February 2017 By Bob Mulligan (a personal note is at the end of the newsletter) All of February has a quivering intensity with quick changes in several departments of life. Both Mars and Venus join Uranus in Aries so we see changes in the world becoming quite personal, affecting every aspect of our lives. Aries is the sign of individual pioneering spirit and Mars is energy and desire. Venus is the planet of love and harmony. As WE change, so will our partnerships; a quick reshuffling of our relationship patterns brings unplanned changes all month. Both the Full Moon on the10th and the New Moon on the 26th are Eclipses, creating a lot of turbulence in the world. With Neptune (lord of illusion) near the South Node of the Moon (past habits) for both Eclipses; there is apt to be confusion, misguided idealism, and a natural tendency toward delusion and escapism. This is the time to hold fast to our higher values while being careful to check our facts. Mercury in Pisces rules the North Node of the Moon in Virgo (sign of analysis); this is an insurance policy allowing us to blend personal perceptions with common sense. The counterweight to the ocean of Pisces is the forceful emotional assertions from the planets in Aries. One of my early astrology teachers, Ron Davison, pointed out that during the 1st century, when the Vernal Equinox was moving from the constellation Aries back into Pisces, the favorite event at the coliseum was to have two gladiators fight to the death, one armed with a shield and short sword (Aries), the other armed with a net and trident (Pisces). This the energy of the month as we sort out our conflicting emotional impressions. The Full Moon on February 10th at 7:32 PM EST on the 22nd degree of Aquarius/Leo is a Lunar Eclipse. Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus are making harmonious aspects to the Sun and Moon showing that there are some natural stepping stones to establishing peace, prosperity, and innovation. We must learn to think and act in new ways in order to get the higher side of ourselves to emerge. The Sun enters Pisces February 18th at 6:31 AM EST. The chart for the solar month is a perfect bowl formation meaning the planets are fairly evenly spread over half the zodiac with the sides of the bowl being the Opposition between Jupiter and Uranus. This shows that success comes this month by diving deep within our own selves and discovering some new resources. Mercury is Trine to Jupiter and Sextile to Uranus. This is important because Mercury rules the North Node of the Moon, which shows our karmic direction. This is a very fortunate month if we keep our focus on the right things. The New Moon February 26th is at 9:58 AM EST on 8th degree of Pisces. This Solar Eclipse will open a floodgate of emotions and give us a chance to rectify past mistakes and miscalculations. With the Sun and Moon Conjunct Mercury, the South Node of the Moon, and Neptune, it is not possible to hold back pent up feelings. Everything in this chart is ruled by Neptune in Pisces or Mars in Aries. This harkens back to the dawning of the Age of Pisces as the Vernal Equinox precessed from Aries to Pisces. This was a time of much passion and civil unrest. And it indicates the tone of the coming period. Eclipses last for several years. This one will be triggered a few times over the coming years but we will see some immediate challenges and opportunity in our personal lives this month. Because the ruler of the North Node (Mercury) is with the eclipse in Pisces, sorting through the facts to find inner support for our higher values will not be easy, but will be necessary and will happen. From the 1st to the 5th we emphasize: ideas, innovation, and commitment. We start the month with a feeling of excitement and anticipation. It’s time to put our ideals into action. From the 6th to the 12th new options emerge and we all seem to be in a hurry. Take time to review new information. We can learn to act out of a higher consciousness and be more effective in our everyday world. From the 13th to the 19th luck will find us if we are observant and just wait for it to arrive. There is instability in the world but we can make incremental strides forward if we get our timing right. From the 20th to the 28th there are highs and lows. Warm and peaceful feelings can be abruptly altered by sudden violent outbursts. Refocusing the explosive energy as it emerges is not easy but very rewarding. Even though we live on the edge of expectancy we are most happy when we “don’t count our chickens before they hatch.” Including others in our plans increases the enjoyment. 1st – Wednesday – Jupiter Contra-parallel Uranus – We may see grand plans that are just out of reach. Taking time to secure things closer to home is a better use of our time. Emotional over-extension can wear us out, but it may be worth the journey. 2nd – Thursday – Mercury Square Jupiter – Big ideas can help us grasp some truth about our lives but some caution is necessary before we attempt to utilize our insights to shape our lives. Taking time to get a little clarity brings benefits. 