{"id":2933,"date":"2014-06-01T13:50:31","date_gmt":"2014-06-01T13:50:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.lanawooster.co.uk\/?p=2933"},"modified":"2014-06-01T22:06:38","modified_gmt":"2014-06-01T22:06:38","slug":"aspects-for-the-week-beginning-1-june-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lanawooster.co.uk\/?p=2933","title":{"rendered":"Aspects for the week beginning 1 June 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

Heroes of the Week<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Maya Angelou<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut a bird that stalks<\/p>\n

down his narrow cage<\/p>\n

can seldom see through<\/p>\n

his bars of rage<\/p>\n

his wings are clipped and<\/p>\n

his feet are tied<\/p>\n

so he opens his throat to sing.\u201d<\/p>\n

~ Maya Angelou<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

It is ironic that Maya Angelou, author of \u201cI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings\u201d has died in the same week that Michael Gove has pushed through his\u00a0 recommendations that British schoolchildren should only study British texts \u2013 a retrograde step if ever I heard one.\u00a0 We need to hear voices from other parts of the world, and expand our consciousness, not to narrow it<\/p>\n

When I was at University in the early 1970s I studied American Negro history (it might be called something else now).\u00a0 This included the literature of Langston Hughes, Richard Wrght and James Baldwin, but it was just after Maya Angelou had published her first autobiographical novel and before she appeared on a syllabus.\u00a0 Her work was on the curriculum by the time my eldest daughter studied A Level English.<\/p>\n

Neptune rising in her chart makes for a highly sensitive individual who may have difficulties with boundaries, especially early in life.\u00a0 Her Ascendant is in Leo (at 6 foot tall) and she was a performer in many facets of the Arts.<\/p>\n

Her courage (shown by Mars opposite the Ascendant) is combined with her great sensitivity (Mars\/Descendant opposing\u00a0 Neptune\/Ascendant).\u00a0 This warriorship gives rise to the various themes of her writing and activism:\u00a0 the pain and injustice of racism, and rape, and her philosophies of endurance and affirmation of life.\u00a0 It was James Baldwin himself who encouraged her to write her first and seminal work.<\/p>\n

Two other conjunctions stand out in her chart:-<\/p>\n

Sun conjunct Jupiter \u2013 a positive philosophy<\/p>\n

Mercury conjunct Venus \u2013 the Writer Archetype<\/p>\n

Two wonderfully expressive conjunctions, but nothing came easily\u00a0 because both are \u201ccaged\u201d (Sun\/Jupiter is squared by Pluto, and Mercury\/Venus is squared by Saturn).<\/p>\n

However, she was destined to endear herself to humanity, with Moon (the people) trine her North Node (karmic mission).<\/p>\n

Her Saturn in Sagittarius is another metaphor for the caged (Saturn) bird of freedom (Sagittarius). Her work and her message are very relevant this year as Saturn reaches the end of Scorpio and enters Sagittarius on 23rd<\/sup> December.\u00a0 I remember when Saturn last entered Sagittarius in 1985 it registered instantly with me as a sense of wings being clipped, a pinning down of that natural Sagittarius expansion.\u00a0 All things of course happen for a reason and in right timing, we discover later.\u00a0 Such an experience can help concentrate (Saturn) \u00a0the higher mind (Sagittarius) and produce literature which in Maya Angelou\u2019s case \u00a0carries the essence of wisdom. Her first book would therefore make an ideal stocking filler at the end of this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them\u2026\u201d ~ Maya Angelou<\/em><\/p>\n

Stephen Sutton<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A very different hero here in the U.K. this week found a few minutes of fame at the end of his life, but made a huge impact.\u00a0 Stephen Sutton, dying of cancer in his hospital bed, endeared himself to the masses on social media, and raised 4 and a half million pounds in a short space of time for the teenage cancer charity he sponsored (The Teenage Cancer Trust).\u00a0 He received a huge send off last week, with a wave of thumbs raised.\u00a0 His attitude to life was extremely positive, and he was relentlessly joyful about life. \u00a0Humour was a marked characteristic of his communications, along with courage.\u00a0 \u00a0Like Maya Angelou, his soul was irrepressible.<\/p>\n

In looking at his chart we can start with his Sun sign Sagittarius, an equivalent to Maya Angelou\u2019s\u00a0 Sun closely conjunct Jupiter: a naturally positive thinker, with a philosophical view of life.\u00a0 Mars squares exactly Jupiter in his chart, giving him extremely enthusiastic energy.\u00a0 Love is his karmic mission (Venus closely conjunct North Node) in Scorpio (achieved just before his death).\u00a0 Jupiter in its own sign of Sagittarius (magnifying the positivity) conjuncts Pluto in its own sign of Scorpio (emphasizing the death experience, as a vehicle for the positivity to flow).\u00a0 This conjunction is enormously powerful, and is squared by Mars, showing the poignancy and pain of its expression in his life.\u00a0 Chiron squares his natal Sun\/Mercury, indicating the severity of his wound which took him at such a young age.\u00a0 Pluto was exactly sextile his North Node when he died, showing that he had profoundly expressed his mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cLife isn’t measured in time, it’s measured in achievements\u201d ~ Stephen Sutton<\/p>\n

Aspects<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The aspects this week consist of two sextiles followed by a change of direction by our friend Mercury.<\/p>\n

The first sextile appears on Wednesday (4th<\/sup>) so the intervening time can be spent, if you wish, making the most of Saturday\u2019s (31st<\/sup>) trine between Mars and the Sun and preparing for Wednesday\u2019s sextile between Venus and Neptune.\u00a0 Purposeful action can occupy you till Monday therefore, and then a more passive reception of inspiration from Monday to Wednesday.\u00a0 The crossover moment between may be characterized by a blend of the two: burn-out from overdoing things, and a quiet insistence from the Soul to sit still and listen.<\/p>\n

So on to Wednesday (4th<\/sup>) and the first of the two sextiles, that between Venus and Neptune.\u00a0 This favours any activities which are Venusian in nature that you wish to take up, then incorporating a spiritual dimension.\u00a0 Venus represents a wide range of pursuits and qualities, and its heightening by Neptune creates a variety of possibilities:<\/p>\n

Love (Venus) combined with Compassion (Neptune)<\/p>\n

Money (Venus) with Limitlessness (Neptune)<\/p>\n

Gardening (Venus) with Spiritual awareness (Neptune)<\/p>\n

Relationship (Venus) with a Spiritual bond (Neptune)<\/p>\n

Artistic creation (Venus) with Inspiration (Neptune)<\/p>\n

Musical expression (Venus) with Upliftment (Neptune)<\/p>\n

You may already know what path you are approaching for Wednesday and where you can look for the source of spiritual energy or input.<\/p>\n

A different sextile (Sun with Uranus) presents on Friday (6th<\/sup>).\u00a0 There is a strong creative theme from the Sun, but it is combined with a desire for change (Uranus).\u00a0 This can produce innovation in Engineering, I.T.,\u00a0 original creativity, stunning performance art, and high energy for your chosen activity.\u00a0 It\u2019s also good for networking.\u00a0 Pass the star shaped canap\u00e9s, please!<\/p>\n

Saturday (7th<\/sup>) brings a reversal of direction by Mercury, standing still before turning retrograde.\u00a0 Make a special effort to express your communications clearly for the rest of the month.<\/p>\n

For a refreshing take on Mercury retrograde read Larry Schwimmer\u2019s post on the subject:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/larry-schwimmer\/top-10-things-not-to-do-d_b_4133136.html<\/a><\/p>\n

The week in bullet points:<\/p>\n