite is blurring our attention and distracting us with fantasies and dreams. Neptune activates our creative urges as well, and if we can get those to meet in the middle with Virgo, something concrete and beautiful can result.

The Moon (our emotions)  is hanging out with Mars (action) and Saturn (boundaries) in Scorpio (depth) and all of them together agree strongly with the need to get to the work at hand.  

Then again, with Jupiter in  Leo (play), personal enjoyment could take precedence over work  or details.

Which one was it for you?

The Moon in Scorpio (serious) square Venus in Leo (me, me, me) has added inner stress and tension around our social and intimate relationships. Venus in Leo's sense of entitlement 'wants what she wants' and will accept no substitutions. Moon in Scorpio has no patience for this waste of energy. Our emotions can so easily become a battleground in this push-pull dynamic between seriousness and play,

With our feelings (Moon) so  powerfully polarized, a fear of losing control over them may result in repressive behavior. For instance, it could seem easier to retreat from anything or anyone that brings up a strong inner reaction, than face the core issues these reactions point to.  

Saturn in Scorpio can block our own feelings as we do our best avoid situations that trigger or awaken these deeper emotional responses.  Ironically, Saturn will at the same time, push us to take responsibility for the dramas we are creating. Seems like we just can’t win!!!

So Moon Mars and Saturn are busy aggravating our dark hidden stuff, Venus and Jupiter in Leo just want to have fun, and Neptune has us ignoring everyone by distracting us with pure escapism.

It doesn’t want to feel the rejection, judgment or failure that comes to us now via someone we respect or look up to (Saturn). Our pride (Leo) does not like this. Yet through this whole pruning process, if we face down our inner demons of shame, fear, guilt etc , we have a chance to reclaim all the parts of ourselves we have rejected.  Saturn is a hard task-master but also gives us the strength and maturity to face ourselves and persevere to the other side.



I watched a video on Netflix last night about a plant called Ayawaska that is used in healing rituals in South America. This plant brings people into deep trance where they come face to face with buried layers of their psyche. Under the care and guidance of a shaman or healer, they each grapple internally with hurt, fear etc that they had managed to avoid till then. It also puts them in touch with something far greater than themselves. Through a kind of ego death and surrender of control brought about by the power of the plant medicine (not for everyone), many of them expressed a deepened connection to universal love/oneness of all (Neptune) .
 It was that opening that seemed to allow them to let go of the false ego protection that hides so many layers of hidden hurts and wounds. The depth their emotional expression was truly touching…  and was interestingly (and synchronistically)  in line  with the  energies we are surrounded by right now.

I have not experienced this particular process myself, though I have had my own ego deaths via years of meditating.  I am also familiar with12-step programs, where they do a different kind of soul searching called a ‘moral inventory’.  ("Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.")
 This process is to honestly and fearlessly list your own positive and negative traits and habits, and then share them with a neutral person).

Whatever your method, the astrology of the moment is pushing us to do this type of honest inner work. Neptune’s influence increases our compassion as it both softens our ego and links us to the divine.

Though it is not an easy process, letting go can be truly liberating. Once we have faced our limitations (as well as our strengths) and can still love and accept ourselves, we will be more able to forgive and allow for others foibles as well.

‘To thine own self be true, and thou canst be false to any person…’





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