Henri Matisse “Icarus”

Our two personal planets, Mercury and Venus, are entering new signs this week, bringing new energy, perspectives and stories for our consideration. Our first traveler, Mercury, has spent over two months navigating the Cancerian river and has now been deposited at last in Leo, the land of the Sun, where it will stay until August 20. Here, you are empowered to express yourself, to speak from the heart. Here, you envision yourself as the star of your own play. 

Mercury, goes the rule of thumb, is never more than a sign away from the Sun. If the Sun represents our archetypal image of the Hero-Father (in both men and women), then this implies something curious and profound about the workings of the mind (the Mercurial function) as an inheritance of paternity. When both Sun and Mercury are in Leo, whether natally or via transit, as is the case this month, that worldview then becomes enroyalled, and those internalized archetypes become the Hero-Father-King and the Divine Child. Themes of legacy, love, performance, idealization, responsibility, and following in footsteps, are all part of the Leo Sun-Mercury story. 

Venus, meanwhile, is leaving Gemini, where she has been since early April, for Cancer, where she will reside until September 6 (more on that in another post). Before crossing the sign boundary, however, she will conjoin Rahu–the North Node and eclipse point, currently ruled by our Leo Mercury—a transit that I think deserves some attention. The 28th degree of Gemini, where this conjunction takes place, is a storied site, and home to two prominent fixed stars.

MOTHERS AND SONS

The first is Polaris, the “immovable star” around which all the other stars revolve, that has been used since antiquity by sailors and travelers to guide them toward their destinations. In medieval times it was Stella Maris, “the star of the sea,” an epithet for the Virgin Mary, the true blue, unwavering protector and safe haven. With sea-born Aphrodite conjunct Stella Maris, the Queen of Heaven reigns doubly, and supreme. The Pole Star is the brightest in the asterism we call Ursa Minor, the Little Bear, son of Ursa Major, the Great Mother Bear, who were both ensconced in the firmament by Zeus to protect them from Hera’s wrath. In the Vedic tradition, the star is Dhruva, the son of a king who had two wives. Beloved of his mother, but banished by his jealous step-mother, he spent his young life searching for enlightenment, and was rewarded by God not only with rightful kingship, but also with the stellar seat of honor, a symbol of steadfast devotion. 

THE LEVELING 

The second is Betelgeuse, a red giant on Orion’s shoulder, with a destructive reputation. Orion was unmatched in skill and strength, until the power went to his head and he began raping nymphs and boasting about killing all the animals on earth, at which point Hera (or Artemis) let loose the Scorpion on him. Betelgeuse is the Vedic Moon Mansion Ārdrā, watery home of Rudra, god of the raging storm and lord of the wild animals. It is ruled by none other than Rahu. We are in potentially savage, ruinous territory here.

The North Node/Rahu can be seen in two ways, astrologically. It can show us the way to our destiny, and point us toward the life path that our soul desires. It can also be a hungry ghost, that operates in shadow, leading us astray through our unconscious desires. With Venus conjunct Rahu at 28° Gemini I see two stories operating. One tells of finding a path toward kingship. Kings are not born, but are made. We all contain this archetype, regardless of gender identity. Who are the king makers and Queens in your life? Who has been your North Star? Who are your steady sources of support? Who has nurtured you with love, protected you in turbulent times, and encouraged your success? And equally important–what is your heart’s desire? How are you faring on the often bumpy path of love, beauty and relationship, and how are you keeping faith? 

The other story seems to be about the dark side of power and desire: tyranny and greed. Things that lurk in the Venusian shadows that lead us to be blinded by our appetites. Prowess that leads to hubris and destruction. Leadership that isn’t carefully managed and desire that runs unchecked can have dire consequences for all who live on the earth. When the raging storms blow through, when autocrats leave destruction in their wake, can we find an opportunity to re-evaluate what we hold dear, what we value the most? Can we reckon with the potential tyrant in ourselves? Can we see a path cleared for new growth?

Amidst the chaos of the world, the uncertainty of life, and all the troubling space weather of 2020, these transits are a good reminder that royalty, sovereignty and peace are still available to all of us, when we stay in gratitude and when we lead with love.