Aspects for the week beginning 9 June 2013
The Turkish Spring
Turkey, a country which holds a crucial position in the world, in relation to the EU and in relation to the Middle East, is at a crossroads now. It has had the same leader at the helm for 10 years, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, democratically elected, but now a rebellion is under way, triggered by the proposed building of a mall on park land in Istanbul.
The people have just initiated an Arab Spring style rebellion. It differs from other such revolts, partly due to its timing, coming 2-3 years after the first ones. Astrologically, the spirit of the Arab Springs were a product of Uranus (rebellion) entering Aries (self-will). Several of these are at the next stage, of wrangling for a new order, e.g. Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, which is proving as much of a struggle as the initial uprising. The pure spirit of the Uranus in Aries has now, over the last year, become entangled, with Pluto in Capricorn, and the deadlock with the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Islamists in Iraq are being replicated where the new orders are attempting to establish themselves. Syria, which began its “Spring” later than some, got caught up with the Uranus-Pluto square before a clear win could be established for the rebels, and the situation there is a no-win situation at the moment, with the ordinary population definitely the losers, and refugees spilling into Turkey and Jordan.
Erdogan is possibly surprised to find this opposition, as he has successfully governed Turkey since 2003, to all intents and purposes under a democratic regime. But he himself has changed, and moved towards Islamism. He has Sun, Mercury and Venus in Pisces so can encompass a range of political ideas, and has a basically flexible nature (with 3 other planets also in flexible signs). This flexibility will have helped him stay in power for so long. His current reaction in trying to quell the rebellion may not seem flexible, but it is the standard reaction of a government. He had reached a high point in his self-confidence, and sanctioned the building project as an expansion of this, with Jupiter (expansion) exactly sextile his natal Pluto (power) at the time of the rebellion. His own faith in his power will have made such a reaction from the public unthinkable. His recent adoption of authoritarianism may be the effects of the corruption of power, a desire to hold on to that power.
Turkey’s own chart is hugely affected by the current Uranus-Pluto square, as Uranus is exactly square to Turkey’s Pluto and Pluto is opposite Turkey’s Pluto, so the severe and sudden spotlight of Uranus-Pluto change has come to alight on Turkey now. However, Neptune trines Turkey’s Sun, so there is a subtle and spiritual side to this change too, an evolution of consciousness.
In an article on May 9th, Professor Alon Ben-Meir lends weight to Turkey’s position in the Middle East:
“Turkey can and in fact should play a constructive role, provided that the Erdogan government takes a hard look at what the opportunities are to contribute to building a structure of peace and stability. The Erdogan government, however, should also consider the risks entailed should it remain stuck in grandiose old thinking.”
He concludes in saying: “I believe that Turkey is a country that has the potential of becoming a significant global player, but, like any other power, it must also learn its limits.” He was writing pre-Turkish Spring.
What may mark out this Turkish Spring, starting as it does in the midst of the Uranus-Pluto square series, from the Syrian situation, may be Erdogan’s grasp of what is needed in the democratic process if he can turn round his thinking, as he has engaged with it already, and listen to his people. He is in the unique position of being able to learn what not to do in the region, from previous examples. Bashar Assad of Syria, who has treated his people with great brutality,has no history and possibly no prospect of doing what is needed. He does have an opposition of flexible planets in his chart, but crucially his Mars (will) is in the fixed sign of Scorpio, while Erdogan’s is in another flexible sign, Sagittarius.
Celia Fenn, an Earth Healer has recently written about the situation in Turkey, saying: “It’s about a generation of Indigos standing up and saying “This doesn’t work for us!…This is the Indigo Revolution. It is young people who have said ‘no…it is enough’ and who will stand calmly in the face of aggression because they are light warriors and systems busters.”
To read her whole article go to:
Aspects
The aspects this week are contrasting (the tail end of a Grand Trine and a T-Square) and intense, centring around the middle of the week.
You may still be processing the Grand Trines and T-square of last week now, and the first aspect to greet us this week is an opposition of Venus and Pluto on Tuesday (11th). This is part of the T-square, and centres around facing deep or difficult issues in our relationships. There may be a temptation to give up and walk away, but the real deal would be in sharing deep feelings. Venus and Pluto also rule money, and economic crises could also be on our mind, both personal and global. This aspect occurs late in the evening.
