Hello and welcome to the Stella Starwoman May AstroUpdate!
Everyone’s talking about 2012 and the Mayan Calendar but there are many other cosmic happenings in the lead up to 2012 changing the world as we know it. Read on for my predictions for Uranus in Aries. Uranus is the great awakener and Aries the sign of the warrior - I personally believe the Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption is just a taste of things to come!
And this could be your last chance to sign up for my next Magic & Manifestation Course, starting 17 th May in Elwood – there are six places left, so be quick if you’re interested – see below for full details.
May – Magic & Manifestation Course
My next eight week Magic & Manifestation Course is starting up on Monday 17 th May from 7.30 – 9.30 pm in Elwood, Melbourne and there are SIX PLACES LEFT
BUT BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR.... previous students have stunned me as well as surprising themselves by:
• Finding and getting engaged to the man of their dreams – well done Rose! • Getting the top price in their street when selling their house – nice one Catherine! • Being approached to write a book – congratulations Sheree! • Being offered a brand new car – good on you Jen! • Setting up a healing sanctuary – go Petrina!
If you want to share in the magic....click here to download a booking form, click here to read all about the course OR call Stella on 03 9534 5021 or email stellaw@ozemail.com.au to book your place.
War & Peace - Uranus in Aries & Chiron in Pisces
Everyone’s talking about 2012 and the Mayan Calendar but there are many other cosmic happenings in the lead up to 2012 changing the world as we know it. Between 2008 and 2012, all the slower moving planets (Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune & Pluto) will change zodiac sign making the present time and near future one of the most rapidly transformative periods in recent history. These slow moving planets offer an overall picture of the collective energy during any given time period, so let’s look at some of the shifts that are occurring.
Pluto’s move into practical, no-nonsense Capricorn has already manifested in the form of the global financial crisis and later this month Uranus enters the entrepreneurial and warlike sign of Aries for a nine year stint. Uranus takes an average of seven years to transit any one zodiac sign, returning to the same position every 84 years, and as Aries is the first sign of the zodiac ring, 2010 marks the birth of a new Uranian cycle. So… what effect will Uranus in Aries have on the generation of people born between now and 2019? And what about the rest of us?
The last Uranus in Aries cycle began in 1927 and ended in 1935 meaning that children from this era grew up against the backdrop of the Wall Street Crash, the Great Depression and the Second World War. They had to summon the courage and resources to survive in a world that crumbled around them. Changes included the breakdown of the class system; the development of atomic technology and nuclear weapons; the demise of empires and rise of new country boundaries, economic and political instability, new roles for both men and women, mass unemployment, corporate restructuring and revised social ground rules.
This 1920-30s generation challenged the status quo with many of them personifying the rebelliousness of Uranus boldly expressed through the pioneering spirit of Aries. Roger Bannister, the first man to run a four minute mile. Stanley Kubrick, acclaimed director of the controversial film ‘Clockwork Orange’, Mikhail Gorbachev, the Russian leader whose glasnost policies led to the end of the Cold War, Che Guevara, the Cuban revolutionary hero, Andy Warhol, the pop art guru, Martin Luther King, the black civil rights leader, Noam Chomsky, father of modern linguistics, Rupert Murdoch, media mogul and Elvis Presley, the charismatic superstar, to name but a few.
Uranus by transit always accelerates the pace of social change, boosting the collective urge to rebel against the status quo and create new forms. The planet of rebellion in the sign of fiery impulsiveness (Aries) suggests the drive for renewal and change over the next decade will be intense, abrupt and even violent. Some will find this liberating – usually those who have most to gain from a new order - but many will find the upheaval both challenging and upsetting.
On a more positive note, Uranus’s long journey through Aries is softened by the parallel ingress of Chiron into Pisces. Chiron normally spends four years in any one zodiac sign, but because of its erratic orbit, will be in Pisces for nine years – the same length of time that Uranus will spend in Aries.
Pisces embodies the energy of the entire zodiac cycle and also contains the seeds of the next cycle. Chiron, the wounded healer centaur of ancient mythology, with his wisdom and knowledge of natural remedies can teach us how to work with nature and the environment and how to empathise emotionally, rather than intellectually with those less fortunate.
On the negative side, Chiron in Pisces could increase the risk of serious epidemics, as with her openness, fluidity and lack of boundaries, Pisces provides the ideal medium for the spread of infections and the lowering of collective immunity. Our Earth may become more susceptible to damage from pollution, acid rain, water shortages or rising sea levels. But the unifying element of water should make us realise that we cannot harm or exploit others without suffering ourselves.
