#229-"Be Certain of What You're Cutting"--Week of October 9, 2023

A week of transformative power for change.  Pluto (Transformer) turns direct in Capricorn, catalyzing the ability to address deep-rooted wounds around power that need healing on both a personal and global scale. Mars (Warrior/ess) in Scorpio opens opportunities to assert yourself and become advocates for the vulnerable, yet be cautious of the potential for unconscious violence and aggression when your own wounds are triggered. The Solar Eclipse in Libra invites you to let go outworn relationship patterns and feed reciprocal and fair ones.

Podcast Poem: "Some Advice for Clearing Brush" by Jeff Coomer

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

Hello, welcome to Astrology Alchemy. I'm Sheila Belanger, your host for this podcast. Alchemy is defined as a seemingly magical process of transformation. Spiritual alchemy is the process of pursuing the gold of your true nature by transmuting the unrefined, limiting parts of yourself. In this podcast, I'll offer you inspiring insights from current astrology cycles that support your path of turning your personal lead into gold. More resources are available at the website on theedgesofchangecom. Hello and welcome to the podcast for the week of October 9th. I am your host and guide, sheila Belanger. Here's a phrase from this week's poem Be certain of what you're cutting.

Speaker 1: 1:06

We move into eclipse season for the fall in the northern hemisphere, and the eclipses are a powerful time, with either the sun and the moon opposite each other or together, and they represent a kind of wild card moment of change. I'm going to read to you something that Chani says about eclipses. Astrologically, you can think of eclipses as celestial wild cards. They speed up or slow down plot lines. They magnetize fresh possibilities to our doorsteps or spontaneously tie up the loose threads dangling in our lives. If there are issues you've been hesitant to deal with, eclipse season may just shuffle those cards to the front of your deck and dare you to play the hand you've been dealt. This week we are in shock from yet one more outbreak of war on our planet. This is incredibly potent archetypically, because not only do we have the eclipse season starting, but on Tuesday, october 10th, the planet Pluto turns direct at 28 degrees of Capricorn.

Speaker 1: 2:18

Pluto has appeared to be retrograde since May 1st, when it turned retrograde at 0 degrees of Aquarius. I want to remind you that Pluto is this profound archetype of systemic change. It is named after deities of the underworld and when that planet is very active, astrologically, that archetype of systemic transformation and change the deity of death and rebirth is very, very present. Now Pluto is finishing up its time in the sign of Capricorn, where it's been since 2008. And last spring it dipped its toes into Aquarius. It began to move into a new sign where it will end up being for 20 years and then, in its seemingly backwards motion, retrograde motion, it returned to Capricorn. And this is so critical because Capricorn is an earth sign that's deeply connected to organizations, governmental systems, the rules of the game and really the whole industrial complex society that we've co-created, that can be so dominating. So when Pluto goes forward, it means symbolically we've been doing this slow inner transformation work, hopefully for the last four to five months.

Speaker 1: 3:39

And now, when a planet goes forward, symbolically that archetype goes forward and it's asking us to harvest the deep inner changes we've made around power structure who is in charge, what are the rules and also to have made deep changes in ourself with the wounded side of power and control. And here we are once more, in our world experience of people are dying because of aggressive domination, not necessarily pinpointing either country involved, but more the whole systemic change that must happen, the insidious power over domination, destruction, because I think I'm right in your knot and we are all suffering, especially the ones that have lost their lives, their family members on both sides, but also all of us. It's such a wound to humanity and yet one of the things that you can each, we can each do with this is to not turn away, not polarize, not create good guys and bad guys, but rather go underneath and say here is this universal human wound of domination, power over destruction, extreme resentment and holding on to something and wanting to attack and destroy. As Pluto goes forward in Capricorn, as it's moving back to go into Aquarius, each of us can say, okay, what is the deep cleanup work I've been doing since early May. Where have I looked at my own shadow material of domination and control and wanting to violently and aggressively make my way the right way? And we can do this on slow levels. Yes, countries go to war in heinous ways, people go to war subtly, with little manipulation moves. So this Pluto turning direct this week brings up to our consciousness Don't forget about the shadow side, don't forget about the deep, poisonous wounds that have not yet been metabolized, not been integrated yet. And can we go forward with Pluto to make some cuts, to do some cleanup, to do some pruning of our old beliefs, our old stories, our old relationship patterns? We absolutely will be in horror at what's happening in the world channel, with war once, mine more, breaking out and killing people. And on another, more subtle level, we can say don't look away, where is my own work to clean up my misuse of power and my capacity to stand in my own deep truth and be willing to be an agent of change that is compassionate, that is conscious, that is inviting collaboration. It's a tall order and if you are archetypically sensitive, which I believe my audience is, you are feeling the many, many layers of this Pluto movement going forward.