Even later in the evening, the climax of the Grand Trine occurs, with Saturn exactly trining Neptune in water signs. This will assist the sharing and stabilizing of emotions, such as in relationships. There will also be wider applications, such as the watery issue of international fishing. This week Hugh Fearnley-Wittingstall announced that cod stocks were on the rise again in the North Sea. This is a strong partnership, Saturn and Neptune, and should sustain you this week if the going gets tough. It is a marriage of spirituality and practicality.
The next day, Wednesday (12th) Venus squaring Uranus brings the T-square back into focus with more relationship and financial challenges, but the vibrations of Saturn-Neptune trine will still be available for assisting with balancing and mixing reality with hope.
After Wednesday, the intensity should lessen and you will be able to take stock of what you have achieved and what you have yet to master.
The week in bullet points:
- Tuesday – problems and solutions
- Wednesday – more relationship disruption, but looking at the larger picture will help
June 9th, 2013 at 5:24 pm
Sadly my take on geography is limited, and this makes global and foreign activities a bit vague for me sometimes. So, Lana, I always learn much from your blogs, and am encouraged to educate myself better. Thanks for the Celia Fenn link, I once attended one of her talks and found it good, so will definitely give it a visit.
Currently I feel I’m sitting on egg shells as my ailing pooch earlier pulled a claw out, and as he’s asleep I’m reluctant to move. But their dinner is due so I’ll have to move.
I think we’re processing last week’s aspects here, but am confident I’ll keep bobbing along in that learning way. Many thanks for your encouragement Lana, love Sarah.
June 9th, 2013 at 9:38 pm
In York, we have frequently faced proposed building developments in inappropriate places most notably this one (cut and paste from Wiki) ……
Recently, commercial interests have sought to introduce retail development to the area surrounding it ( ie Cliffords Tower – Yorks Norman Castle). Citizens, visitors, academics, environmentalists, local businesspeople and Jewish groups have opposed the development with some success, winning a lengthy and bitter public inquiry in 2003. ………..
The city Council have recently put forward a number of monstrous proposals for development elsewhere but despite opposition I cant see our indigo generation standing up to shout “No it is enough”
I am not sure about Celia Fenn’s insights . I have good friend who lived and worked in Turkey so I will be chatting to her before I dare pass any comments on the main blog topic!
June 10th, 2013 at 9:37 am
Hey Sarah
I do hope that Spike is recovering well this morning. The pulled claw sounds painful.
Thanks for your blog encouragement,
Love
Lana
June 10th, 2013 at 9:51 am
Dear Janet
That’s a very interesting comment, thank you. I like the way you have broken down and analyzed different components of the problem. As a long time resident of York, you have had plenty of opportunity to observe the youth at work. As a grandmother, how do you think the next generation, the Crystal Children would deal with such events?
I too have a friend who has lived in Turkey – she had to leave her husband behind. I haven’t had the chance to ask her, but will do. Let us know if you find out anything which enhances our understanding.
Love
Lana
June 10th, 2013 at 11:35 am
Yes, Lana, I will pass on anything I hear about Turkey. I realise that someone else I know, who worked in Turkey, married a Turkish girl two years ago and I may ask him also.
I still don’t “buy” the Celia Fenn comment but am very keen to hear an updated analysis from Alon Ben-Meir as I feel he will lay out all the contributory and underlying factors without prejudice. I really need to do a lot of homework as I have not kept abreast of happenings in Turkey.
As a grandmother and mother of children from the waves of crystal and indigo births, I havent got a clue how they would deal with events but I would like to believe that the crystal generation bring in harmony and a more peaceful, less belligerent attack/approach than the Indigos.
June 11th, 2013 at 9:10 am
Dear Janet
Thank you for your thoughts.
Ben-Meir’s approach ( a rational one) and Fenn’s ( a spiritual one) are only two ways of thinking of aspects of the situation. I look forward to hearing another approach which your intuition and research may suggest.
Revolutionaries always think that the right people will take over in the right way on the other side of the fence, but as in other examples of the Arab spring that hasn’t happened.
Going back in history, the revolutionary Napoleon stepped into the breach in France and became a despot! Then there are the numerous South American coups bringing on tyrant after tyrant.