3rd – Friday – Sun Semi-square Venus, Venus enters Aries, Mercury Semi-sextile Saturn – Our mind is grinding along while our frisky feelings are raring to go. Still, the energetic imprints that come to us now bear distinct importance. Integration will take a few days. 4th – Saturday – Mercury Semi-square Neptune – We need to be careful to tell the truth and to listen carefully to what others say. Confusion comes when we take potential for actual. Still it is necessary that we must convey our dreams for this is how they grow. 5th – Sunday – Our minds tend to dance from subject to subject. This wandering quality in our mental life provides us with a new perspective. It’s a great time to expand our outlook. Clarity comes through determined commitment to some higher value. 6th – Monday – Jupiter turns Retrograde, Sun Semi-sextile Pluto – Sifting through our various projects and evaluating our options is most rewarding. Committing to a course of action can be life changing. We need to avoid “biting off more than we can chew.” 7th – Tuesday – Mercury enters Aquarius, Mercury Parallels Pluto – Even though there is a determination and dictatorial twist to all that the world seems to offer us now, focusing our mental energy in one place enables us to drill down to basic facts. This can actually open some new doors. 8th – Wednesday – Basic domestic tasks can keep us grounded in the most practical aspects of our lives. This is a good thing even though there is the continuing “call of the wild”. Balancing the conservative and risk taking sides of our nature makes this time most pleasurable. 9th – Thursday – Sun Sextile Uranus – Giving the freedom urge a healthy expression is part of making this day go smoothly. Taking credit for something we have done doesn’t have to damage anyone else. We are going forward with our plans even though some alterations in the details are necessary. 10th – Friday – Mercury Sextile Venus, the Full Moon Eclipse is on the 22nd degree of Aquarius/Leo at 7:33 PM EST – A progressive surge of enthusiasm can push us to complete something we have been working on for a while. If we are optimistic, balancing the head and the heart is elegant and easy. 11th – Saturday – Sun Trine Jupiter, Mars Semi-sextile Neptune – The spirit of adventure and positive feelings infuse all that we do. Operating on intuitions and gut feelings can help us avoid being caught in meaningless details. Big leaps forward and lucky breaks can carry us on to our destination. 12th – Sunday – Even though lots of options are present, we further our cause if we stay with well trod ground. There are opportunities to handle certain problematic details if we stay aware of our surroundings. 13th – Monday – It’s best to hold tight to our convictions and commitments. Big changes now can spell trouble later on. Help comes if we can just recognize it. 14th – Tuesday – Sun Sextile Saturn, Mercury Semi-square Saturn, Mercury Semi-sextile Neptune – The spirit of adventure can sweep us away. Forward looking progressive innovations can make the day exciting. Follow intuitions and avoid arguments. 15th – Wednesday – Interruptions can bring relief. Sometimes a lift from the daily grind is a blessing. Forces larger than our personal lives can bring changes in behavior. We need to be a force for peace. 16th – Thursday – Mercury Sextile Mars – Bold leaps of logic and quick responses to the environment make this a pleasant and forward looking day. Resting after work is completed is a good method for being prepared for the days ahead. 17th – Friday – Venus Contra-parallel Jupiter – Impulsive expenditures may spell trouble. Confidence can be strong but may be misplaced. Helping others who are less fortunate is a good method for channeling our need for expanse. 18th – Saturday – Venus Parallel Uranus, Sun enters Pisces, Venus Contra-parallel Neptune – Just one more step along our chosen path can lead to a new perspective. Needing no apologies for our largesse we give can be of some real service to others. Remembering others who are less fortunate in some practical manner can give significance and satisfaction to our actions. 19th – Sunday – Mercury Semi-sextile Pluto – Not being willing to accept the easy answers, we are guided to dig a little deeper and are pleasantly surprised with the results. Our own brilliant insights may not be so easy to convey. We progress if we don’t ignore stubborn facts. Even when we don’t like the bottom line, correct information is necessary. 20th – Monday – Mercury Sextile Uranus – Revising some aspect of the technology in our lives may free us to pursue important ideas with enthusiasm. Gather insights for use further down the line. 21st – Tuesday – Sun Semi-square Mars, Mercury Trine Jupiter, Sun Semi-square Pluto – Even though we may feel that we are caught in the middle between two forces pulling and pushing in opposite directions, our own insights can be very keen, even if they are not easy to share. Holding firm to our beliefs builds character. 22nd – Wednesday – Mars Square Pluto, Venus Semi-sextile Neptune, Mars Contra-parallel Jupiter – Violent impulses and forces of nature can disturb an otherwise tranquil mood. Behind the upset of the moment is an important back-story. Be willing to create an island of calm even when the seas are rough. 23rd – Thursday – Sun Contra-parallel Venus, Mercury Sextile Saturn, Mercury Semi-square Venus – Hard work and diligent concentration on what is important can lead us to create something of beauty. Our emotions can be strained and we try to get our thoughts and feelings to work together. 