Navigating Cosmic Weather
Transits of early 2025
The idiom ‘under the weather’ that typically refers to being ill is said to originate from sailors who were ‘put below the decks’ to be protected from harmful weather. The weather has often been thought to be connected to or even have been the cause of illness. I frequently heard, “you’ll catch cold” when I would venture out in the Midwest winters with my coat unzipped, boots unlaced, and no gloves or hat. I couldn’t stand to be wrapped up like Ralphie from A Christmas Story. My Sagittarius North Node and Aries Mars vehemently reject being restricted!
I mention this for two reasons. The first-while the atmospheric weather does not cause illness, it can certainly affect our constitutions. In a similar way, the cosmic weather does not cause things to happen in our lives, rather it brings opportunities for us to build resilience. And second-I have recently come out of a rather lengthy time of being ‘under the weather’. During which, I spent a lot of time lying on my couch watching movies to occupy my restless mind while my body moved slower than a sloth crossing a busy road.
If you have followed me for a while, you will know that I have often referred to movies, shows, and songs to explore analogy and emotion that are contained within and experienced as the zodiacal archetypes. As you can imagine, I was making some connections to the movies I’ve recently watched to the astrological weather.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) tells the story of legendary singer Freddie Mercury, his evolution, and the evolution of the British rock band Queen. I found it quite moving and, as a big fan of the music, inspiring.
In typical Hollywood fashion, the story follows an impetus, the struggles, a time of being on top, conflict, a fall from grace, and resolution. I think the reason it resonates with so many is that this feels like the process of living as a human. The cycles of evolution, of change-the beginnings, the challenges and crises, and the overcoming. While most of us haven’t had these grand Hollywood-esque experiences, I think we all can relate to navigating crisis and coming to our own understanding of acceptance.
VIRGO/PISCES
Reflecting on and moving through these types of cycles will be a theme for the next year and a half as the lunar nodes transit the Virgo-Pisces axis. Have you already begun to feel the shift?
“Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality.”
We also have a line-up of the North Node, Neptune, Venus, and Saturn in Pisces all opposing the focused South Node in Virgo. These energies will be with us for the next few months as Venus slows and begins her retrograde revisiting Saturn and Neptune before finally being able to take some new action in spring. The songs Under Pressure and Another One Bites the Dust are running through my head on repeat.
Where are you feeling pressured? Where are circumstances-internal or external-showing you that there are stagnant places that require a existential ‘stirring of the water’? What is coming to an end? What is culminating, completing-biting the dust?
And what new beginnings are gestating in the water of the Cosmic Womb (Pisces)?
My husband, John, in his 26th year of teaching has recently been told that his position has been eliminated from the school he planned on retiring from. As I hold space and watch him manage the cycle of grief, it has been one of the ‘you can’t make this shit up’ astrological experiences. As the nodes are in his 6th and 12th houses, a repeating theme of the Virgo-Pisces energies, he is navigating overwhelm, confusion, powerlessness, loss of meaning, loss of plans and goals - and moving into a sense of peace and calm in the knowing that there is a greater plan at work, the acceptance of what is, and strength of power in his own choices.
What I have personally experienced myself and observed in many is that we can become stuck in one of the stages of grief and we can’t seem to move on. We develop defense mechanisms that can keep us hindered for a long time. Please know, I do not advocate for rushing this process. Grief comes in waves regardless of its origin. And loss, in any form - real or perceived - requires processing.
I do advocate for using helpful coping strategies and tools to navigate the changes. For reference, the modern stages of grief are shock, denial, anger, bargaining, acceptance, and processing.
I’ll also link an article here that I found insightful. 7 Stages of Grief
“I want to break free”
AQUARIUS NEW MOON/URANUS STATIONS DIRECT
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) was another movie I found to be a great example of the current astrological weather. {{Spoiler Alert}}
Spider-Man’s alter ego Peter Parker has been exposed to the world and is being portrayed as a villain despite having been a part of ‘saving the world’ with the Avengers only recently. The court of public opinion weighs in. Peter is attempting to navigate an identity crisis, coming of age, relationships with friends and family, and unexpected sudden change. He decides to ask for help from Dr. Strange who casts a spell to make the world forget that Peter is Spider-Man. However, because Peter interrupts the spell casting, it goes horribly awry. The multiverse opens and versions of Spider-Man’s enemies from other dimensions appear in his reality, along with two other versions of Peter himself. The choice to return the villains to their rightful dimensions would lead to their demise. As the decision weighs on Peter, he realizes that he must find another way to send them back as their whole human selves.