Speaker 1: 6:59

It also fits another profound shift on Wednesday, october 4th, the planet Mars enters Scorpio and will stay there for seven weeks until November 25th. Now Mars is the archetype of assertiveness. It's the warrior warrior as advocate, when it's in a healthy expression. It is about our courage and our ability to stand up for what we believe in, to go after what we want, to advocate for those less fortunate or those being harmed. When it's wounded and unconscious, mars becomes this violent aggressor and Mars is in its power sign of Scorpio. Scorpio is a deep water sign that has to do with tremendous transformation and change. Whenever a planet is in Scorpio, that character, archetypally, is getting right down to the bones.

Speaker 1: 7:52

It also means, when Mars is in Scorpio, that any of us who are unconscious of our own un-metabolized wounds, our own unprocessed resentment or hunger for power, we can unconsciously act out. We can unconsciously cause harm and be violent and aggressive, and again, it could be very subtle ways or it could be very overt ways. So this week is really calling us to this attention of how do I hold my power, how do I take action in a conscious way, what is it that I'm going after, what is it I really want, and is this aspiration or goal really of benefit, not just to myself but to the whole world? Or am I unconsciously clinging to an old wound, an old pain, and I'm going to make someone pay? I'm going to act out of resentment and manipulation, and the whole spectrum is there. I invite all of us to remember it doesn't help to point fingers and others someone who's acting out. It helps to go oh wow, where might I be doing that? In my own way, in my own quiet, subtle, human level way, because that's how we're going to help to metabolize the profound wounds that are in our collective and personal psyches that permit us to be so, to do such acts of inhumane things, to harm one another.

Speaker 1: 9:24

And then we also have on Saturday, october 4th, the new moon eclipse at 21 degrees of Libra, at 10.55 AM, pacific Daylight Time. Now the eclipses again are when the sun and moon line up in such a way that either the moon's disc is a shadow on the sun's face that's the new moon eclipse or the earth's shadow is on the face of the moon that's a full moon eclipse. We have a new moon eclipse this week, which means the sun and moon come together to begin a new cycle of change and growth. It's in the sign of Libra, which is an astrological sign that wants fairness and justice and harmony and reciprocity. This new moon is next to the planet Mercury, which is the communicator or the storyteller, so it really calls us to make deep changes in our mind and our stories about what is true, fair relationship and what is not.

Speaker 1: 10:29

Now this new moon eclipse is also opposite Chiron, the asteroid comment. That is the wounded healer, transformational shapeshifter that says work with transmuting your wounds in Aries. Chiron is in Aries right now. Aries balances Libra, where Libra wants fairness, equality, collaboration, reciprocity. Aries says I need to be true to myself and, as Chiron's been moving through Aries in the last number of years, we've all had an opportunity, and continue to have the opportunity, to metabolize not just our personal wounds but also our ancestral wounds around not being able to be ourselves, not being honored for who we are as individuals. And so this new moon eclipse is already asking us to make deep changes in our relationship dynamics to make things more fair, but to also look at what's the unresolved wounds and the anger that's there. Wounded Aries can be very angry and aggressive because I've not been allowed to be me and I wanna remind you of some other things that Chani said about this eclipse. She says about the solar eclipse in Libra.