The Guardian yesterday published an article from an opposition leader in Turkey appealing to the west to understand that Turkey needs to stay secular and not move towards a religious state. I don’t know if there is any going back, once such a process (a “spring”) begins, but I hope that the course of this one leads to a better future.
Thanks for engaging with this subject,
Love
Lana
June 13th, 2013 at 6:08 am
Dear Lana;
I’ve been listening to the reports on the events in Turkey with fascination but I fear most of my personal focus recently has been closer to home.
We continue to battle ground squirrels and all the ecosystem they bring with them: snakes, skunks, coyotes, hawks etc. Our snake wrangler is trying to get us to poison and bait the little furry nightmares. We’re disinclined to put out bait stations but are feeling enough under siege we’re thinking of in-hole poison followed by a product called Gopher Goo which is supposed to fill the holes and drive them away. We’re collecting all the info before making a decision and in the meantime I have to watch the little buggers playing in my gazebo.
Part of our pest-control plan involves cats. And we now have three little tiny kittens – probably only about 6 or 7 weeks old. By the time they’re old enough to help us out with pests we hope to have all the rotters under some control. Tomorrow (14 hours hence, sometime tomorrow evening your time) is our first vet visit – think good thoughts for us. One of the tests will be for feline leukaemia. We’re obviously hoping for negative test results since it’s really a death sentence, especially since an infected kitten could infect our other cats.
On other fronts, the clinic changes are in process and so far patients have been very supportive (I call it enlightened self-interest. If I go out of business they’ll have to find a new acupuncturist).
The dogs are doing well – a bit concerned by the coyotes’ “singing” last night but otherwise fine.
Sarah – hope Spike’s doing well.
Hugs to you all
Dia
June 13th, 2013 at 12:35 pm
Thanks, Dia
for reporting from the Ranch (is that a permanent move?) and Office (is that still located in the same place?)…
Your interspecies battle is just as riveting as the intraspecies battle in Turkey.
Our original reason for acquiring our first cat when married was the appearance of mice at our flat at the time. I have no first hand experience of other household pets, although at one time my youngest daughter was given two mice which we kept going for two years (that must have been karmic, now I come to think of it!)
So it is fascinating to hear of your efforts, and all you are having to do to balance your eco-system. Thank you for passing on your lessons to us, and good luck with the current dilemmas. Hope the new kittens get a clean bill of heatlh.
Love
Lana
June 13th, 2013 at 12:37 pm
Dear Janet
I had coffee with my Istanbul-linked friend this morning, and basically she can see all sides of the picture, and feels there is no obvious solution.
And she is not a wishy washy thinker!
Love
Lana
June 13th, 2013 at 4:45 pm
Despite being an ‘animal lover’, and they’re all God’s creatures, good luck Dia with squirrel extermination.
I have grey squirrels in my garden, and since no longer having cats, have thought of them as my outdoor cat. I suppose it’s due to the cold spring this year, but first my young conker tree in pot had it’s sticky buds eaten, then my young walnut tree in lawn was attacked. This time I saw the b****y squirrel swinging from it’s delicate branches, eating the leaf buds. Aargh, I’ve gone right off squirrels now. I’ve draped plastic netting round my poor tree, I hope it recovers.
Thanks for Spike best wishes, he’s responded to well wishers, thanks Lana, healing vibes, and homeopathy, and his foot is much improved.
Love Sarah.
June 14th, 2013 at 12:05 am
Lana & Sarah –
The kittens are YOUNG (probably just 6 weeks) and so far healthy (poop results to follow tomorrow). And, to Bear’s relief BOYS.
The squirrel solution may actually be far more environmentally friendly. We have a company coming out to look at the problem. Their solution is to fill the burrows with a slurry of water & sand. THAT would be our preferred solution if we can arrange to have them come out.
Additionally, our shaman VERY STRONGLY suggested we avoid poison on our land. Hard to argue since everything else that’s come through her has been so spot on. She’ll be pleased with this new option (I hope).
The office is still in Tarzana and I’m still splitting time between the Ranch & the City. I also see patients up at the Ranch, though, and am trying to build that business up. At the same time, my City patients are responding very positively to the changes I’ve implemented, which re-invigorates me to my practice there.
Good luck with the blasted little tree-squirrels, Sarah. My friend calls them rats with good PR (public relations). They’re really blighters, since they don’t just take what we offer. Hope your trees survive.