Thus we have Uranus in Aries, the harbinger of a new 84 year cycle of revolution, coupled with Chiron in Pisces, completing the final stage of a 50 year cycle of healing that began in 1969. The birth of the new combined with the wisdom of the old. How can we best express and combine the energies of these two very different planets over the next decade? We could hope that the compassionate Piscean energy will temper the impatient Arian force preventing a re-run of the tumultuous events of the 1930s. We can also hope that the breakthroughs in information technology will help dispel ignorance and get people working together. And if we are to choose the path of overcoming difficult or seemingly impossible situations through extraordinary effort rather than the path of violence and brutality, here are a few challenges I believe we should prepare to face based on events from the past Uranus in Aries cycle. United we stand…divided we fall.
Predictions for Uranus in Aries (2010-2019)
1) Protests from those who are exploited economically demanding fair wages and proper treatment. Just as wealthy people lost their servants and cheap labour in times past, Western countries will be forced to pay higher prices for goods manufactured in Third World countries. We will have to learn to make do with less.
2) Protests against sexual slavery and exploitation of women from women themselves, hopefully leading to legislation to protect and empower women.
3) Protests from people in same sex relationships and people with disabilities refusing to accept the way they are treated by society and governments, hopefully leading to improved legislation, better funding and increased public awareness of the challenges these people face.
4) As world population grows and resources and living space become more costly and scarce, an increase in religious fundamentalism, racism and violence is likely as collective rage starts to explode under the fiery Arian energy. In the 1930s, these same conditions led to the growth of nationalism, anti-semitism and fascism and the rise of leaders such as Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.
5) As housing becomes more unaffordable, employment less predictable and people become more debt ridden and dependent on credit, it is entirely possible that we could experience further recession and an increasing divide between rich and poor. The sense of anger and powerlessness that this would create could lead to public demonstrations and increasing acts of violence and protest. Also a backlash against immigration based on a sense of scarcity and competition for resources and space.
6) As information technology becomes commonplace, we need to ensure it is used to benefit humanity rather than control or destroy humanity. Identity theft, computer viruses, exploitative pornography and cyber- stalking are realities of the modern world.
7) Given the unpredictability of Uranus and the fiery nature of Aries, we should prepare for an increase in heat waves, droughts, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones and other ‘Acts of God’. (Now believe it or not, I did write this article before that Icelandic volcano brought Northern Europe to a standstill!)
The Dendera Zodiac
Egypt’s Answer to the Mayan Calendar
Last December I was lucky enough to visit the temples, tombs and pyramids of ancient Egypt. When I discovered that our tour guide Egyptologist Dr Wael had based his PhD thesis on the famous Dendera Zodiac, I felt as though I’d hit the jackpot! The Dendera Zodiac is over 2000 years old and is a bas-relief carving on the ceiling of the Temple of Hathor about 60 km north of Luxor. This representation of the zodiac in circular form is unique in Egyptian art. The heavens are shown as a disc held up by four women representing the four seasons or pillars of the sky with images of the falcon-headed god Horus sandwiched in between.
Inside the circle are the twelve familiar zodiac constellations (Aries, Taurus, etc) along with other major constellations such as Orion. Some have a uniquely Egyptian twist – Aquarius for example is depicted as Hapi, god of the Nile holding two vases gushing water. After the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC, the throne of Egypt passed to Ptolemy, whose Greek dynasty ruled Egypt for 300 years. The Dendera Zodiac, carved during this period, thus appears to combine Babylonian, Greek and Egyptian cosmology.
Egyptologists have been able to accurately date the Dendera Zodiac to 50 BC as it shows the positions of the stars and planets as they appeared at that time. They believe the zodiac was designed as a time clock to mark the precession of the equinoxes from the Age of Pisces back to the Age of Taurus in 4700 BC.
As our knowledge of Egyptian history grows, it seems that Egyptian priests tracked the movement of stars back to the Old Kingdom and even as far back as the Age of Gemini, circa 6900 BC.
The various axes on the zodiac diagram show the movement of solstices and equinoxes through the constellations from the foundation of Egypt (Age of Taurus) to the time the Dendera Temple was built (Age of Aries) and beyond. Sirius, the brightest star in the sky and harbinger of the annual flooding of the Nile, appears twice - once on the true North-South axis, between the horns of Hathor the cow goddess, and once on the Axis of the Temple, as the falcon- headed god Horus - demonstrating its apparent movement over the centuries.
John Lamb Lash, an expert on sidereal mythology, identified another axis on the Dendera Zodiac, leading from the four rams' heads near the constellation of Pisces the Fishes, across the pole to the star Spica in the constellation of Virgo the Maiden. He believes this indicates the position of the spring equinox today. At exactly 90 degrees to this axis, another line can be drawn through the tip of the arrow of Sagittarius, which points to Galactic Centre, where the solstice alignment will occur in December 2012.