24th – Friday – Mars Parallel Uranus, Mars Contra-parallel Neptune – Adapting to a change in circumstances can allow us to express our pent up urges safely. Our willfulness can undo the good created through our exuberance. Facing the reality of our situation is most important. We have a great opportunity to grow in self-insight now. 25th – Saturday – Sun Semi-square Uranus, Uranus Contra-parallel Neptune, Sun Sesquiquadrate Jupiter, Mercury enters Pisces – Unexpected changes can take our plans in a different direction. Time and again we just have to remember what we are really doing, and why. Luck and enjoyment await us if we have the presence of mind to see it. 26th – Sunday – The New Moon Eclipse is at 9:58 AM EST on the 8th degree of Pisces, Sun Contra-parallel Mars, Mars Conjunct Uranus – Staying calm and focusing our attention inward is the way to be in the spirit of the moment. There is violence in the air but this combustible energy can be turned to useful purposes if we are diligent. Meditate and be kind to others. 27th – Monday – Mars Opposite Jupiter, Sun Contra-parallel Uranus, Sun Parallel Neptune, Mercury Semi-square Pluto – Taking the high road and staying above the fray allows us to put in to motion things we have been thinking about for the last few days. We get a glimpse of things to come. Today is an ironic foreshadowing of coming world events. 28th – Tuesday – Blending the innovative with the established lines of expression lets us unfold a new creative spirit that has been waiting to emerge. Spread the joy and perceive the beauty of nature. Settle into comfortable conversations and the happiness multiplies. Bob Mulligan is available for personal appointments, astrology classes, and astrological material. Call him at 239-261-2840 or by e-mail at bobmulliga@aol.com. Visit our web site, www.theastrologycompany.com My mother passed away January 2nd and the siblings gathered for a memorial service on the 7th. My sister, Mary Alice, led the service at the church in Indianapolis where she serves as the pastor. My brother, Richard, and my older sister, Dawn, came as did my brothers two sons, Kyle and Preston, and Mary Alice’s son, Ren. I had thought that Mom would pass away a little sooner, she was 98. The Moon is mother, and for the last period of my life, Transiting Saturn has been moving in tandem with my Progressed Moon in Sagittarius. For the record, Transiting Saturn opposed my Natal Moon in Gemini January, June, September and October of 2016 and Mom went into hospice, then finally passed when my Progressed Moon caught up with Transiting Saturn. Mother is our physical and spiritual link with the cosmos. As my Master, Meher Baba, said ” Make me your real mother and father.” God, the source, is our Real origin as well as our final destination. My sister, Mary Alice, came back to Florida with me and was here until the 19th. It was a good family time. Technical problems with my website, Net Atlantic, and my emails are slowly being resolved. Thank you all for the hundreds of emails you sent me regarding the newsletter. I was genuinely surprised at how many of you reported reading the newsletter in its entirety each month. Thank you for your words of encouragement. If you wrote me an email about the newsletter and didn’t receive a reply, please write again….I read and responded to all that I have. The workshop “Your Horoscope as a Spiritual Guide” is happening February 4th and 5th in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Fernanda Day is having a dinner for all the participants on Friday night the 3rd. Because the workshop filled up with a waiting list we may have another one in a few months. Lynne Hyde is hosting this same workshop in Miami on April 1st and 2nd with us meeting for dinner on Friday night, March 31st. These workshops fill up fast because the size is limited to seven participants. This is so everyone has time to really know each other, and everyone gets plenty of individual attention. There is real potency in these workshops and everyone leaves with something in their inner nature having been changed. We are all learning to be our better selves. One of my first astrology teachers, Swami Kriyananda, told me that on the day the Sun Trines Jupiter, you can align and balance your chakras by standing in the direct rays of the Sun. I have experimented with this a number of times and found it to be a valuable tool. If you live in a place where you can be outside and it is warm enough to take off some of your clothing, this can be a wonderful bath of healing sunlight. This aspect is exact Saturday morning, February 11th at 10:26 AM EST. Being only 15 hours after the Lunar Eclipse, the energy should be very intense and potentially very healing. On February 22nd I will leave for India to be with my Master, Meher Baba, for his Birthday. I’ll return home on March 15th. Most of my physical world responsibilities are already taken care of in India, this is a time of spiritual renewal for me. And it is always nice to see old friends who live there. So, there is much to do before I leave for India. My physical health seems to be up and down. Luckily for me I have Dr. Ying in my life. We met many years ago at an Esoteric Healing class. He has been a bridge between western medicine and alternative healing. My daughter, Katie Mulligan, is giving a free introductory talk on Esoteric Healing February 7th from 6-7 PM at BKS Yoga Studio in Naples. In addition to being the managing director of The Astrology Company™, giving Esoteric Healing treatments; she teaches seven regular yoga classes, as well private yoga instruction each week. Katie is teaching Part One of Esoteric Healing on the four Sundays in March. For more information go to her website www.FullnesOfBeing.com. |