Lana, I’ll keep yo updated on the interspecies activities here. I fully expect to see the ground squirrels wearing berets and smoking cheroots. (a vintage group, our ground squirrels).
Hugs to you both,
Dia
June 14th, 2013 at 9:00 am
Dear Sarah
Thank you for your update, and glad Spike is feeling better.
Interesting to hear about your relationship with squirrels…
My mother-in-law has an interesting history with pests. She lived most of her life in London, and the last few years squirrels were the bane of her life! She was constantly complaining about them. Then she moved to Hunstanton for a few years, and it was the seagulls who managed to disrupt her life. Finally, she is living in Downham Market near a pond, and it’s the ducks which are the culprits!
Love
Lana
June 14th, 2013 at 9:08 am
Thanks, Dia, for explaining more details about your animals and lifestyle!
I am so glad to hear you were advised not to use poison by the shaman, though it may be a longer solution.
When I started attending the Tibetan Buddhist temple in London in the mid-80s the first lesson we were taught was to avoid killing insects, and if we accidentally trod on an ant or hoovered a woodlice, to say “Om mane padme hum” for their souls!
But you are learning a balance between your needs and theirs, and I have enjoyed hearing about it.
By the way, scientist hubby has always referred to squirrels as being vermin too, and was doing so when my mother-in-law had her problems with them, while I still thought they were cute bushy tailed creatures (part of me still does!).
Love
Lana
June 14th, 2013 at 4:49 pm
You mention seagulls Lana, ha. I put out food for birds every morning, and a gaggle of gulls come by now squawking their silly heads off. I quite like the herring gull, a loner, and more timid.
The dogs like to look through the back door at them, a sort of doggie telly. I have got wise now and put the blackbird food under a fir tree where the gulls don’t go. A couple of jackdaws visit sometimes too. Then occasional dive bombing from the sparrowhawk, and suddenly the area is silent as all birds, big and small vanish.
But they come back. I guess all life is deserving, ‘tho a struggle to come to terms with some. Dia’s shaman sounds good. Love Sarah
June 14th, 2013 at 8:15 pm
Lana/Sarah:
One of my friends studied with some very enlightened Zen masters. On the subject of killing pests (for example ants in the kitchen vs those same creatures living their lives without bringing disease and ruin). The masters told her that for insects, there was such a hive-mind that the individual ant could be considered a cell in a much larger body that was “Ant”. So by killing them where they were doing harm (or having a population explosion), we were working as macrophages work in a body, killing some cells for the good of the entire body. They said things get out of balance when we begin to proactively kill things. Totally surprised me because I always had the idea that Buddhists didn’t kill anything, but there is a river of pragmatism in Buddhism that I had discounted*.
So I’m thinking of these ground squirrels as something of a cancer (an overgrowth of cells) that needs to be eradicated.
We have birds (mockingbirds in the city and something plucky here on the Ranch) that will chase the hawks away. Poor hawks, they drop food, little birds chase them away, the hawks have a tough life!
On the wildlife report, we have Quail here (the California state bird!). They’re so dang cute trotting across the yard. Also saw a hare the other evening. And (thank heavens) no more snakes.
Lana, I think tree squirrels are adorable, but I’ve know of their destructiveness for YEARS. In my previous life I worked in computer software customer service and (at the time) the number one cause of our communication errors was squirrel-chewed phone lines [told you that was a long time ago].
Sarah – Dia’s shaman is AWESOME 🙂
Love-
Dia
*One of my teachers told me every woman should eat an egg a day (or six to seven eggs per week). She shook her finger at me and said “Even Buddhist nuns get special dispensation for eat egg a day, is so important”.
June 15th, 2013 at 5:03 pm
Dear Sarah
I have seagulls down as Cancerian, though most birds are Air signs…
Good luck with your eco system this weekend, and thanks for your nature report.
Love
Lana
June 15th, 2013 at 5:06 pm
Dear Dia
Intellectually I know squirrels are pests, it is at the Inner Child level I have the nostalgia, and in my teens I learned to sketch them in great detail.
I associate squirrels with Virgo (squirrelling away nuts in the Autumn), and mice and rats are also Virgo…
But today, I was in Cambridge and saw a cuddly squirrel, and my Inner Shaman said “You have to have that, for dialogue”! So the process will continue.
Meanwhile, good luck in the real world of real squirrels,
Love
Lana