November 15th 2017: Asteroid Athena re-enters Aries after stationing retrograde in Taurus on September 11th. Athena is the third largest body in the main asteroid belt and was considered a planet for over 40 years after its discovery in the 19th century.
The goddess of wisdom in the sign of the Ram embodies strategies for war. At 29° Aries, she is met by an exact opposition from asteroids Vesta and Psyche at 29° Libra, with the Moon at 27° Libra.
Athena Retrograde joins Uranus and Eris in Aries (both also retrograde), re-hashing their themes of how expressions of identity are going through a revolution that many people find confusing or even disturbing. Vesta and Psyche create a bridge to this identity crisis with the sacred flame and the soul’s inherent longing for the light. Goddess Sekhmet is the Devourer of the Dead, Eater of Hearts, aligned with fixed star Spica at 24° Libra, opposite Uranus and Eris. This chart describes the reality that if we currently resonate with the idea of being at war, then there is a war inside ourselves.
Athena’s retrograde station in Taurus formed a long-term sextile to Neptune in Pisces, representing an opportunity for bringing our subconscious awareness of the body into alignment with the physical reality of the body. There is often no other way to accomplish this alignment, except by the self-awareness we receive through conflict. Find the degree of your natal descendant on the above chart, and gain insights into the people and situations that are receiving your projections of your inner war.
And I am not in any way suggesting that we withdraw from the battles we currently find ourselves in, to go be alone and meditate or something. Far from it. Our battles are our living karma, and we should engage with our perceived opponents with the orientation described in The Klingon Art Of War:
“Warriors must regard their enemies as highly as they regard themselves. With no enemy, a warrior is only half alive. The foe is the warrior’s mirror, and the warrior finds in his opponent the true image of himself. Warriors crave foes against whom they can be tested, their limits exposed and transcended. Recognizing one’s rightful enemy is as sweet as discovering a hidden part of oneself, a long-dormant desire, an ambition resurgent. Facing and defeating this enemy refines and elevates the hidden self, the essential nature.”
At the moment of Athena’s retrograde ingress into Aries, the Moon and Saturn form a yod pointing to Sedna and asteroid Isis, both retrograde in Taurus. Sedna represents trauma, betrayal, mutilation, and the power of shadow. The energy of Isis holds the lovelight and radiance of the galactic solar heart source, a stark polar contrast to Sedna. The Moon-Saturn sextile activates their blend with a foundation of emotional maturity. Then, when the Moon enters Scorpio, it forms a sextile to Lilith in Capricorn, which can either support a totally healing fusion, or it can deepen the split and compartmentalize even further. It depends on your natal Lilith placements/aspects and where Zero Capricorn falls on your chart.
Stay tuned to Planetary Clarity for this weekend’s epic developments:
On November 17th, the Sun at 25° Scorpio opposes Sedna and Isis, and the Moon meets Venus at 12° Scorpio. This is the final Moon-Venus conjunction before Venus disappears from view behind the glare of the Sun on November 28th. There are usually seven Moon-Venus conjunctions between Sun-Venus conjunctions, which corresponds to the seven basic chakras. This rare 8th visible Moon-Venus conjunction corresponds to the 5D Earth Star Chakra, located below the Root.
On November 18th, the New Moon takes place at 26° Scorpio, exact opposite Sedna in Taurus, and aligned with Saturn trine Uranus.
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