By the end, the multiverse is set right, but not before a sacrifice that leaves Peter with significant loss. He completely resets his life while keeping the knowledge of all his prior experiences. Everyone else in his world forgets he exists. While he could have given in to hopelessness, instead, he chooses to live with anticipation for a better future.
Aquarian energy contains themes of anticipation and unexpected change. Mercury conjunct Pluto in Aquarius at the New Moon brings added themes of mindset shifts, multiplicity of ideas, and bringing together other/past versions of yourself to create a new reality moving forward. The modern ruling planet of Aquarius, Uranus, stations to move out of retrograde shortly after the new moon. The five months of retrograde has been a time of reflection on how we have been connected to those past versions of ourselves. Moving forward, we have the opportunity to reintegrate any ‘lost’ pieces. This is also a time of reconfiguration of how we relate to ourselves, how we value ourselves, and how we manage our energy. As Peter had to find a unique way to solve a crisis, we must also find new ways to navigate sudden changes and unexpected awarenesses that will arise.
Mars retrograde in Cancer in this first quarter square to Chiron in Aries will amplify and magnify our insecurities. There will be a choice point where we must decide if we will remain in the familiar behavior patterns that give us a sense of familiarity and emotional safety - or - if we will brave the elements and choose new ways of thinking and reacting/responding to life. Just as Peter had to find the courage to make the best decisions for himself, we must also dig in to find our courage to make the necessary adjustments.
The polarity (opposite sign) to Aquarius is Leo and Leo is about our proverbial hearts. You have heard the idioms, “she’s got heart” and “he’s all heart”. These are metaphors to indicate the strength of one’s convictions. What moves you when you feel emotionally paralyzed? The strength of your Leonian heart. We all carry this archetype and have access to its energy.
One more illustration of an Aquarian component is from Guardians of the Galaxy. There is a culminating scene where the adversary of the film Ronan has stolen and is planning to use the Power Stone (a talisman of galactic energy that grants its holder immense strength and power) to eradicate an entire planet. One of the Guardians, or hero archetypes, is Peter Quill. Yes, another Peter, must be something about that name and heroes, eh? Nevertheless, Peter takes the Power Stone from Ronan, before he can use it, knowing that it is too much energy for his mortal body to hold. Peter is willing to sacrifice himself for the better outcome. But just as he is beginning to lose control, the other Guardians, his friends, join hands with him and help contain the power amongst the group. As they join and recognize that they are stronger together, they are able to complete the mission and save the world.
If Leo is about our creative purposes and how we use the strength of our hearts to fulfill those purposes, Aquarius is about recognition of the individual specialness in ourselves and in others. When we are each focusing on and developing our own individual uniqueness, we will naturally connect with others who are doing the same. And then we can clearly see that more can be accomplished - together.
Until next time, take care of you as you weather the changes.
****IMPORTANT TRANSITS FOR EARLY 2025****
1/12 Lunar nodes shift into Virgo/Pisces
1/29 Aquarius New Moon
1/30 Uranus stations Direct in Taurus
2/2 Venus, Neptune, North Node conjunction in Pisces
2/3 Mars retrograde in Cancer squares Chiron in Aries
2/4 Jupiter stations Direct in Gemini, Venus enters Aries
2/11 Sun/Mercury conjunct in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus
2/12 Leo Full Moon
2/14 Mercury enters Pisces
2/18 Sun enters Pisces
2/24 Mars stations Direct in Cancer
2/27 Pisces New Moon, Saturn conjunct Mercury in Pisces
3/2 Venus Retrograde begins in Aries, Mercury enters Aries
3/13 Virgo Full Moon conjunct Lunar Nodes
3/15 Mercury Retrograde begins in Aries, conjunct Venus Retrograde