Mercury Retrograde
Have you noticed that things have gone a bit pear-shaped recently? Especially in Iceland.... Communication planet Mercury turned retrograde on the 18 th April and will travel backwards until 12 th May through earth sign Taurus. Mercury retrograde can translate to missed phone calls and appointments, broken down computers, printers, cars and machinery, misunderstandings and of course transport difficulties.... 100,000 flights cancelled in Northern Europe x 300 people per plane.... We can get angry at the apparent hold ups or choose to slow down and reflect. That’s what Mercury retrograde is really for – reflection and re-evaluation.
When Mercury retrogrades in an earth sign we tend to be very critical of the physical aspects of our lives – our bodies and appearance, our homes, our jobs and income and even the country we live in. We view these things as symbols of our own worth or lack of worth. The key is to consider what changes we would like to see and make decisions in accordance with our deepest values. This Mercury retrograde period is also a good time to complete unfinished business of a practical nature, such as home renovations, repairs, gardening and housework. Try to take it easy and enjoy the pleasure of slow, steady accomplishment. Expect some delays or rough patches and keep appointments and deadlines flexible enough to be able to accommodate last minute changes.
Zodiac Affirmations Screensaver
Thanks to all of you who filled in my questionnaire on workshops You will be receiving your complimentary copy of my Zodiac Affirmations Screensaver software within the next week.
Featured Sign-Taurus
From the 20th April to the 21st May, the Sun travels through fixed earth sign Taurus, Taurus is the second sign of the zodiac with keywords “I have” and “I hold”. The zodiac symbol for Taurus is the bull who luxuriates in the lush fields of plenty until aroused! Taureans love physical pleasure and are caring and affectionate. They are also patient, steadfast and reliable with excellent taste. Taureans can be very stubborn and take things literally, so proceed slowly and steadily when dealing with one of these individuals. They usually resist change. Their anger can be awesome as it builds up steadily over a long period of time. When Taureans are out of balance they often suffer from sore throats, voice and thyroid problems or a stiff jaw. The Taurus colours are pink, light blue, russet and the warm earthy tones. Taurus also has a strong connection with the arts, particularly music. Many Taureans are excellent singers. With their fine taste and patient hard working qualities, Taureans produce things of beauty that outlive them. They need to learn to accept and embrace change and let go of their attachment to material possessions.
Samhain – Southern Hemisphere Hallowe’en
Samhain, the ancient Celtic fire festival, is celebrated by pagans on May Eve. The word ‘pagan’ derives from the Latin word ‘paganus’ meaning ‘country dweller’. People living in rural areas continued to worship the cycles of nature long after Christianity was embraced by the towns and cities of the Roman Empire. The word for "country dweller" became synonymous with someone whose spiritual beliefs were based on seasonal energies.
Samhain is the gateway to winter, and a magical time of passage between the seasons. The veil between this world and other dimensions is very thin, and divine beings, the spirits of the dead, and mortals are said to be able to move freely between one world and the next. This of course is our Southern Hemisphere Hallowe’en! This is a good time to go within and meditate and then literally and metaphorically get rid of dead wood. A backyard bonfire with friends followed by a feast is a great way of doing this. And with Pluto, planet of death conjunct the karmic North Node on May Eve, consider holding a ritual to release the old and embrace the new.
May Moon Calendar
Launch projects at the New Moon, bring them to completion in the period from just before the Full Moon to the Third Quarter phase and wind them down and reflect on developments in the week before the next New Moon. The period between the New Moon and the Full Moon is the waxing moon (moon getting bigger and fuller). The period between the Full Moon and the New Moon is the waning moon (moon getting smaller and slimmer).
Many of you have written asking for info on the best time to cut your hair or wax/shave your legs. You can use this moon table to select the most favourable days to slow or increase hair regrowth. Full instructions can be found in my Lunar Hair Care guidelines at www.stellastarwoman.com/files/LunarHairCare.pdf but to get you started I’ve marked the best dates for waxing/shaving to slow regrowth in yellow and the best dates to cut hair for thicker, lusher growth in green. If you’re serious about Lunar Hair Care - order your own 2010 Moon Calendar then you’ll know exactly what time the moon changes from one zodiac sign to the next.
Thanks for being part of AstroUpdate. If there’s something you’d like to see featured, or have something you think would interest others, please contact me at stellaw@ozemail.com.au
PS – Don’t forget to check out your May Monthly Stars at www.stellastarwoman.com to see what’s coming up for you this month.
Happy Stargazing
Stella Woods