Speaker 1: 11:46

This eclipse will highlight our relationships and the interpersonal dynamics that are ready to shift, shed or shift. Letting go of connections at no longer service and transforming old styles of relating is what creates room for all us to build bonds that honor our true desires, passions and strength after all. But as is always the case with Eclipse's easy does it? Resting up, laying low and allowing the cosmos to work its mysterious magic will be the best protocol for welcoming and healing catharsis and closure. One of the things that is so present for us with this new moon eclipse, with Mercury and opposite Chiron, is to be willing to change, to prune, to transform our old wound stories, our old resentment stories, our old attitudes, that the pain we have about things not being fair and me not being able to be who I really am.

Speaker 1: 12:51

And along with the Pluto energy so strong this week of deep intents down to the bones, transformation and Mars entering Scorpia for the next seven weeks, we are really being invited to step in, to lean in and say, okay, now I'm at the next level of peeling back the layers. Now I'm at the next layer of clearing and pruning and it's important to stay conscious when you're making deep changes in relationships inside or out, to be thoughtful, to be heartful, to be compassionate, to be grounded as you make changes. Otherwise you can run amok. You can be in that screw it, it's all over. I cut it down and then later the lament what was I thinking? So this is, this is a next level of growing up with emotional and psychospiritual maturity.

Speaker 1: 13:45

My prayer is that we can all lean in, we can take the challenge from Pluto and from Mars and say how do I use my will for effective transformation, personally and in contributing to the planet and all the intense, dire challenges that we have right now? The life and death? Pluto reminds us we are in life and death. Right now, our culture, as it's been our dominator, industrial growth, society, culture is on hospice and we're in denial and it's calling archetypally to say please stop, please make those deep changes. So, dear ones, taking a breath and I know this podcast is more intense than has been for a while and the archetypes are more intense.

Speaker 1: 14:34

So the problem that comes to me to offer in support of this week's journey has many levels to it. First level has a sort of this is how you prune and clear your garden, and another level, I think, is really supportive invitation for awareness. It's called some advice for clearing brush by Jeff Kumer. Talk noisily to declare your presence. The rabbits and deer will leave as soon as they hear you coming. But the snakes need time to process your intentions.

Speaker 1: 15:14

Take a moment to be certain of what you're cutting. Many stems look alike, down close to the ground, especially when they're young. Look up occasionally. Don't begrudge the wild roses for whipping thorns across your face and arms, or the honeysuckle for tangling your feet and pulling the pruners from your hands. You do the same in their place. Honor them with a clean cut. Never begin when you're angry or you might not stop until there's nothing left to hold the soil. Use wear gloves and keep your eye on the blade.

Speaker 1: 15:59

Incredible advice for Pluto going forward and Mars going into Scorpio Be aware as you make your pruning, as you clear away the old brush, there's going to be kickback as you assess what do I need to change inside and out with my relationships, have the courage to make it a clean cut and pause if you're angry. Turn in, resource yourself, do your healing work and keep your eye on the blade. So, dear ones, may you be grounded and may you be rooted in your heart and your compassion for self and others as you travel and surf the tides and the waves of this Pluto Mars eclipse week. And don't forget, if you'd like more support leaning in to how to be with Pluto, I have a special workshop on Pluto and Aquarius.

Speaker 1: 17:05

Reclaim your place at the village. It's a do-it-yourself course that talks all about Pluto as an archetype in myth and astrology and how might you be empowered to navigate the next couple of years of this change of Pluto going from Capricorn to Aquarius. And to me, it's a calling for those of us who really belong at the edge of the village to reclaim our place there, to be the visionary, the healer, the rabble rouser, the edge walker that you're born to be. Stop trying to fit into consensus reality. It's in a profound place of change now. So check out my website on theedgesofchangecom. Either go to the workshops page or the astrology page. You'll find it there. Pluto in Aquarius Workshop. Take good care of yourselves. This weekend you have been listening to the astrology alchemy podcast with your host, sheila Belanger, on theedgesofchangecom. Thank you for listening. Bless your alchemical journey to embrace the gold of your true nature.